SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal Department of Agriculture report shows there were almost double the number of soring violations at the Tennessee Walking Horse Nation Celebration competition this year compared to 2013.
The Tennessean reports monitors found 219 violations of the Horse Protection Act during the competition, which was held over 11 days in Shelbyville. That's compared to 110 violations noted last year.
Animal advocates say the numbers show that there is still a problem with soring, which occurs when a horse's legs are intentionally injured to make the animal have a higher gait.
Celebration CEO Mike Inman says rules were enforced differently this year, leading to a higher number of incidents.