Heidi Alexander: “today I am introducing a bill with Senators McConnell, Isakson and Paul that will preserve the Tennessee Walking Horse…”

“today I am introducing a bill with Senators McConnell, Isakson and Paul that will preserve the Tennessee Walking Horse tradition while stopping the contemptible practice of illegal soring. The Horse Protection Act Amendments Act of 2014, will preserve the century-old Tennessee Walking Horse tradition and stop the contemptible practice of illegal soring. This legislation builds upon a bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Marsha Blackburn that has support of 11 other congressmen and the American Farm Bureau. The Tennessee Farm Bureau commented about Congressman Blackburn's bill in a letter to me that said her legislation would ``allow the vast majority of horse owners, trainers and breeders and those who play by the rules to confidently participate in the horse shows.'' A competing bill, advocated by the Humane Society of the United States, has also been introduced in the Senate and would ban many industry-standard training and show devices. This legislation has been described by the Performance Show Horse Association as legislation that would ``do little more than create another layer of bureaucracy at the USDA while denying horse enthusiasts the opportunity'' to participate in competitions that are the basis of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry. The Humane Society Bill goes too far. In baseball, if a player illegally uses steroids, you punish the player--you don't shut down America's national pastime.…”