Soring

Soring is the use of chemicals, pressure or devices to cause pain to the front feet and legs of horses when they touch the ground. This results in the horses picking up their front feet higher and faster than they would do naturally. Sometimes called "fixing",^[1] it is an abusive and prohibited practice, illegal in the U.S. under the Horse Protection Act of 1970 (HPA). It is closely associated with a unique high-stepping action of the front legs called "big lick" movement in show ring Tennessee Walking Horses. Under normal circumstances, "big lick" action is normally created by horseshoes that have added pads and weight (sometimes called "stacks"), usually combined with additional weighted chains or rollers placed around the pasterns to create dramatic, high-stepping action of the horse's front legs, desired in the horse show ring. Practitioners of soring do so because they believe that the pain associated with this practice exaggerates the "big lick" to a greater degree and gives them a competitive edge over horses that are not treated in this manner. Other breeds that have a history of soring abuses include the Racking Horse and the Spotted Saddle Horse. Both criminal and civil penalties can be assessed against individuals who engage in soring.

Soring practices include the application of chemicals such as mustard oil or diesel fuel, misuse of mechanical devices such as overweight chains, or engaging in practices such as trimming a hoof to expose the sensitive tissue. Tennessee Walking Horses are not allowed to be shown without passing a USDA and HPA physical inspection for current and past evidence of soring. This includes scarring on their pastern as it is associated with soring.

Soring is often confused with specialized shoeing for animated performance. While controversy also surrounds the use of long toes, stacked pads and weighted chains around the pasterns to enhance a horse’s gait, this is separate from the practice of soring.