U.S. Rep. John Rose Speaks in Support of the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry

Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Rep. John Rose (TN-06) spoke on the House Floor against the “PAST Act,” which would amend the Horse Protection Act of 1970 to place unreasonable burdens on Tennessee Walking Horse exhibitors by unduly expanding soring regulations and enforcement of an already over-regulated industry. Soring involves the intentional infliction of pain to a horse’s legs or hooves in order to force the horse to perform an artificial, exaggerated gait. Additionally, the bill would expand the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s current jurisdiction over horse show inspections and ban many industry-wide, standard training and show devices.

Rep. Rose absolutely supports ending soring but believes it must be done without expanding the size and scope of the federal government, risking the end of a time-honored, Tennessee tradition, and in consultation with Tennessee Walking Horse industry experts. The Performance Show Horse Association describes the “PAST Act” as legislation that would “do little more than create another layer of bureaucracy at the USDA while denying horse enthusiasts the opportunity” to participate in competitions that are the basis of the Tennessee Walking Horse Industry.

In his remarks, Rep. Rose spoke in support of H.R. 6341, the “Protecting Horses from Soaring Act,” which was introduced by Rep. DesJarlais (TN-04) and cosponsored by Tennessee Reps. Fleischmann (TN-03), Kustoff (TN-08), and Green (TN-07). H.R. 6341 would give state officials and industry and equine experts the authority to ensure consistent oversight of inspections instead of expanding the federal government’s footprint. Rep. Rose is a proud original cosponsor of the “Protecting Horses from Soaring Act.”

Watch Rep. Rose’s remarks here.

Remarks:

Mister Speaker, Today, I rise in opposition to HR 5441, the “PAST Act.” As an 8th generation farmer and Tennessean, the grand tradition of Tennessee Walking Horses is among my earliest and fondest memories.

We take great pride in the fact that the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration draws neighbors and tourists alike to Shelbyville, Tennessee every year for our world-class showcase.

However, over the years this grand tradition has on occasion been marred by a few bad actors looking to gain a competitive edge at the unfair expense of the hundreds of other Walking Horse exhibitors who do things right, and at the grossly unacceptable expense of the horses themselves that suffer from the cruel and unconscionable technique known in the industry as “soring.”

Those who sore our Tennessee Walking Horses compromise the integrity of the competition, put a stain on what has long been a wonderful, family-oriented tradition, and by far most importantly, subject our prized Tennessee Walking Horses to harm and suffering. I can assure you that we in Tennessee stand strongly against this vile technique.  

My strong disgust to soring is actually why I rise today in opposition to the “PAST Act.” This bill is not the best solution to end this cruel practice. While I appreciate the sincere motives of those supporting this bill, I call on my colleagues to consider another, better solution.

I am a proud original cosponsor of HR 6341, the “Protecting Horses from Soring Act of 2021,” authored by my friend and colleague from Tennessee Congressman DesJarlais.

This bill works to end soring in a way that is fair to those acting properly and humanely and provides timely consequences for those who are not.

Inspections must be objective, but the “PAST Act” does not correct the subjective process currently used. My colleague’s bill, HR 6341, creates a framework for consistent, scientific, and objective inspections. The bill also prevents conflicts of interest and suspends horses from shows if they are found to be sore.

Industrywide, the current compliance rate is between 96-99%. Which is an increase from the 92-95% compliance rate the industry had when we debated this bill last Congress. This is a 4% increase in less than three years.

These compliance rates are based on USDA standards. Overall, the Walking Horse industry has a USDA compliance rate higher than even the food industry.

With that record, the rate of catching bad actors at this point is of course extremely low. These low rates mean we must be vigilant if we are going to find and stop the remaining bad actors. Vigilance will require a new system.

The “PAST Act” does not create a scientific, objective process for inspections, and until we have that, the remaining bad actors will continue to go under the radar while those acting with integrity could be treated unfairly.

It is because of these concerns that I will oppose the “PAST Act” today, and call on my colleagues to also oppose it and instead stand with me in truly stopping soring by supporting HR 6341 the “Protecting Horses from Soring Act of 2021.” I yield back the balance of my time.

(End of remarks)

U.S. Representative John Rose is currently serving his second term representing Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their two sons, Guy and Sam. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties. Representative Rose is an eighth-generation farmer, small business owner, and attorney, and currently serves on the House Financial Services Committee.