NALT Full

The Horse Protection Act (HPA) was passed in 1970 to prohibit the showing, sale, auction, exhibition, or transport of sored horses. "Soring" is defined as the application of any chemical (e.g., mustard oil or diesel fuel), mechanical agent (e.g., overweight chains), or practice (e.g., trimming a hoof to expose the sensitive tissue) inflicted upon any limb of a horse, that can cause or be expected to cause the horse to suffer physical pain or distress when moving. Trainers use soring to give horses a highly animated gait in a short time period rather than spending time training them to have this gait naturally.