Horse Illustrated Magazine

The National Walking Horse Association (NWHA) has publicly applauded the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for its stand on protecting the Tennessee Walking Horse.

The Humane Society of the United States released a statement on soring of Tennessee Walking Horses citing, “This abuse is not hidden, or secreted, or frowned upon by industry leaders. It is part of the culture and fabric of Tennessee Walker competition–it must be stopped.”

The NWHA has a zero tolerance policy against soring, strongly enforces the scar rule, and does not allow the use of pads or chains on horses at its shows.
 
The NWHA is looking for support after seeing the first draft of the proposed USDA 2007-2009 Operating Plan.
 
Thirty seven years ago, the Horse Protection Act was enacted and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was the agency chosen to enforce it. In the past two years, the USDA has strengthened its enforcement of the law.

According to the NWHA, the first draft of the USDA’s 2007-2009 Operating Plan includes language regarding enforcement of the Horse Protection Act that is widely considered the most stringent and comprehensive to date by industry insiders. According to the NWHA, “the 2007-2009 Plan demonstrated a strong commitment to scar rule enforcement and enacted tough penalties for repeat offenders.”
 
However, the USDA has now proposed a second, less stringent operating plan, which the NWHA and HSUS do not support. The NWHA has chosen to voice its dissent by not agreeing to sign off on either plan. A final plan has not been implemented.