USDA Removed Animal Welfare Reports From Its Site. A Showhorse Lawsuit May Be Why.

Three summers ago, Lee and Mike McGartland entered a horse named The Royal Dollar in the 74th annual Red Carpet Show of the South. A veterinary medical officer from the U.S. Department of Agriculture was there, too.

The animal placed third in its class in the competition for Tennessee walking horses, which have a high-stepping gait that enthusiasts say comes from breeding and training. But it can also come from the application of caustic chemicals to a horse’s legs and other painful practices called “soring.”

"USDA Removed Animal Welfare Reports From Its Site. A Showhorse Lawsuit May Be Why." is from the February 09, 2017 Animalia section of The Washington Post. It was written by Karin Brulliard and narrated by Sam Scholl.