Horse Industry Organizations (HIOs) providing Horse Protection Act (HPA) compliance inspectors at horse shows would be required to impose mandatory minimum penalties for specific HPA infractions or risk decertification under new rules the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) proposed last week.

The HPA prohibits "soring," the deliberate injury of a horse’s feet and legs to achieve a high-stepping so-called "big lick" gait. APHIS enforces the Act and trains Designated Qualified Persons (DQPs) to perform compliance inspections, and also certifies HIOs that hire DQPs for horse shows. Currently, HIOs either follow their own penalty protocol or abide by APHIS penalty structure.

Under proposed rules announced during a May 27 conference call by agency Horse Protection National Coordinator Rachel Cezar, DVM, and Chester A. Gipson, DVM, the agency’s deputy administrator for animal care, minimum penalties for bilateral soring (injury to both a horse’s front or hind limbs) would range from a one-year suspension from exhibiting horses at shows for a first offense to a four-year suspension for third or any subsequent offenses. Proposed minimum penalties for unilateral soring (injury to one of a horse’s front or hind limbs) ranges from 60 days suspension for a first offense to one-year suspension for a third or any subsequent offense.

Scar rule violations (which pertains to a visible scar on a horse’s leg–usually above the coronary band–that indicates a horse has been injured by soring) would carry penalties ranging from a two-week suspension for a first offense to a one-year suspension for third or any subsequent offenses, under the proposed rules