Soring in Horse Showing: Practices, Welfare Effects & Regulation

Soring horses is a topic that continues to draw attention within the equine industry, particularly in disciplines that emphasize an exaggerated gait.

While the practice is most commonly associated with certain performance divisions in Tennessee Walking Horses, it has broader implications for horse management, competition standards, and regulatory oversight.

Much of the discussion around soring centers on how gait is influenced by training methods, equipment, and handling practices. In some cases, techniques have been used to alter movement beyond what occurs naturally, raising questions about how these methods affect performance and welfare.

Understanding soring requires looking at multiple factors, including how it is performed, how it is identified, and how it is addressed through regulation and inspection. This article explores the history, methods, detection strategies, and ongoing challenges associated with soring in horses.

What is Soring in Horse Showing?

Soring is a show practice in the equine world that involves intentionally causing pain to a horse’s legs or hooves to exaggerate a high-stepping gait. While the topic is controversial, understanding what soring is, how it impacts horses, and the ways it is detected and prevented is important for anyone involved in horse care, training, or showing.

Common methods of soring horses include: ^[1][2][3][4]

• Chemical: Strong irritants, such as kerosene or mustard oil, are applied to the horse’s lower legs. The area is then wrapped in plastic and a bandage for several days so the chemicals penetrate the skin. This treatment makes the legs highly sensitive to action devices and the hooves more reactive when striking the ground.
• Mechanical: Using stacked pads, chains, or tight hoof hardware to create pressure or discomfort.
• Farriery techniques: Adjusting shoeing or trimming to make the horse’s legs more sensitive and exaggerate movement.

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History of Soring

While soring may be performed on any gaited horse breed showing in classes that emphasize high-stepping, the practice is historically linked to the Tennessee Walking Horse.

The Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) is a light, versatile breed developed in Tennessee over 100 years ago. The TWH is a gaited breed, meaning the horse performs smooth, natural four-beat gaits that make riding more comfortable than on non-gaited horses. ^[5]

TWHs are known for three gaits: ^[6]

• Flat-foot walk: A slow, smooth, four-beat gait with overstride (hind foot stepping beyond the front), giving a gliding motion.
• Running walk: Similar to the flat-foot walk but faster.
• Canter: A three-beat gait with a rolling motion, often called the “rocking-chair” canter.

Known for its calm temperament, smooth gaits, and stamina, the TWH was originally bred for riding on plantations and is now popular for shows, trail, and pleasure riding. ^[6]

In TWH and other gaited-horse competitions, classes are typically divided into performance and flat-shod (pleasure) divisions. While the TWH is the breed most commonly linked to soring, other gaited breeds, such as the Racking Horse, have occasionally been subjected to similar practices to exaggerate their natural gaits. ^[5][6]

Popularization of the Big Lick

The “Big Lick” is an exaggerated, high-stepping gait celebrated in Tennessee Walking Horse performance classes. While some horses naturally exhibit flashy movement, the Big Lick became a competitive ideal in the mid-20th century, as judges and audiences increasingly rewarded dramatic front-leg action, especially at the running walk. ^[1][3][5][6]

Naturally talented horses could perform the gait high-stepping comfortably, but proper training and conditioning to do so takes considerable time. To enhance front-leg motion—or to achieve the movement in less talented horses—trainers sometimes used action-enhancing devices such as weighted shoes, stacked pads (“stacks“), and weighted chains.

Stacks are multi-layered pads and metal shoes, sometimes several inches high, that change the horse’s balance and amplify leg movement. While they can highlight natural motion, extreme stacks are a form of soring.

The Big Lick became a symbol of prestige for trainers and owners, but also raised welfare concerns. The methods used to train or achieve this movement shaped public perception, influenced regulatory efforts, and continues to drive discussions about ethical training practices in the Tennessee Walking Horse community.

Impact of Soring on Horse Welfare

Soring causes both physical and mental stress in horses, significantly impacting their overall welfare and behavior.

In the short term, horses may experience pain, swelling, and increased sensitivity in the legs, which can result in an uneven gait, head tossing, tail swishing, and reluctance to move. Even subtle signs can indicate that a horse is experiencing discomfort and stress. ^[2]

Repeated exposure to soring can lead to long-term behavioral and mental effects. Horses may develop anxiety, fearfulness, or learned helplessness, flinching or anticipating pain even outside of training or competition. ^[7]

Chronic stress can change a horse’s temperament, making them less cooperative, more reactive, or unwilling to engage in normal work. Over time, repeated painful stimuli can reduce confidence, compromise performance, and diminish the horse’s enjoyment of riding, training, and daily handling. ^[8]

Regulations Against Soring Horses

Because Tennessee Walking Horses (TWHs) are primarily concentrated in North America, laws and regulations addressing soring are shaped mainly by U.S. standards.

Most TWHs are concentrated in the United States, where the majority of breeding, training, and competitions related to soring take place. Smaller populations exist in Europe, Australia, and other regions, typically imported or bred from imported stock, but breeding and competition outside the U.S. remain limited. ^[9]

The Horse Protection Act of 1970

In the United States, the main law addressing soring is the Horse Protection Act (HPA) of 1970. This legislation was enacted to prevent soring, particularly in Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited breeds. ^[1][4][10]

The HPA specifically outlaws: ^[10]

• Showing, selling, auctioning, or transporting horses that have been sored
• The use of chemical irritants (oils, caustics, cleaning agents) to increase sensitivity
• Mechanical methods of soring, including pressure from stacked pads, chains, or tight hoof hardware
• Any practice that causes pain or distress to influence gait artificially

The law also established inspection and enforcement protocols at horse shows, sales, and exhibitions, relying on certified inspectors and veterinarians. Despite being over 50 years old, the HPA remains one of the few U.S. laws specifically protecting horses and serves as the foundation for federal and state efforts to promote equine welfare. ^[11]

The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act

To further address ongoing issues, the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act has been reintroduced in Congress.

This bipartisan legislation seeks to: ^[12]

• Ban certain techniques, stacks, chains, and action devices that can cause discomfort
• Increase penalties for violation
• Improve inspection and enforcement at competitions

If passed, the PAST Act would complement the HPA by providing clearer standards and stricter oversight, helping reduce the risk of soring while supporting the welfare of Tennessee Walking Horses and other gaited breeds. ^[13]

Recent USDA Rule (2024)

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) finalized a rule to strengthen HPA enforcement by eliminating industry-run inspections and replacing them with USDA-trained Horse Protection Inspectors. After postponement in January 2026, this rule is slated to come into effect 31 December, 2026. ^[14][15][16]

This rule also bans the use of devices and substances integral to soring, including tall, high-heel-like horseshoes (“stacks”) and chains that strike chemically sored ankles. This regulatory update represents a major step toward consistent enforcement and enhanced horse welfare.

Enforcement Challenges

Despite these legal measures, enforcement challenges persist. Some trainers and owners have employed tactics to circumvent detection, such as applying numbing agents before inspections or using distraction devices.

Key issues with enforcement include: ^[11][17]

• Subtle soring methods: Some trainers use mild chemicals or temporary pressure devices that are difficult to detect during inspections.
• Limited penalties: Historically, fines and sanctions have been too low to strongly deter violations.
• Self-policing by the industry: Prior to the 2024 legal update, the HPA relied heavily on industry-run inspections. This meant that shows often appointed their own inspectors, sometimes trainers or members of the same competitive community, to verify compliance. Such self-policing created conflicts of interest and reduced the likelihood of reporting violations.
• Limited USDA oversight: Budget and staffing constraints mean USDA inspectors can only attend a small fraction of shows, leaving much responsibility to industry participants.
• Judging practices: Some competition criteria still favor exaggerated gaits, unintentionally incentivizing soring.

Identifying Soring in Competition

Soring can be identified by carefully observing a horse’s posture, movement, and legs, as well as through hands-on examination. Signs that a horse may be sore include reluctance to move, spending more time lying down than usual, and standing or walking in unusual positions. When moving, sore horses often take short, uneven strides and appear slow or hesitant. ^[2][3]

Physical examination of the lower legs may reveal swelling, tenderness, scrapes, or other inflammation. Hair on affected areas can look rippled, wavy, or curly, and previous soring may leave corded scars.

Additional methods for detecting soring include: ^[1]

• Chemical analysis to identify irritants applied to the legs
• Thermal imaging to detect unusually hot or cold areas indicating inflammation or tissue damage
• Blood testing to find substances used to mask pain
• Hoof testing to locate pressure-related pain or hoof disorders such as laminitis
• Radiographs (x-rays) to check for bone damage or the presence of objects placed to cause discomfort
• Identification scanning to ensure the correct horse is being inspected

Using a combination of observation, palpation, and diagnostic tools helps inspectors and veterinarians identify soring early, prevent further harm, and promote humane training practices.

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Continued Challenges in Preventing Soring

Even with laws and inspections, soring still happens in some areas. Some trainers and owners use tricks to hide pain while still exaggerating a horse’s gait, including: ^[2][18]

• Numbing creams: Applied to mask pain before inspections and wear off before competition.
• Harsh training at practice inspections: Teaching horses that reacting or flinching will result in worse pain, a method sometimes called “stewarding.”
• Distraction devices: Causing discomfort in areas other than the hoof just before inspection.
• Horse switching: Presenting a different horse during inspections.

Allowing sore horses to win provides recognition, cash prizes, and potential future breeding or training opportunities, which can further encourage the practice. Additionally, due to limited USDA resources, inspectors are only able to attend a fraction of shows, leaving much of the responsibility to the industry itself.

Beyond legal protections, the welfare of Tennessee Walking Horses depends heavily on public awareness and the trust the industry earns — what is often called a “social license.”

Social license reflects the public’s confidence in ethical practices and responsible animal care, which is crucial for the credibility and ongoing support of the competitive gaited-horse industry. ^[19][20]

Over the past decades, undercover videos at some performance barns revealed the use of chemicals, chains, and other equipment intended to exaggerate gait. These videos received national news coverage, drawing attention not only from horse owners and industry participants but also from the general public. ^[21][22][23]

The attention from these reports caused a public uproar and raised awareness, prompting changes in rules, industry guidelines, and enforcement. For owners, trainers, and show organizers, this series of events underscores the importance of managing horses ethically — not just to follow the law, but to maintain trust and credibility.

Being transparent, educating others, and using humane training helps the industry succeed while keeping horse welfare a priority.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about soring in horses:

Summary

Soring is the intentional use of pain to exaggerate a horse's gait using chemicals, chains, stacked pads, or pressure devices.

• It can cause physical and mental harm including lameness, joint damage, anxiety, and behavioral changes
• The Big Lick movement in Tennessee Walking Horses became a competitive ideal in the mid-20th century, often achieved through soring and action-enhancing devices
• The Horse Protection Act of 1970 bans soring and establishes inspection protocols to protect horse welfare
• USDA regulations in 2024 strengthened enforcement by eliminating industry-run inspections and banning devices commonly used in soring
• The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act aims to prevent soring further with stricter penalties and clearer enforcement standards
• Public awareness, education, and media exposure are crucial for promoting ethical training and accountability in the gaited horse industry