After facing public criticism this year about the treatment of Tennessee Walking Horses, some industry leaders have proposed harsher penalties for those caught abusing horses for personal gain.

“We want to see the horse be presented where the public can enjoy it, because it’s the greatest horse in the world,” trainer Wink Groover said Monday.

The USDA is drafting a new regulating plan for the enforcement of the Horse Protection Act in 2007 and reviews recommended changes from nine sanctioned horse organizations.

The act prohibits inhumane practices called soring that artificially accentuate the Walking Horse’s natural high-stepping walk–called the “Big Lick”–in the show ring.

Federal agriculture authorities warned industry leaders this year to clean up the physical abuse that has persisted more than 35 years after the passage of the act or face stricter regulations next year.

Disagreements among government inspectors and owners and trainers of the breed shut down major Walking Horse shows this year, including the marquee Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville.

Craig Evans, USDA liaison for the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association, said the proposed changes are a culmination of three years of discussion among the nine organizations.

But not all the nine groups support the proposed changes. The Walking Horse Trainers Association will not be recommending any changes to the USDA, said Groover, who is the president of the Shelbyville-based organization.

The proposal increases the suspension from two to five years for the first violation of pressure shoeing, a practice of shoeing or trimming a hoof to cause pain. After the second offense individuals could be given a lifetime suspension from participating in the industry.

“Pressure shoeing is clearly the most heinous, the most painful and permanent type of abuse,” Evans said.

The plan also would ban the use of plastic wrap on horses’ legs while at Walking Horse events. One soring practice identified by the USDA involves applying irritating and caustic chemicals, such as diesel and kerosene, to a horse’s forelegs and then wrapping them in plastic wrap or bandages.

Evans said that plastic wrap does have beneficial purposes, but the public image of Walking Horses with bandaged legs was too detrimental to the industry.

“That’s not going to be well-received in some areas as a litmus test, but we need to be ever-vigilant of the public point of view,” Evans said.

Another proposed change is intended to eliminate confusion between accidental or natural injuries and abuse. Many owners complain about horses who fail inspections one week, only to pass the next week.

Horses who violate the rules about scars or swelling around the hoof will be eliminated from the show, but the trainer, owner or exhibitor will not face suspension, according to the proposed rules.

“You can have tissue changes in a very short period of time,” Evans said. “That confusion leads to a lot of conflict in the inspection station.”

Other changes include a longer probation period in an effort to target repeat offenders and requiring the USDA to compile and release detailed annual reports on inspections and violations.

Groover, a trainer in Longview, Texas, said there is no sympathy for animal abuse in the multimillion dollar industry that stretches from California to Kentucky.

“I’ve been in the Walking Horse industry for 52 years. It changes periodically, but we’ve got a fantastic animal,” Groover said. “We’ve got to find a way to market it under the HPA and under the law.”

The challenge is the interpretation of the rules about how Walking Horses can be trained, including the use of metal chains and bands, padded horse shoes and certain chemicals, Groover said.

“I wish we could get the interpretation of the HPA in layman’s terms where everyone could understand,” Groover said.

The USDA still has to draft the final operating plan for each of the organizations to review, Evans said.

“We need to recognize the department may change it significantly,” Evans said. “We need to wait to see what comes back.”

On the Web:

Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association: www.twhbea.com  

Walking Horse Trainers Association: www.walkinghorsetrainers.com  

USDA’s site on the Horse Protection Act: www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/hpainfo.html