"At issue is the illegal practice of soring, which involves irritating the horse's foreleg and hoof to force the animal to walk with a certain gait." USDA's inspector general says that soring "is ingrained in the industry and many see it as a serious problem."
USDA auditors, said that "inspectors hired by the industry to ward against the practice are often under pressure from their employers to ignore the abuse." The report recommends "USDA hire independent veterinarians to inspect the animals instead of the industry-sponsored vets."
For more information on Animal Welfare issues, click here to visit the National Agricultural Law Center's Reading Room on the subject.
To read the AP story, click here.
Posted: 10/29/2010
