“Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last. All of them hope that the storm will pass before their turn comes to be devoured.” ~Winston Churchill
The horse industry is teetering on the precipice of being forever changed, and not for the better.
The Bad News
The bad news is that implementation of the disingenuously titled Horse Protection Act (HPA) would not only destroy our vibrant industry, but also advance the animal extremist agenda to an exponential degree. This possibility is being shamefully enabled and even driven by individuals in positions of power in various organizations and agencies—even by one that allegedly exists to support, empower, and advance the horse industry.
The Good News
The good news is that we are uniquely poised to stop this, but our one chance is now. To succeed in quite literally saving our industry, it is vital for us to unify across our respective events and rally around stopping the implementation of the revised HPA. We must unite as a single, experienced, and dedicated entity to stand strong against those working toward the demise of our equine-based lifestyles and livelihoods.
The American Horse Council’s Historical Failure to Advocate
The American Horse Council (AHC) portrays itself as “the only national association exclusively representing the vast equine industry in Washington, DC.” Unfortunately, AHC has historically proven little interest or ability to actually represent and protect the horse industry. When the industry needed strong representation, guidance, and support, the AHC sadly showed itself to be lacking. Their weak responses to industry issues are partially due to the fact that they have engaged animal extremists in their decision-making processes.
A perfect example is when the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate was being finalized in 2017, and the feeble and compromised AHC took a stance of informing horse owners how to comply instead of actively seeking exemptions for horse owners. It was only when Protect The Harvest (PTH) exposed the realities of the mandate and worked to seek exemptions that AHC engaged to a greater degree. Had PTH not stood up and done this work, a ¾ ton pickup pulling a 4-horse trailer would have had to have an ELD, and the driver would have needed a CDL license to drive it.
Because of the negligence (or ignorance) of the AHC, many major horse industry organizations had no idea that the ELD mandate was in play until PTH exposed it. Mind you, the AHC advertises its mission statement as: “The American Horse Council works daily to advocate for the social, economic, and legislative interests of the United States equine industry.” It is shameful and tragic that the one organization that claims to serve and protect the American horse industry failed abysmally at something as simple as informing and supporting its members regarding the transportation of horses. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident but rather a standard operating procedure of the AHC.
We Are Facing A Turning Point
Now, as our industry faces one of the most consequential and potentially devastating turning points in recent history, we predictably find the AHC caught with their proverbial pants down and unable to answer even the most basic of questions about the Horse Protection Act.
We do not have to accept the status quo.
We Can Stop Egregious Overreach with True Advocacy
As grim as the situation may seem, we reiterate that we have the proven ability to stop the revised HPA from being enacted. This is because most of the team behind PTH’s success in limiting the scope of the ELD mandate and other initiatives critical to the horse industry and our way of life, is now with Western Justice. Across our many combined years of advocacy, we developed unmatchable connections and relationships with policymakers. Because of this, we have been privy to a great deal of inside information that no other horse organization has, hence the total surprise from equine-centered communities regarding the HPA.
Sounding the Alarm and Stopping the Crocodile
For over a decade, we have been sounding the alarm about the sleeping crocodile that is the Horse Protection Act. Over the years, we have kept a watchful eye on the maneuvers of animal rights ideological groups to harm the horse community by expanding the scope and reach of the HPA via legislation. When we successfully blocked their efforts via legislation, we knew they would turn to rulemaking. We started to alert the horse community about the rulemaking efforts by publishing content about the HPA in the spring of 2024, however, much of the information we’re now relaying to you has only become available in recent weeks.
The Time is NOW to Come Together AGAIN
Truly, this is our moment, our one chance to come together from all facets of our industry and put a stop to the agenda-driven red tape that could easily mean the end of our horse-centered lifestyles and livelihoods.
We know this is possible and easily within our reach because Western Justice formed the groundbreaking Western Sports Industry Coalition to fight the proposed rodeo ban in Los Angeles. Never before had so many industry organizations and businesses come together in such a way. The coalition has successfully kept the ban from being enacted for almost four years now and is poised to take legal action if necessary.
Western horse show and sale communities can do the same. Any differences we have must be set aside as we band together to fight the implementation of the revised HPA. An attack against some of us is an attack against all of us; even if your event isn’t targeted today, it will be tomorrow. Animal extremist groups have been targeting individual sectors of the horse world for decades, methodically picking at what they consider to be the “low-hanging fruit” in their efforts to establish precedents to further their agenda. Together, we can save our horse show and sale communities and hand the animal extremist movement a significant defeat.
What You Can Do
You can make a big difference by sharing information about the impact of the HPA on our horse community. Contact your association directors and encourage them to join our coalition and sign on to our letter to the House Oversight Committee. Contact anyone you know whose business is tied to the horse industry and ensure they know the looming threat.
Please encourage your friends and family to sign our petition and become members of Western Justice. Membership is not required to sign our petition, but it can go a long way to help in coalition building, hiring lobbyists and funding trips to Washington DC. Western Justice has a successful advocacy track record and great connections in Washington DC. Despite this, numbers matter and that is why petition signatures and memberships are a critical and positive contribution you can make to help us unite and fight back.
