Torturous Horse Treatments are Banned in the US

The United States Equestrian Federation has instituted new rules regarding the treatment of horses in its licensed competitions, reports The Humane Society of the United States. The USEF banned methods of “soring,” which makes show horses do a high-step maneuver known as the “Big Lick.” Previously, some trainers injected chemicals into the horses’ front legs and also used chains, as well as heavy stacks, instead of standard horseshoes. In 2012, HSUS released footage of a Tennessee horse trainer administering the painful chemicals to his animals and beating them so they would not respond to pain while they were being inspected.