Horse Industry Organizations (HIOs) that manage Tennessee Walking Horse and other gaited horse shows are now required to assess minimum penalties for Horse Protection Act (HPA) violations found at shows and other events they manage under a final rule published by the USDA Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) this week.

The HPA prohibits "soring" the deliberate injury to a horse’s feet and legs to achieve an exaggerated high-stepping gait. The USDA enforces the Act and certifies HIOs and trains Designated Qualified Persons (DQPs). HIOs hire DQPs to carry out HPA compliance inspections on horses presented for exhibition at the horse shows.

According to APHIS spokesman David Sacks, in September 2010, auditors from the USDA’s Inspector General’s Office recommended that APHIS develop and implement protocols to more consistently penalize HPA violators. In May 2011, the USDA proposed a minimum HPA penalty protocol that would require HIOs enforce uniform minimum penalties for HPA violations found at the horse shows they manage. On June 5 after a public comment phase, the agency published the rule in its final form.

Under the final rule approved Tuesday, all APHIS-certified HIOs must assess penalties that equal or exceed minimum levels. The final rule requires that suspensions for violating the HPA be issued to any individuals including owners, managers, trainers, riders or sellers who are responsible for: showing a sored horse; exhibiting a sored horse; entering or allowing the entry of that horse in a show or exhibition; selling, auctioning or offering the horse for sale or auction; shipping, moving, delivering, or receiving a sore horse with reason to believe that such horse was to be shown, exhibited, sold, auctioned, or offered for sale. Anyone who is suspended will not be permitted to show or exhibit any horse or judge or manage any horse show, horse exhibition or horse sale/auction for the duration of the suspension. The final rule also stiffens penalties for repeat HPA violators