With over 250 in attendance, the United States Department of Agriculture held the first of five "Listening and Informational Sessions" on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Blue Ribbon Circle on the Celebration Grounds.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) held the session with Dr. Chester Gipson, Deputy Administrator for Animal Care, and Dr. Todd Behre, Horse Protection Coordinator for Animal Care, leading the discussion. Mike Tuck of the Policy Program Committee served as moderator.

Gipson opened the session with the question, "What's best for the horse?" All the discussions will lead to the development of a new operating plan between the USDA and Horse Industry Organizations (HIO's). This is the industry's nine show organizations that represent various breeds. Dr. Behre opened his part of the program by stating there are three reasons for the listening sessions: 1) public input for recommendations to the 2007 Operating Plan, 2) future direction of the industry, 3) complete awareness of the Horse Protection Plan programs.

The economic impact for Shelbyville and Bedford County from the horse industry and the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration is $38.5 million annually. The Horse Protection Act of 1970 was enacted by Congress to stop the act of "soring" of horses, particularly the Tennessee Walking Horse. Soring is the process of using a foreign agent, such as a blister, irritant, burn cut, laceration, nail, tack, chains, or other types of devises, to accentuate the walking horse gait. Reining, polo, hackney ponies, American Saddle Bred, and Thoroughbred horses were found to have normal pastern skin which illustrated no soring.

In 2005, some 35 violations of the Shoeing Rule were discovered at major horse shows. The three components of the HPA exam at the inspection process are motion, general appearance, and physical exam of limbs.

Several minutes of the Listening Session were toward the "Scar Rule." Dr. Behre noted that the younger horses, the 2 year olds, are better than they were 20 years ago. He stated that new technology is helping detect soring and the Scar Rule. One of these instruments is the algometer, which checks pressure of pain tolerance. In samples taken at the Kentucky Celebration, 25 samples from three classes found foreign substances, with 44 percent Benzocaine.

At the 2003 TWHNC, the Scar Rule had 118 violations (10 days), in 2004 there were 170 violations (seven days), and in 2005 there were 191 violations (eight days).

Behre urged more communication between the Designated Qualified Person (DQP) and the nine HIO's with the USDA participating with the latest information.

Since 1976, the USDA has had an annual appropriation of $500,000, to carry out the HPA. In today's buying power, that equals $1,736,380. An added note from Behre was that out of over 600 horse shows and sales in 2005, the USDA attended only 39.

The session closed with comments from the audience. Some of the discussion was on the topic of slaughtering horses, which Congress is debating. Dr. Jim Baum, a Bedford County veterinarian, commented that penalties for violations are too severe and that shoeing is better, and that horses are better conditioned today. Another man discussed the way the USDA enforces a written ticket given for violations. He cited the inconsistency in the way it is handled.

Dr. Gipson closed the session by saying that the industry has to step up to the plate to help protect the horse from mistreatment, or the USDA will do the job for them.