A Web site listing more than 8,700 Horse Protection Act violators who have received suspensions from 1986 to the present has been launched by Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH). See the Web site.

The Horse Protection Act (HPA) is the Federal law that makes it illegal to "sore" Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited breeds. "Soring" describes the practice of creating pain with chemical or mechanical means on the front legs and hooves to exaggerate and create an artificial gait for the show ring.

FOSH is providing the information as a resource for persons who are active, or wish to become active, in owning, breeding, and/or showing Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses, and Spotted Saddle Horses, the principle breeds subject to regulation under the Horse Protection Act. For example, individuals selecting a professional trainer for their gaited horse can use the new Web site to research the trainer's violation history. A buyer can verify the seller's reputation for soring. Horse rescues that are placing horses with new adoptees can verify their HPA history before placing the horse. Show management and enforcement officials can familiarize themselves with names of repeat violators, listed in one of the search options. The site also provides current data, such as suspension proportions by state, and by violation type.

Sources of the data include the official disqualification and civil penalty lists maintained by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; violation and penalty information reported by USDA-certified Horse Industry Organizations (HIOs), and various public Web sites. Any corrections must be directed to the original source HIO that reported the data