SHELBYVILLE, TN -  Tennessee Walking Show Horse Organization (TWSHO) today issued the following statement from communications director Jeffrey Howard in response to proposed legislation to amend the Horse Protection Act (HPA):

“TWSHO is in strong agreement that reform is needed in the industry and we will work with anyone who truly wants reform.

“The attacks from Congressman Whitfield are expected as his wife is the Vice President of Legislative Affairs for the Humane Society of the Unites States, an organization that stands to gain financially for going after the walking horse industry.

“It is shameful that elected officials would attack an industry that means so much to small communities across the country, all for political gain.  Have they ever talked to anyone who rides a walking horse, to anyone who lives in the communities to which this animal and the sport means something?  It is even more shameful that they would use the words of a convicted felon, someone with an axe to grind with the very inspectors - the inspectors at The Celebration - who ousted him from the business for his deplorable and inexplicable acts.

“HSUS continues to attack the entire industry for the bad actions of a few, which is the political thing to do.  But if they were interested in reform, they would attack the bad actors and support the reforms that are working to rid the system of soring trainers.  They don’t care about the people whose lives they affect on their path to tear down an industry to promote their own organization.

“The SHOW HIO has the toughest inspections and harshest penalties in the business, even stricter than the USDA.  If the HSUS cared about walking horses as much as SHOW HIO does, they would not have watched and supported the animal abuse they witnessed for 11 months, all so they could create a video to generate more press attention and raise more money.”