This bill cracks down on a painful practice called 'soring' that some people do to horses to make them move with exaggerated, high-stepping gaits. Soring involves deliberately injuring or irritating a horse's legs—through methods like applying chemicals, pressure, or other devices—to cause pain that makes the horse lift its legs higher. This practice is used to make horses look more impressive at shows and competitions, but it causes real suffering to the animals.

The PAST Act strengthens the rules against soring by creating a new inspection system to catch horses that have been sored before they compete at shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions. The bill also makes the penalties for soring more serious, so people who engage in this practice face harsher consequences. Essentially, this law is designed to protect horses from abuse by making it harder for people to get away with soring and by punishing those who do it more severely.

PAST Act of 2024

Crapo, Mike

Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2024 or the PAST Act of 2024This bill addresses the practice of soring horses. The soring of horses includes various actions taken on horses' limbs to produce higher gaits that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness.Specifically, the bill expands soring regulation and enforcement at horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions, including by establishing a new system for inspecting horses for soring. In addition, the bill increases penalties for violations.