Walking horses are still 'sored' to force high steps

It's the prime season for horse shows in rural America, but sometimes the show doesn't go on, because of continuing conflicts between horse owners and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which enforces laws that ban the abuse of horses -- most notably some of the methods used to make them walk with the "big kick" that Master of Jazz, ridden by Jimmy McConnell, showed in winning the world championship at the 69th Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration in Shelbyville, Tenn., last year. (Photo by George Walker IV, The Tennessean)

Newspapers in horse country are often shy about digging into this controversy, so we salute the reporting in today's Lexington Herald-Leader by Janet Patton, who writes, "New technology tested last year found that half of the horses inspected at 14 of the biggest shows were positive for at least one prohibited substance," such as camphor or kerosene. Inspectors recently began swabbing horses and sending samples to labs instead of relying only on visual and manual inspection for "soring" horses' hooves and ankles.

Patton also reports that USDA inspectors are much more likely to issue citations than inspectors hired by exhibitor groups: "In 2007, industry inspectors issued 629 tickets at 506 shows; USDA inspectors issued 325 tickets at 31 shows. Violators face suspensions and sometimes fines, but these are not always enforced." In some cases, exhbitors decide, often as a group, to keep their horses out of the ring. That meant no world champion at Shelbyville in 2006. "But last year, according to anti-soring activists, one trainer competed — and won a ribbon — at the Celebration while 'serving' a multiyear USDA suspension," Patton writes.

Fewer than 10 percent of shows are inspected, because Congress has not given USDA the money it needs to put more inspectors in the field. "The Horse Protection Act was implemented in 1970 with a $500,000 appropriation cap, and political pressure has kept it there," Patton writes. Exhibitors say the sport cleaned up its act decades ago, but Donna Benefield, executive director of the Horse Protection Commission, the only show-inspection program run by veterinarians, told Patton that abuses are still prevalent. "It's all just basically chemical warfare instead of a competition of horsemanship," she said. "Society is no longer going to accept what they're doing to these horses. You can't keep selling this lie." (Read more)

Also on this side of the argument are the National Walking Horse Association and Friends of Sound Horses, which promote "naturally gaited" walking horses. Generally viewed as being on the other side are the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association; the Walking Horse Owners Association, also based in Tennessee; the Kentucky Walking Horse Association, and the Walking Horse Trainers Association.