WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), sponsors of the bipartisan Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act, today applauded a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to strengthen Horse Protection Act (HPA) requirements, issuing the following statement:

“As the authors of bipartisan legislation to ban the cruel and abusive practice of horse soring, we applaud today’s proposal from the USDA to strengthen the Horse Protection Act and eliminate the use of horse soring at horse shows, exhibitions, sales and auctions.” 

Soring is a process by which horse trainers intentionally apply substances or devices to horses’ limbs to make each step painful and force an exaggerated high-stepping gait rewarded in show rings. Although federal law prohibits soring, a USDA Inspector General (IG) report found that some horse trainers continue this inhumane practice. 

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