Soring Cruelty

“No horse should be made to suffer for a blue ribbon - it is time that this cruelty stops for good.” The exaggerated leg motion of a horse's gait is called the “Big Lick”. This gait is mostly shown on the Tennessee Walking Horse; a horse known for its gait. However, this motion is usually unnatural and is created by pouring, injecting, or in any way applying illegal acids onto the skin above the hoof. This is called soring. One way to stop the soring is to run more investigations., and another solution is inform more people about what soring is, and what the official laws and rules are. The practice of soring in the horse showing industry has been used for many, many years and should be stopped. It is harmful to the animals and it is abuse.

The first is Chemical Soring, and the second is Physical Soring, both being extremely painful. According to the AVMA, “Chemical Methods involve applying caustics (such as kerosene or mustard oil) to the horse’s lower leg.” This is extremely painful as it is burning through the skin. The other type of soring is Physical Soring. The text directly says, “Methods of Physical Soring include grinding or trimming of the hood and/or sole to expose sensitive tissues.” The results of both of the Soring techniques is stated, “This causes the horse to lift its legs faster and higher.” These two types of soring are extremely painful and need to be

The Government Document states, “The term ‘sore’ when used to describe a horse means that- an irritating or blistering agent has been applied, internally or externally, by a person to any limb of a horse.” This shows one of the definitions created by the Government for this topic. This definition can also be elaborated to say, “-any burn, cut, or laceration has been inflicted by a person on any limb of a horse.” This is what many people think the definition of “soring”. However, that is not the only thing considered soring. There is even more defining soring. As stated by the GPO, “-any tack, nail, screw, or chemical agent has been injected by a person on any limb of a horse, or any other substance or device has been used by a person on any limb of a horse or a person has engaged in a practice involving a horse, and, as a result of such application, infliction, injection, use, or practice, such horse suffers, or can reasonably be expected to suffer.” This shows that there is more to the rules than people think and that one step to stopping this horrible abuse is to inform people. Moreover, the rules of soring should be more well known to people. However, there are a few problems in this tactic. It is expensive, and most people think it is not worth the time and money for. However it absolutely is, think about it, if a horse was being abused and you saw it would you