Usda

TWH leaders hit 'renegades' at listening session (04/05/12)
MURFREESBORO -- USDA officials urged Tennessee Walking Horse organizations Wednesday to unite and speak with one voice, while those in the local equine industry were equally united in opposing a proposed ban on pads and "action devices." Officials from the Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) Animal Care Program held a three-hour listening session at the Doubletree Hotel to hear feedback from walking horse trainers and owners...

WHTA preparing a new initiative (03/29/12)
From a press release: The Walking Horse Trainers' Association (WHTA) serves the best interest of its members and remains committed to protecting the welfare of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Since the passage of the Horse Protection Act and introduction of the Horse Industry Organization (HIO) program by the USDA, the WHTA has strongly supported inspections at affiliated shows...

McConnell out on bond; training limited (03/27/12)
Walking Horse trainer Jackie McConnell of Collierville will remain free on bond but will not be allowed to train any horses he doesn't own. McConnell and three associates have been charged with conspiracy to violate the Horse Protection Act by transporting and showing horses they knew to be "sored" and also falsifying entry forms and paperwork. Earlier this month, agents with the U.S. Department of Agriculture raided McConnell's Whitter Stables in west Tennessee, taking eight of 28 horses...

Report cites 'substances' (03/23/12)
Data released this week from the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) shows that every horse randomly sampled at last year's Celebration tested positive for illegal substances. A local industry veterinarian, however, said Thursday the substances revealed by the swab test samples (results of those tests were only recently published) are already deemed illegal under the Horse Protection Act...

USDA plans discussion over horses (02/29/12)
The USDA will hold a "listening session" in Murfreesboro in April to get public feedback on a number of issues concerning the walking horse industry. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) Animal Care Program of the USDA will hold the session on April 4 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Doubletree Murfreesboro Hotel at 1850 Old Fort Parkway...

Farmers plead for FSA office to remain (01/29/12)
A packed room of farmers and community leaders told federal officials on Friday that Bedford County, which leads the state in some agricultural statistics, should not lose its U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency office. A public hearing was held at the University of Tennessee Extension offices on Midland Road on a proposal to close the FSA office in Shelbyville, which serves Bedford and Moore counties, and consolidate it into the office in Lewisburg...

Two local USDA agencies to shut due to cost-cutting (01/10/12)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday it will close nearly 260 offices nationwide, including the Farm Service Agency and Rural Development offices at 709 East Lane St. in Shelbyville, which serve Bedford and Moore counties. USDA's plans won praise for cutting costs but raised concerns about the possible effect on food safety...

TWH groups team up to fight change (12/01/11)
A "Unity Committee" will be formed to discuss issues related to the future of the Tennessee Walking Horse in the show ring and also to discuss unification within the performance horse division. However, the group objected to any reduction of pads and action devices for walking horses, also opposing proposed mandatory penalties by the Department of Agriculture (USDA)...

Horse groups close ranks (11/29/11)
The Tennessee Walking Horse industry will meet Wednesday to appoint a committee to look at "the welfare and future" of animals in the show ring. A recently passed appropriations bill includes a large increase in federal funding for enforcement of the Horse Protection Act, used to combat the practice of soring...

Inspector is capable, USDA says (08/31/11)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture responded to the Times-Gazette's inquiry about the experience level of veterinarians inspecting horses during last Saturday evening's Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. Industry leaders expressed their frustration with USDA inspectors after the agency turned down six horses before the aged stallion class...

Waterfall owners suspended over alleged violations (03/31/11)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has fined and suspended the owners of Waterfall Farms in Shelbyville for one year from any horse show or event in connection with alleged violations of the Horse Protection Act more than 10 years ago. William B. (Bill) Johnson and Sandra Johnson of Atlanta, known nationwide as breeders of champion Tennessee Walking Horses, were suspended for a year beginning on Jan. ...

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