The Walking Horse Report contacted Ben Pendergrass, Vice President, Government Affairs with the American Horse Council regarding the position of the AHC in opposition to H.R. 4098, filed by Congressman Marsha Blackburn. Pendergrass refused comment on any of the questions asked by Walking Horse Report.
The AHC supports complete federal oversight of all regulation of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry, eliminating all self-regulation through Horse Industry Organizations however similar legislation has been introduced and sponsored by Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) in the Thoroughbred industry and AHC has opposed that legislation. Congressman Whitfield is who introduced the PAST Act, H.R. 1518. Pendergrass would not comment on why the AHC has taken opposite positions in the two different industries.
When asked if there was any factual evidence to support the statements that pads, action devices and weighted shoes are an integral part of soring and facilitate soring, Pendergrass again declined comment. The AHC does not support the prohibition of these devices in any other breeds besides those listed in the PAST Act, the Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse.
AHC President Jay Hickey is on record at presentations with other breeds promising that the PAST Act only applies to the three breeds and will not affect any other breed. At this past weekend's Sound Horse Conference, Keith Dane with the Humane Society of the United States confirmed that other than the shoeing prohibitions, all other provisions of the PAST Act apply to all equine breeds. Pendergrass declined comment on this as well.
Pendergrass told WHR that he nor the AHC had seen the bill being filed today by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) in the United States Senate. Pendergrass did say the AHC would issue a statement at a later date.
To view the comment of the AHC to the proposed 2012 ban of the action device
Click Here.