Careful measurements are done to 

ensure that metal hoof bands are in 

compliance with the regulations.

Applying substances other than mineral oil, 

glycerin, and petrolatum, or combinations 

thereof, violates the HPA regulations.

Gait alterations created by soring the 

forelimbs may result in abnormal stresses 

in the hind legs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS) enforces the Horse Protection Act (HPA). 

The HPA is a Federal law that prohibits horses that 

have been subjected to a practice called soring from 

participating in auctions, exhibitions, sales, or shows. 

The HPA also prohibits drivers from transporting 

sored horses to or from any of these events.

Soring

Soring is a cruel and inhumane practice used 

to accentuate a horse’s gait. Soring may be 

accomplished by irritating or blistering a horse’s 

forelegs through the injection or application of 

chemicals or mechanical devices that cause irritation. 

Soring may also be accomplished by the infliction 

of cuts, lacerations, or burns, or by the engagement 

of any practice that could reasonably be expected to 

cause a horse to suffer pain or distress while walking, 

trotting, or otherwise moving. An accentuated gait 

may also be accomplished by using inhumane hoof trimming or pressure-shoeing techniques. Sored 

horses sometimes develop permanent scars in the 

pastern area due to the use of the painful chemicals 

or devices involved in the soring process. When it 

walks, a sored horse responds by quickly lifting its 

front legs to relieve pain.

In the 1950s, some horse owners and trainers 

who wanted to improve their horses’ chances to 

win at shows used soring as an unfair shortcut to 

conventional training methods. Because sored horses 

gained a competitive edge, the practice became 

popular and widespread in the 1960s. Public outcry 

over this abusive practice led to the Horse Protection 

Act, which Congress passed in 1970 and amended 

in 1976.

The HPA is intended to ensure that responsible horse 

owners and trainers will not suffer as a result of unfair 

competition from those who sore their horses and 

that horses will not be subjected to the cruel practice 

of soring. Although the HPA covers all horse breeds, 

Tennessee walking horses, racking horses, and other 

high-stepping breeds are the most frequent victims 

of soring.

Responsibility

Responsibility for preventing sored horses from 

being exhibited, shown, or sold rests with owners, 

riders, sellers, trainers, and managers of these events. 

Owners and trainers benefit if a horse wins a show 

or sells for a high price, thus leading to greater 

incentive to sore the horse. Event managers, 

however, have the major legal responsibility to 

exclude or disqualify sored horses at their auctions, 

exhibitions, sales, or shows.

Designated Qualified Persons

To facilitate enforcement of the HPA, APHIS 

established the designated qualified person (DQP) 

program. DQPs are USDA-accredited veterinarians 

with equine experience, or they are farriers, horse 

trainers, or other knowledgeable horse people who 

have been formally trained and licensed by USDAcertified horse industry organizations or associations. 

DQPs are hired by the managers of a sale or show to 

assure that sored horses are not exhibited or offered 

for auction.

DQPs are responsible for physically inspecting every 

Tennessee walking horse and racking horse before it 

may be exhibited, shown, or sold and every first-place 

horse after it is shown. DQPs must report to show 

management any horses that do not meet Federal 

regulations under the HPA. It is show management’s 

legal responsibility to disqualify sored horses.

Monitoring DQPs and 

Enforcing the HPA

APHIS inspection teams attend some horse events 

to conduct unannounced inspections. The APHIS 

inspection team may include veterinary medical 

officers (VMOs), animal care inspectors (ACIs), and 

investigators. The primary responsibility of APHIS’ 

VMOs is to evaluate the DQPs’ inspection procedures. 

VMOs also observe horses during shows, sales, and 

exhibitions and may examine any horse for signs of 

soring. DQPs may have their license canceled if their 

inspection procedures do not meet HPA standards.
Hooves and pads are measured to ensure 

compliance with regulations addressing heel:toe 

ratio and artificial toe-length extension.

United States Department of Agriculture 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Program Aid No. 1827

The Horse 

Protection Act

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 

discrimination in all its programs and activities on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and 

where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, 

parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic 

information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all 

or part of an individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases 

apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means for communication of program 

information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should 

contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice 

and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to 

USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–9410, or call 

(800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA 

is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Photo credits: Three copyrighted images used in this 

leaflet were supplied by Steppin’ Out magazine, and 

APHIS gratefully acknowledges their permission to reprint 

them here. These photos include the cover shot with the 

horse’s head in profile and the captioned images inside 

the leaflet showing discolored pasterns and the abnormal 

gait of a sored horse. Serge Cognard took these three 

images. APHIS veterinarian Todd Behre took the photo 

with the side view of hooves. APHIS investigator Phillip 

Ledbetter took the measurement image.

Issued June 2005

Slightly revised June 2008

Signs of Soring

The examination for soring consists of three 

components: an evaluation of the horse’s 

movement, observation of the horse’s appearance 

during the inspection, and physical examination 

of the horse’s forelegs from the knee (carpus) to 

the hoof. Particular attention is paid to the area 

of the coronet band, the anterior pastern areas, 

the “pocket” of the posterior pastern area, and the 

bulb of the heel, all of which are typical places for 

the application of soring chemicals. The presence 

of abnormal tissue, swelling, pain, abrasions, or 

oozing of blood or serum may indicate soring. 

Inspectors also measure for shoeing violations 

and look for training devices that are too heavy or 

improperly applied. Heavy, rigid devices striking 

the pastern and coronet band during exercise can 

cause soring.

Penalties

Criminal or civil charges can be brought against 

violators. If convicted, criminal violators can 

spend up to 2 years in prison and receive penalties 

of up to $5,000. Civil complaints, imposed 

through administrative procedures, can result in 

disqualifications of 1 or more years and penalties 

of up to $2,000 or more per violation. Disqualified 

persons may attend horse events but only as 

spectators and are not allowed to participate in any 

other manner.

Additional Information

For more information, please visit the Animal Care’s 

web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_welfare. 

You may also contact AC’s headquarters office:

USDA–APHIS–Animal Care

4700 River Road, Unit 84

Riverdale, MD 20737–1234

Phone: (301) 734–7833

Fax: (301) 734–4978

E-mail: ace@aphis.usda.gov