Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/pride-rescue/
A horse named Pride had suffered at the hands of humans while she was trapped in the Tennessee walking horse show industry for many years.
“Soring” intentionally inflicts pain on horses, in order to exaggerate their natural gait during competitions.
In order to do this, caustic chemicals such as diesel fuel or kerosene are applied to the legs or hooves and cause extensive tissue damage. Their handlers cause these poor horses all this pain just to win a ribbon.
Thankfully, Pride was rescued and brought to Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas, where he will get to live the rest of his life in peace with other horses like him.
“To think that a horse could go through the amount of abuse that must have happened in that barn and seen some of the worst in people, and he still shows up in the morning bright and happy to see you,” Angela Dierkes, of HSUS, said. “It makes you want to be a more forgiving human being.”
Pride’s new home is a peaceful sanctuary where 450 horses and more than 40 other species reside. Their largest main herd pasture is nearly 800 acres, and the animals are free to roam about.
Pride’s handlers have since been prosecuted for their heinous actions.
“If HSUS had not done their undercover investigation and those horses weren’t seized, [Pride] would have been severely scarred just from the amount of soring. And there’s no telling what wasn’t caught on video and what happened to him in particular, but there’s a good chance that he would have died in that barn,” Dierkes said.
HSUS is on a mission to end horse soring and pass the PAST Act.
The Prevent All Soring Tatics (PAST) Act would amend the Horse Protection Act to end the failed system of industry self-policing, ban the use of devices integral to soring, strengthen penalties and make other reforms necessary to finally end this torture.
Hear more of Pride’s story in the video below:
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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog