NEWS - AAEP Issues White Paper on Ending the Soring of TWHs

I want to publicly commend the Amercian Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) for taking the time to research and work on ideas for a solution to this problem. I absolutely agree with every single word in this paper.

Click here for the AAEP News Room release

Click here for the White Paper: "Putting the Horse First: Veterinary Recommendations for Ending the Soring of Tennessee Walking Horses"

An excerpt from their introduction:

"The true measure of success will be that soring no longer exists because the Tennessee Walking Horse industry itself brought it to an abrupt end."

Key points in the white paper include:

Immediate institution of drug testing at every competition.

The abolishment of the Designated Qualified Persons (DQP) Program and the establishment of a corps of independent veterinarians to conduct horse inspections and impose sanctions for violations of the Horse Protection Act.

The development of objective methods to detect soring in order to eliminate the current practice of conditioning horses to tolerate pressure applied to the limbs. [aka, stewarding, a VERY violent practice.]

Establishment of a single industry organization that has governance responsibilities and sets and enforces uniform standards and regulations.

Reevaluation of judging standards so that the innate grace and beauty of the breed are valued instead of rewarding the currently manufactured exaggerated gait.