[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 30, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E631-E633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PREVENT ALL SORING TACTICS (PAST) ACT
______
HON. ED WHITFIELD
of kentucky
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, this Wednesday is National Animal
Advocacy Day. On this day, citizens are invited to help enact
meaningful protections for animals at the federal, state and local
level by being an effective voice for animals.
On National Animal Advocacy Day, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to renew my
call for the House of Representatives to pass the Prevent All Soring
Tactics Act, or PAST Act. This important measure will stop the soring
of horses, an abusive practice used by horse trainers in the Tennessee
Walking, Racking, and Spotted Saddle Horse industries. Congress passed
the Horse Protection Act more than 40 years ago in order to protect
horses from soring. Unfortunately, a failed self-policing enforcement
system and inadequate penalties in the statute have allowed this
cruelty to continue.
This bipartisan legislation is already cosponsored by well over half
of the House and is supported by many organizations in the equine
industry, veterinary medicine, and animal protection communities. I am
pleased to provide a copy of the list of support for the record to the
full House. I urge my colleagues to take swift action to bring this
important bill to the floor. Below is a current list of supporters of
the PAST Act, H.R. 1518:
Endorsements for the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act
Horse Organizations
1. American Horse Council
2. American Quarter Horse Association
3. American Morgan Horse Association
4. American Paint Horse Association
5. American Saddlebred Horse Association
6. Appaloosa Horse Club
7. Arizona Coalition for Equines
8. Carolina Walkers, Inc. (South Carolina)
9. Delaware Equine Council
10. Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary (Arizona)
11. European Tennessee Walking Horse Association
12. Fenway Foundation for Friesian Horses
13. For The Tennessee Walking Horse
14. Friends of Sound Horses
15. Friesian Horse Association of North America
16. Gaitway Walking Horse Association (Missouri)
17. Idaho Horse Council
18. International Friesian Show Horse Association
19. International Walking Horse Association
20. Maryland Horse Council
21. Michigan Horse Council
22. Minnesota Horse Council
23. Mountain Pleasure Horse Association (Kentucky)
24. National Plantation Walking Horse Association
25. National Walking Horse Association
26. Natural Walking Horses (Europe)
27. New York State Horse Breeders Association
28. New York State Horse Council
29. New York State Plantation Walking Horse Club
30. Northern California Walking Horse Association
31. One Horse at a Time, Inc. (Kentucky)
32. Pennsylvania Equine Council
33. Pennsylvania Pleasure Walking Horse Association
34. Pinto Horse Association of America
35. Plantation Walking Horse Association of California
36. Plantation Walking Horses of Maryland
37. Professional Horsemen's Association of America
38. Pure Pleasure Gaited Horse Association (Oklahoma)
39. Rocky Mountain Horse Association (Kentucky)
40. Sound Trails and Rails Society (Georgia)
41. South Carolina Horse Council
42. South Dakota Quarter Horse Association
43. Southern Comfort Gaited Horse Club (Idaho)
44. Speak Up for Horses, Inc. (Kentucky)
45. Tennessee Walking Horse Exhibitors Association of
Montana
46. Tennessee Walking Horse Association of New Jersey, Inc.
47. Tennessee Walking Horse Association of Oklahoma
48. Tennessee Walking Horse Exhibitors Association of
Oregon
49. Tennessee Walking Horse Heritage Society
50. Texas State Horse Council
51. United Pleasure Walking Horse Association (Missouri)
52. United Professional Horsemen's Association
53. United States Equestrian Federation
54. Walking Horse Association of Michigan
55. World Walking Horse Association
56. Yankee Walkers/Gaited Horses of New England (Maine/New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island/Connecticut, and
Vermont)
[[Page E632]]
Veterinary and Animal Health
1. American Veterinary Medical Association
2. American Association of Equine Practitioners
3. National Association of Federal Veterinarians
4. U.S. Animal Health Association
5. Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association
6. Veterinarians for Equine Welfare
7. Alabama Veterinary Medical Association
8. Alaska Veterinary Medical Association
9. Arizona Veterinary Medical Association
10. Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association
11. California Veterinary Medical Association
12. Colorado Veterinary Medical Association
13. Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association
14. Delaware Veterinary Medical Association
15. District of Columbia Veterinary Medical Association
16. Florida Association of Equine Practitioners
17. Florida Veterinary Medical Association
18. Georgia Veterinary Medical Association
19. Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association
20. Idaho Veterinary Medical Association
21. Illinois Veterinary Medical Association
22. Indiana Veterinary Medical Association
23. Iowa Veterinary Medical Association
24. Kansas Veterinary Medical Association
25. Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association
26. Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association
27. Maine Veterinary Medical Association
28. Maryland Veterinary Medical Association
29. Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association
30. Michigan Veterinary Medical Association
31. Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association
32. Missouri Veterinary Medical Association
33. Montana Veterinary Medical Association
34. Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association
35. Nevada Veterinary Medical Association
36. New Hampshire Veterinary Medical Association
37. New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association
38. New Mexico Veterinary Medical Association
39. New York State Veterinary Medical Association
40. North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association
41. North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association
42. Ohio Veterinary Medical Association
43. Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association
44. Oregon Veterinary Medical Association
45. Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association
46. Puerto Rico Veterinary Medical Association
47. Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association
48. South Carolina Association of Veterinarians
49. South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association
50. Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association
51. Texas Veterinary Medical Association
52. Utah Veterinary Medical Association
53. Vermont Veterinary Medical Association
54. Virginia Veterinary Medical Association
55. Washington State Veterinary Medical Association
56. West Virginia Veterinary Medical Association
57. Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association
58. Wyoming Veterinary Medical Association
59. Donna Preston Moore, DVM, former head of USDA's Horse
Protection Program
60. Tracy A. Turner, DVM, MS
61. Michelle Abraham, Resident, New Bolton Center,
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
62. John C. Haffner, DVM, ABVP(Eq)
63. Susan Botts, DVM
64. Angela M. Dion, DVM
65. Michelle Abraham, Resident, New Bolton Center,
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
66. Hanna Galantino-Homer, VMD, PHD
67. Alicia Grossman, DVM
68. Sue Lindborg, CVT Research Specialist New Bolton
Center, University of PA School Of Veterinary Medicine
69. Midge Leitch, VMD, former head of Radiology, New Bolton
Center, University of PA School Of Veterinary Medicine
70. Harry Werner, VMD, past president, American Association
of AAEP
71. Judith L. Ford, Veterinary Technician
72. Benson B. Martin, DVM, Associate Professor Sports
Medicine, New Bolton Center, University of PA School of
Veterinary Medicine
73. Nat Messer, DVM, University of Missouri College of
Veterinary Medicine
74. Mary A. Robinson, VMD, PhD
75. Mary Lynn Stanton, DVM
76. Joy Tomlinson, DVM
77. Steve O'Grady, DVM, APF
Animal Protection
1. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals
2. Animal Law Coalition
3. Animal Legal Defense Fund
4. Animal Protection Voters (New Mexico)
5. Animal Welfare Institute
6. Best Friends Animal Society
7. Dakin Humane Society (Massachusetts)
8. Equine Welfare Alliance
9. Homes for Horses Coalition
10. Horse Harbor Foundation (Washington State)
11. Horse Haven of Tennessee
12. Humane Society Legislative Fund
13. Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition
14. Mississippi Horses
15. Nevins Farm & Equine Center, Massachusetts Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
16. Oregon Horse Welfare Council
17. Richmond Friends of Animals (Virginia)
18. Second Chance Ranch (Washington State)
19. Tennessee Voters for Animal Protection
20. The Humane Society of the United States
21. Virginia Alliance for Animal Shelters
22. Virginia Equine Welfare Society
23. Virginia Federation of Humane Societies
24. Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals
Horse Industry Professionals
1. Bill Harlin, Past President, Tennessee Walking Horse
Breeders and Exhibitors Association and owner of Harlinsdale
Farm
2. Clay Harlin, former Senior Vice-President, Tennessee
Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association
3. Marty Irby, Past President, Tennessee Walking Horse
Breeders and Exhibitors Association
4. Chuck Cadle, Past Executive Director, Tennessee Walking
Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association
5. Georgina Bloomberg, professional equestrian sponsored by
Ariat International
6. Rick Wies, Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and
Exhibitors Association former VP, Pleasure Horse Division
7. Susan Kayne, host of ``Unbridled'' television show
8. Pat Parelli, founder of Parelli Natural Horsemanship
9. Tom Seay, Best of America by Horseback, trail riding TV
show
10. Jan Ebeling, dressage trainer, member of the 2012
Olympic dressage team for the USA and co-owner of Rafalca
11. Dr. April Austin, USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold medalist
12. Monty Roberts, award-winning trainer, best-selling
author of The Man Who Listens to Horses
13. Carl Bledsoe, former member of Walking Horse Trainers'
Association
14. Pamela Reband, MD, Board of Directors member and former
Vice President of TWHBEA
15. Dr. Rebecca Gimenez, Technical Large Animal Emergency
Rescue
16. Eric Gray, walking horse farrier
17. Leslie Desmond, natural horsemanship clinician and
author
18. Gael Borquin, dressage and eventing coach
19. Karl Mikolka, Former Chief Rider, Spanish Riding
School, Vienna, Austria and USDF Hall of Fame
20. E. Allen Buck, Sympathetic Horsemanship
21. Steffen Peters, American Olympian and FEI rider
22. Shannon Peters, dressage instructor and FEI rider
23. Sheryl Rudolph, FITS/Fun in the Saddle, Inc.
24. Heather Barklow, Equine Connections, LLC
25. Diane Sept, Connected Riding Senior Instructor
26. Anita Adams, dressage trainer and FEI rider
27. Mary Werning, dressage trainer and FEI Rider, USDF
Medalist
28. Maria Lisa Eastman, Raintree Equine Assisted Services,
equine therapy program
29. Dr. Christine Teicheira, equine and human chiropractor
30. Gigi Nutter, USDF Gold Medalist, dressage trainer,
owner Touch-N-Go Farm
31. Lisa Kelly Simmons, Lipizzan breeder, Past Director of
the United States Lipizzan Federation
32. Jayne Fingerhut, MA, CMT, USDF Regional Champion Rider,
equine business patent holder and manufacturer
33. Michelle Andrews Sabol, director of an equestrian
therapy program
34. Holly Mason, Equine Biomechanics Specialist, author of
It's Never Too Late
35. Terri Farley (author, the Phantom Stallion series)
Newspaper Editorial Boards
1. The Tennessean
2. Chattanooga Times Free Press
Law Enforcement
1. Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
2. National Sheriffs' Association
3. Sheriff Harrison Moss, Adair County, KY
4. Sheriff Stan Hudson, Caldwell County, KY
5. Sheriff Bill Marcum, Calloway County, KY
6. Sheriff Keith Cane, Daviess County, KY
7. Sheriff Rick Clemons, Grayson County, KY
8. Sheriff Bruce Hampton, Harrison County, KY
[[Page E633]]
9. Sheriff Frank Latham, Hopkins County, KY
10. Sheriff Charles Lee Korzenborn, Kenton County, KY
11. Sheriff Merle Edlin, Larue County, KY
12. Sheriff Jimmy Clements, Marion County, KY
13. Sheriff Patrick Boggs, Mason County, KY
14. Sheriff William ``Butch'' Kerrick, Meade County, KY
Public Opinion in Key States with Largest Tennessee Walking Horse
Industry
A poll conducted in December 2012 by Mason-Dixon Polling &
Research found that 75% of Tennessee voters and 69% of
Kentucky voters support federal legislation to strengthen the
Horse Protection Act by ending the current, failed system of
industry self-policing, banning the use of chains and stacks
(devices implicated in the soring process) on horses at
shows, and increasing penalties for violating the law.
Legislators
Sponsor of original Horse Protection Act of 1970: Former
Senator Joseph Tydings
Current bipartisan cosponsors of the PAST Act: 51 Senators
on S. 1406 / 269 Representatives on H.R. 1518 (320 total)
Celebrity Endorsements
1. Alyssa Milano, actress, Charmed, Project Runway All-
Stars
2. Priscilla Presley, film and TV actress, Dallas, The
Naked Gun
3. Emmylou Harris, singer-songwriter and 12-time Grammy
winner
4. Kesha, platinum recording singer-songwriter
5. Viggo Mortensen, actor, The Lord of the Rings
6. Wendie Malick, actress, Hot in Cleveland
7. Loretta Swit, stage and TV actress, MASH
8. Jillian Michaels, trainer on The Biggest Loser
9. Mark Miller, musician, Sawyer Brown
10. Lynn Anderson, singer-songwriter
11. Jenna Morasca, actress, model, grand prize winner of
Survivor: The Amazon
12. Alexandra Paul, actress, Baywatch
13. Dawn Olivieri, film and TV actress, True Blood
14. Joe Camp, director of Benji films, author of Soul of a
Horse
15. Kelly Carlson, actress, Nip/Tuck
16. Mary Ann Kennedy, singer-songwriter
17. Lacy J. Dalton, singer-songwriter
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