Protecting Horses from Soring Act of 2025

This bill aims to better protect horses at shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions. It says event managers must disqualify any horse that an objective inspection finds to be sore, for at least 30 days the first time and at least 90 days for later violations. It also notes that the current federal inspection program is not strong enough, based on a report from the Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General.

The bill creates a new Horse Industry Organization within 180 days to oversee compliance. A board of up to nine people will run it, with members appointed by the Tennessee and Kentucky agriculture commissioners and representatives of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry. The Organization must formally work with every horse show, sale, and auction; appoint inspectors for each event; consult equine veterinary experts on objective testing; and license qualified inspectors. Licensed inspectors and their immediate family cannot have ties to the walking horse industry, to avoid conflicts of interest. After USDA certifies this Organization, any other horse-industry certifications must be revoked within 90 days. USDA must also issue rules within 180 days to carry out these changes .

Key points

• Who is affected: managers of horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions; horses entered in those events; licensed inspectors .
• What changes: mandatory disqualification of sore horses with set time periods; required affiliation with the new Organization; use of objective testing; licensing rules that bar conflicts of interest; updates to unlawful acts to require that formal affiliation .
• When: new Organization and federal regulations within 180 days of enactment; other organization certifications revoked within 90 days after the new Organization is certified .