Omnibus has record funding to protect horses from soring, maintains ban on horse slaughter

The $1.5 trillion omnibus bill heading to President Biden's desk has record levels of funding for enforcing the Horse Protection Act, which prohibits sored horses from participating in shows, exhibitions, sales or auctions, according to a press release from lobbying group Animal Wellness Action. Soring, most often seen with Tennessee walking horses, is the practice of hurting the horses' feet or forelegs to make them adopt a more pronounced, exaggerated gait. But enforcement has been lax at times; in 2019 a trainer and rider was allowed to compete in the Tennessee Walking Horse World Championship even though he was about to begin a suspension for repeated HPA violations.

The bill has just over $3 million in funding for HPA enforcement, over $1 million more than last year's appropriation bill. The bill also maintains the current de facto ban on horse slaughter in the U.S., according to the press release.