SHELBYVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration was cut short after a few horses did not pass federal guidelines governing the treatment of horses.
The performance was suspended after two classes of competition had been completed, the Nashville Tennessean said Saturday.
A report in the Walking Horse Report Online, a trade publication based in Shelbyville, said inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and trainers disagreed when several horses were denied a place in the show after inspection.
Competition classes would go on, even officials said, and a decision would be made on when the suspended classes from Friday night will be made up.
Tennessee Walking Horses, popular throughout the South, are known for their high-stepping gaits, but the industry has faced allegations of animal cruelty for decades.
Some trainers try to enhance the breed's distinctive stride through a practice called "soring." It involves irritating a horse's forelegs, often with caustic chemicals, so the horse raises its front legs high to take pressure off painful areas, the Tennessean said.
The 1970 Horse Protection Act made it illegal for people to "sore" show horses.
