Are you interested in a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of an individual or individuals responsible for soring horses in Tennessee? Documenting is the key to ending this horrific abuse! The following are some general guidelines and are not to be considered legal advice. Do not break the law to obtain evidence!
Understanding Tennessee Law:
One-Party Consent State Meaning: In Tennessee, only one person involved in a conversation needs to consent to being recorded.
That means: If you are part of the conversation, including being a bystander, you can legally record it without telling the others. If you can hear it and those involved in the conversation know you can hear it, you can record it.
If you are not part of the conversation, you cannot record unless at least one participant consents or it occurs in a public setting with no expectation of privacy.
You Can Record in Places You’re Lawfully Allowed To BeIf you are legally on the property (e.g. you’re an employee, visitor with permission, boarder, attending a public event, etc.), you can take photos or video of what you can see — especially in public or common areas.
This includes barns, show grounds, inside vehicles, arenas, pastures, and stables if you are permitted to be there.
Using Your Smartphone Camera Nearly everyone has a smartphone camera capable of recording video!
Video is the best form of evidence currently available. It is easy to start videoing and pretend you are surfing social media or playing a video game.Photos & Videos:Take clear videos or photos of:
Horses being sored
Horses having their legs wrapped with saran wrap, plastic, or any other object to cook chemicals into their legs.
Horses having their legs prepped to hide signs of soring for show.
Scars, bleeding, or chemical burns on legs.
Horses flinching, reacting violently to light touches on the legs.
Unusual behavior, like a horse refusing to move, collapsing, or limping.
Any illegal training practices, like applying chemicals or wrapping with irritants.
Any hitting of the horse when tied or other methods to desensitize the horse to palpation of the legs.
Audio Recordings: Using your smart phone you can easily capture audio where you cannot video. You can start your voice memo app and lock your phone, just setting it on a table or holding it at your side, and it should pick up usable audio. It is good to, if you are in the conversation, use the person’s name when talking to them while recording, such as “When did you say the next show was Mr Smith?”If you’re involved in a conversation about soring, or a trainer admits to it while talking to you, record it. This can be powerful evidence.
Consider using a voice memo app for discreet audio capture.
Using Hidden Cameras (Carefully) If you live, work, or board on a property where you suspect soring is occurring and you want to use a hidden camera:
Legal If:
The camera is placed in an area you are allowed to be in (e.g. your own stall, your trailer, your vehicle, your own boarding tack room).
The camera only records video, not private conversations unless you’re a participant.
Illegal If:
The camera records private areas (like bathrooms or bedrooms) or people with an expectation of privacy without consent.
You secretly record conversations you are not a part of.
Tools:
Use something like a motion-activated trail camera or a mini cam that stores footage to an SD card. Some look like chargers, smoke detectors, or Bluetooth speakers.🔍 Document Physical EvidenceTake video of: Chemical containers (e.g. mustard oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, pesticides).
Blood, abrasions, or raw skin on pasterns.
Horses laying unnaturally in their stall.
Horses behaving unnaturally due to soring
Tip: Always include something for scale (like a quarter or your hand) and photograph from different angles.
Keep a Record:
Keep detailed notes with dates, times, and locations.
Note names of people involved, what you witnessed, and what you heard.
Save texts, social media posts, emails, or voicemails that reference soring. Smartphones can easily screen capture whatever is on your screen and save it as a photo.
Reporting the Evidence:
Report the evidence to Horse Plus Humane Society. You can report anonymously but anonymous reports do not qualify for the $10,000 reward, but your report can put a stop to this horrific abuse of horses.
Safety Tips:
Don’t trespass or sneak into private barns.
Don’t provoke confrontations.
If you feel threatened, leave the area immediately and document the threat.
Backup and Protect Your Evidence:
Upload footage to a secure cloud account.
Make multiple backups:
Phone, Computer, External Drive.
Don’t share footage publicly if you want it to be used in court — authorities may require unreleased originals.
Collecting the Reward
A cash reward will be issued upon the arrest and conviction of an individual, provided that the evidence you submitted led to this outcome. Following the conviction, you will receive a check for the information you provided.