NCHA News

FORT WORTH, TX – The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) encourages members to reach out to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the postponement and changes to the regulation of soring under the Horse Protection Act. While soring does not apply to the cutting industry, the Horse Protection Act regulations would affect all English and Western industries, potentially affecting shows and livelihoods. 

We are asking that each of our members speak up about the cutting horse industry and the effects that these regulations would impose on us. By submitting personalized comments, the cutting horse industry could prevent these changes from being implemented at our shows. 

Attached are the instructions on how to submit your personalized comments to the USDA and possible talking points. All members are welcome to use these talking points as a starting point for their comments. 

Please note: the deadline for this comment period is May 20, 2025 at 11:59PM EDT. 

How to Comment: 

•          Go to www.regulations.gov

•          Enter Docket No. APHIS-2022-0004 in the search bar; press “search”

•          Scroll down and click on “Horse Protection; Postponement of Regulations.” 

o          HINT: it says “open for comments” 

o          click “Comment”

•          Submit your comment (members are welcome to follow the talking points below but encouraged to use their own personal stories)

Suggested Talking Points

We are dedicated horsemen and horsewomen deeply rooted in the cutting horse industry. We breed, train, and show some of the most athletic and versatile horses in the world, and many of us make our livelihoods through this work. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our perspective and contribute to this important conversation. The equine industry plays a vital role in the U.S. economy—generating $74 billion in gross domestic product and supporting 1.3 million jobs. Within this, the cutting horse sector is a key contributor, impacting both rural and urban communities and connecting with more than 30 percent of American households.

Like all sectors, we recognize that some individuals in the horse industry have not upheld the standards of care and ethics we believe in and strive to promote within the NCHA. However, these issues are not representative of the cutting horse discipline. Historically, instances of abuse—particularly the practice of soring—have been isolated to certain gaited horse breeds. The breeds central to cutting horse competition—primarily American Quarter Horses—have consistently maintained a strong commitment to equine welfare. Welfare is not only a moral imperative in our sport; it is essential to our success. A horse that is unsound or mistreated simply cannot compete nor will our trainers or competitors ask them to.

We therefore firmly support extending the postponement of the Horse Protection Act rule finalized in May 2024, which is currently scheduled to take effect February 1, 2026. The rule mandates that USDA-employed or USDA-supervised Horse Protection Inspectors (HPIs) be present at all equine events nationwide to enforce soring regulations.

USDA has acknowledged that it has only 17 inspectors available to meet this requirement. This extreme staffing shortage threatens the viability of hundreds of horse shows—including cutting events—across the country. The unintended consequence would be the cancellation or disruption of major competitions, inflicting economic harm on event organizers, competitors, and the communities that depend on them.

Importantly, our industry has no incentive to engage in soring. The technique has no application in cutting horse events, which are judged on a horse’s agility, intelligence, and responsiveness—not on artificially exaggerated gaits. The USDA’s current one-size-fits-all approach is misaligned with the reality of the problem. Rather than broadly applying new inspection requirements to all breeds and disciplines, enforcement should be narrowly focused on those breeds and events with a documented history of soring.

Applying this rule indiscriminately will not only strain USDA resources but also place an unfair burden on disciplines like cutting, which have operated for decades with integrity, transparency, and an emphasis on horse welfare. Without adequate staffing or targeted enforcement, this rule risks paralyzing an entire sector of the industry while failing to address the core issue it aims to solve.

Our community invests millions each year in training, veterinary care, and best practices that keep our horses healthy and sound. Harm to a horse is not only unethical—it is counterproductive to everything we work for. The current rule misallocates limited enforcement resources and imposes costly and unnecessary oversight on disciplines with no history of soring.

We urge USDA to rescind and revise the rule so that it applies specifically to the breeds and events where soring has historically occurred—primarily among gaited horses. This approach would allow USDA to fulfill its mandate to protect horses, while also supporting the ethical and responsible horsemen and women who make up the majority of our industry.

By focusing enforcement where it's truly needed, USDA can uphold horse welfare and preserve the livelihoods of those in the cutting horse industry and beyond.