Continuing to Put the Horse First
![[photo credit: the Quarter Horse Journal]](https://www.showhorsetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Screen-Shot-2015-04-27-at-2.06.42-PM.png)
At its April meeting, the AQHA Executive Committee continued to make huge strides for the benefit of the American Quarter Horse by approving stronger penalties and fines for animal welfare rule violators; enacting significant penalties for positive drug tests involving detection of clenbuterol in show horses beginning November 1, 2015, and modified penalties in horse racing, beginning May 1, 2015; barring the use of lip chains in show horses beginning January 1, 2016; and several other actions. The actions exemplify the Association taking a firmer stand on animal welfare for the protection of the horse and for the future of the breed.
These welfare topics were discussed and reviewed by AQHA members, the AQHA Animal Welfare Commission, the AQHA Show Committee and AQHA Show Council, and the AQHA Racing Committee and AQHA Racing Council. The recommendations from each of these bodies were sent on to the AQHA Executive Committee for its review and final decision. The Executive Committee adopted some of the recommendations in their entirety (stronger penalties and fines for animal welfare rule violators) and modified others (clenbuterol and the use of lip chains).
To read the full article on AQHA.com, click here.
Thank GOODNESS! Things are beginning to fall in place.
Bravo et merci. Il faudrait aussi interdire la coupe des vibrisses
It is about time the AQHA horse is suffering with bad hocks, hoofs, etc at a young age because we force them to do unnatural movements, or drug them. Our horses give us their hearts and their soul so it is about time we think about our horse not that Blue ribbon. Go AQHA change those rules.
About time and hopefully this is just the beginning. It’s only the routine abusers who are whining about the new rules-if you can’t control your horse, leave him at home!
Unfortunately this will lead to more drugging-I hope they catch them at it and send them home!
Now it’s time to get rid of ALL of the judges who place the fake, crippled up gaits, noses in the ground and canted in hips of WP and HUS. The abuses I’ve witnessed that are used to create this mess are beyond anything I’ve ever seen in other disciplines.