The Horse Protection Act is concerned with eliminating which practice?

• A. Administration of performance-enhancing drugs to race horses
• B. Slaughter and processing of horses for human consumption
• C. Participation of sored horses in shows, exhibitions, sales or auctions
• D. Abandonment of unwanted horses

Answer: (C)

The focus here is preventing a cruel practice used to enhance a horse’s gait in performance settings. Soring involves applying irritants or painful devices to a horse’s legs to force a high-stepping action, which some handlers use to make the horse look more impressive in shows, exhibitions, sales, or auctions. The Horse Protection Act makes it illegal to soret a horse and to show, sell, or transport a sored horse, and it authorizes inspectors to identify violators and enforce penalties. This targeted aim—eliminating soring in the show ring and related activities—explains why the correct choice centers on preventing that specific practice.

It’s not about performance-enhancing drugs, nor does it regulate slaughter for human consumption or abandonment; those are addressed by different laws and welfare concerns.