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Federal District Court ruling weakens key soring protections but leaves USDA oversight intact

WASHINGTON— The Humane Society of the United is calling upon Congress to pass the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act following a recent federal district court ruling in Texas that vacated key provisions of a United States Department of Agriculture Final Rule published in May 2024. The decision weakens critical protections against horse soring—a practice that causes pain on a horse’s legs or hooves to create exaggerated or unnatural gaits in competitions.

While the court upheld the long-overdue transition away from industry self-policing to independent, USDA-authorized Horse Protection Inspectors, it struck down the essential provisions devices and practices long used to inflict pain and cause exaggerated gaits. The ruling also eliminated the provision which allowed inspectors to classify a horse as sored based on visible injuries making it harder to identify the issue and assess accountability.

“This lower court ruling is more than a legal setback—it is a moral failure,” said Chelsea Perez, senior program manager for equine protection with the Humane Society of the United States. “If key portions of this decision that strike down much of the USDA final rule remain in effect it will provide those who have profited from soring a reprieve. Certain industry groups that claim to care for these horses have worked relentlessly to block every meaningful reform while maintaining the same practices. Their fight to keep these practices alive will only continue increase scrutiny and opposition.”

“This ruling creates dangerous gaps that leave horses vulnerable and reinforces the urgency of congressional action to close these loopholes and to shield the broader equine industry from the disgrace brought on by a small faction,” said Gillian Lyons, director of regulatory affairs for the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “A glimmer of hope, however, is the Court’s ruling that the USDA did not overreach in doing away with an era of industry self-policing. We have for years asserted that independent enforcement is essential to protecting horses, and we’re pleased that the court upheld this crucial reform.”

Congress has the power to put an end to this practice by passing the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act. This bipartisan bill will close existing regulatory gaps and provide clear legal authority for USDA to fully enforce anti-soring measures. It would eliminate the failed system of industry self-policing and devices integral to soring, strengthen penalties, and make illegal the actual soring of a horse—all for negligible cost as determined by the Congressional Budget Office. The PAST Act is the comprehensive solution needed to ensure lasting protection for these animals.