Of course, this is the dynamic of any significant cultural change, as defenders of the status quo resist those who are ready to move on. As Day, who as a DQP has seen many sored horses, observes, "Soring is on its way out but it'll die a slow, ugly death."
Just how long that process will take depends on how many people are willing to challenge the morality of soring. In the end, it is the relatively small steps made by people like Bell and Reband that will yield the larger shifts in consciousness and conscience needed to accomplish what the law alone has been unable to do.
To learn more about certified Horse Industry Organizations contact:
Friends of Sound Horses
Heart of America Walking Horse Association, Call (417) 833-6588
Horse Protection Commission
Kentucky Walking Horse Association
Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association, Inc.
National Horse Show Commission
National Walking Horse Association
Spotted Saddle Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association
Western International Walking Horse Association
This article originally appeared in the November 2005 issue of EQUUS magazine.
