USDA Pauses Horse Torture Ban: Soring Rules Delayed 60 Days
Published Date: 1/28/2025
Rule
Summary
The USDA is delaying new horse protection rules that were set to start on February 1, 2025, pushing them back 60 days to April 2, 2025. These rules affect horse shows, exhibitions, and sales by requiring trained inspectors to catch soring, a harmful practice. This delay gives everyone more time to get ready without changing any fees or costs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
60‑Day Delay of Horse Protection Rules
USDA delayed the effective date of 9 CFR 11.1 through 11.18 from February 1, 2025 to April 2, 2025, a 60-day postponement. The delay preserves the existing rules for that period, gives horse shows, sales, owners, and trainers more time to prepare, and does not change any fees or costs.
Postpones Bans and Value Impacts on Horses
The postponement delays implementation of provisions that would prohibit action devices, pads, and certain dermatologic criteria used to detect soring at shows and sales, so the potential effects—such as owners deciding whether to sell, retrain, or lose value in Performance-division Tennessee Walking Horses—are also delayed until at least April 2, 2025. The delay preserves the status quo through the beginning of the 2025 competition season (which runs February to November and starts on or about February 28, 2025).
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