Animal Writings

hay ass hole i wish you stupid mother fuckers would shut the fuck up and find somthing to do you tree huging leaf eating fucks. hears to you fuck you and the horse you rode in on
 

Sorry, my friend, I cannot comply with your request. As long as animals are being treated cruelly, I am compelled to speak up for them, and to encourage people to treat them with pure kindness and compassion.

Your anger may derive from some guilt. I hope that you can develop genuine sympathy for all sentient creatures, and let that be a guide to how you treat them. Then you will not feel guilty or angry toward me.
 

I participate in rodoes and very seldom do I ever see an animal being mistreated. If the only event you can find pictures of the animal being mistreated is calf roping, then you are crazy. Look up the PRCA rules. You will find that participants can and will be fined if they mistreat the animals. My suggestion is to look up rules and regulations so you don't look like a crazy ass hole...as you do right now.
 

I'm familiar with the PRCA rules. They're a joke. Some are near-exact duplicates of one another. Many, if not all, are flagrantly violated. For instance, it's well-documented that veterinarians do not always attend rodeo events - it's cheaper to pay the fine than the average vet rate - and there's also ample documentation showing vets doing nothing as severe abuse, including the use of 5000-volt shocking devices and repeated tail-pulling, is done to animals. Animal injuries and deaths are not investigated; they're hidden from the public - and obviously from you.

I highlighted calf-roping in this post, but there is abundant video and eyewitness testimony of animal abuse in bull-riding, steer-wrestling, and most other rodeo events. The nature of animal events in rodeo practically guarantees abuse. The events are timed, so actions are hurried, not calm. The bronco or bull has to be coerced into bucking and flailing; neither the audience nor the participants will stand for a calm and placid animal. The calves have to be coerced to bolt. Leaving them be would not suffice for rodeo.

So rodeos rely on pain-inducing techniques, such as bucking straps pulled tightly around the sensitve flank area that make horses writhe and jerk in reaction to the sudden pain. As soon as the strap is released, the horse relaxes. This is basic -- anyone should understand the cruelty here: the rodeo inflicts pain and force on helpless, innocent animals to "entertain" us.

Rodeo personnel also pull on manes, kick the animals, and use torture-level electronic shocking devices to rile up the animals and make them move wildly. The poor animal cannot escape; to inflict this kind of pain, repeatedly, on a captive animal is sadistic and sick.

Rodeo is inherently cruel. No animal wants to be in a rodeo: chased, jerked by a rope, tied up, pulled down by the horns, tormented while captive in a chute. Rodeos are barbaric and should be banned. They're uncivilized, mean, cowardly, immoral, and indefensible. Animal abuse is not entertainment.

I will be featuring photos of rodeo abuse in several different events shortly, in an upcoming series of posts. You may want to study the photos, to see the violence you "seldom" witness firsthand.
 

For the houndreth millonth time people they do not shock the animals, and at every rodeo I'v watched and participated in the animal contimues to but even after the strap is removed. Gosh it is funny to watch how stupid some of you tree huggers are. Some times I think that you care more about a little calf then the little kid getting beat up on the play ground.
 

For the hundred millionth time, you're wrong. The use of electronic prods has been documented many times over. Just two days ago, the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, in the heart of rodeo country, revealed how high-voltage prods are used to inflict pain on rodeo animals and make them buck and flail -for "entertainment." The article included admissions by rodeo participants that they use the devices.

Likewise, the bucking strap's intense pressure on the groin area is what causes broncos to buck. Over and over, and documented countless times, the animals are calm both before and after the cruel device is applied. When Pitsburgh banned the bucking strap, rodeos in that ciy had to cancel the bronco bucking event.

You're not looking hard enough to see these barbaric practices (they occur in the margins while the crowd's attention is elsewhere, and the hot-shot prods are concealed in users' hands). Add to these abuses the barbarity of calf-roping, steer-roping, the so-called wild horse race, and other events that frighten, injure, and kill animals, and you have a barbarity that has no place in a civilized society.
 

I am guessing you do not know the anatiomy of a horse or bull cause if you did you would not discribe it as around the groin area. A horses it to far back to get cought in the strap and a bulls is to far back AND to far forward. Oh and yea the rodeo people sit around and ponder ways to secrity shock the animals. Dude I live on a ranch and it is naterul instink for a calf to run from a horse, they are not shocked into doing so. Erg you people dont get your facts strate. You are BUSTED! I also work at several rodeos and I can garenty you that they do not shock the animals, if they did I would be one of the people SURE to see it. I work in the calf shoot and in the bucking shoot.
 

There is a mountain of eyewitnessed, videotaped, recent evidence of rodeo participants using shocking devices to rile up rodeo animals, to make them flail wildly or bolt at top speed. This is so well documented, so well known both inside and outside rodeo circles, that the more you deny it, the more ignorant you look. I've told you where you can see a ton of video footage and still pictures; you refuse to go there. That tells me you're afraid to see the evidence.

Here are some excerpts from an arrticle in the Cheyenne paper a few days ago (emphasis mine):

"Burch Rodeo of Rozet had 44 horses in that day's performance, and Chad Burch himself acted as 'header" for many of the cowboys who rode his animals. He stood at each horse's head and made sure it was aimed out of the chute before the gate swung open.

But Burch relied on more than the horses' breeding to encourage them to explode into the arena. Before each horse was released, Burch positioned a handheld Hot-Shot cattle prod near its head and neck. The small device is the size of an electric razor and delivers 5,000 to 6,000 volts of electricity at low amperage."

This next excerpt shows how rodeo "cowboys" lie:

"The judge in the chute later estimated that Burch discharged the device on about one-third of his horses that day, although Burch admitted to only using it once."

Here's some more:

"Saddle bronc rider Rod Hay of Wildwood, Alberta, CanadaHe said he likes when contractors use the device because it keeps the horse from hesitating.

'Sometimes they'll be hesitant to leap, but it's way better for them to Hot-Shot 'em,' he said.

Although the only approved spots to use the device are on the hindquarters or the shoulders, Hay said contractors have different ideas about where it's most effective.

'Sometimes in the butt, sometimes in the belly,' he said.

Burch said he often ignores the Hot-Shot rule.

'I think you waive your right to the Hot-Shot rule when you get on one of our critters,' he said.

Burch emphasized that every horse in his lineup leaves the chutes quickly or else.

'I'm ready (with the Hot-Shot) for each critter,' he said. 'Some people might call me a little hard-headed.'

Burch Rodeo benefits from having horses that explode from the chutes: A horse that stalls is valued at only about $1,000, while a prized bucking horse that never stalls can fetch $25,000, Burch said.

Burch said he never has been fined for his use of the Hot-Shot, but recently a cowboy got angry when he used the Hot-Shot on a horse without approval."

Did you know that PRCA rules even allow use of shocking devices? I'll bet you didn't know that.

In peaceful surroundings, calves and horses interact calmly and without incident. Rodeo is totally conrrived and fake. Animals' tails are pulled, the animals are kicked and slapped and prodded, to make them buck and flail and bolt. Broncos don't just buck on command. They flanking strap is pulled as tight as possible, or the horse is bothered and abusded in other ways, to cause him to buck. Once the strap is loosened, the horse calms down withing two seconds, because the source of the pain is gone. Again, check the videos on rodeocruelty.com. Note: the video footage on the site is a small fraction of the videotaped evidence of rodeo abuse.

Then there's other totally contrived events, like steer wrestling, which is pure cruelty and routinely causes injuries to animals.

Want to see more examples of rodeo cruelty? "Tough" cowboys beating up on trapped animals? Watch this. Go ahead.

I'll close with one more quote from the Cheyenne article:

"Local wild horse advocate Jeannine Stallings said she's not surprised by the allegations that electric prods were being used illegally at CFD [Cheyenne Frontier Days].

'I hate rodeo and think it's an absolute orgy of animal abuse.'"
 

"Some times I think that you care more about a little calf then the little kid getting beat up on the play ground."

Of course we care about the kid getting beaten up on the playground. There is no rule that says we must care about humans or animals. One is not exclusive to the other.

Furthermore, why rant about the kid getting beaten up on the playground when everyone in their right mind will acknowledge that it's wrong? Doesn't it make more sense to draw attention to the abuse that goes unnoticed, or worse, yet, unchecked?
 

There's one aspect of rodeo you just don't understand....

Those animals that are constantly being "abused" are someone's LIVELYHOOD. Even if stock providers don't care from a moral standpoint (and I obviously can't speak for all... though many do) they have to care from a financial one. You think you are worried about animals? I bet not half as worried as the man who depends on that steer to put food in his kids' bellies.

The facts are there... a stressed horse/calf/steer/bull, whatever, loses weight. An underweight animal can't perform, and thus doesn't make the stock provider any money. Shocking, jerking around, doing whatever to bucking stock only stresses them out - it doesn't make them performers. Contrary to your opinion, the regulations regarding rodeo are actually relatively strict... not some big game where sadistic cowboys run around with cattle prods and the sole purpose of inflicting pain.

And all this whining about bucking straps? Have you even ever looked at the anatomy of a horse/bull to see what's actually happening? It's just skin. They're pulling the flank strap tight - and it's a programed response for that horse to buck because the flank is a soft area that (in nature) is more susceptable.

You're not actually causing the animal pain - it's pure instinct. Sometime if you ever ride a horse (which, judging by your post, I assume will never happen) move your heels back too far and put pressure on his flanks - then see how fast your ass hits the dirt. You didn't hurt that animal, you caused an instinctual reaction.

Unlike others who have posted, I support your concern for the rights and well-being of animals. There are far larger issues, however, than what's going on at rodeos. The kind of reported "abuse" that you claim to have witnessed first hand is simply an uneducated eye.

And just remember, the animal kingdom is not necessarily a civilized, friendly one. Two months ago I had a horse kicked in the leg by another horse and he had to be put down in the pasture. Last winter some bulls were fighting and one of them got pushed down a river bank to a bloody death.

Please, go forth little grasshopper and do work in an area where animals are actually being abused.
 

Question: doesn't it seem a little absurd to speculate that I would spend this much time in anti-rodeo activism and have no idea that people make a living at it? Moving on...

We're not obliged to perpetuate or support cruelties simply because someone makes money at it. Otherwise, all profitable cruelties would go on forever. For those few people whose income truly does depend solely on rodeo and who have no other job prospects, I would be glad to redirect a tiny fraction of the enormously wasteful ranching subsidies toward job training and other conversion costs. People will always need to eat and will pay to be entertained. But we need to engage in those pursuits humanely - as humanely as possible. Note that job displacement happens all the time due to economic shifts and changes in consumer demand. If you're truly worried about stock contractors' financial security, you should redirect some of your wrath to the mega-corporations that have put thousands of family farms out of business.

Of course I'm concerned about people too, and have changed my life significantly to avoid participating indirectly in exploitation of humans and degradation of the environment, which affects us all. I'm incensed at how the dairy industry lies about the healthfulness of its products - even to schoolkids - and how the food industry advertises fatty meat and cheese on TV about every five minutes, making us the most obese and cancer-ridden population in the history of the world. I'm also concerned about the rodeo injuries to humans that occur every year. But at least the human participants are consenting adults; the animals are forced into it. In rodeo, the animals by far have it the worst. Animals die every year from rodeo, because humans irritate, bother, hurt, and torment the animals against their will. The whole concept of rodeo is blatantly and gratuitously cruel, abusive and wrong; it has no place in a civilized society.

The mountain of evidence of rodeo participants shocking, tail-pulling, tail-twisting, kicking, and otherwise tormenting captive animals to rile them up and make them flail and run out of fear is so overwhelming that to argue that it doesn't occur is pointless. The animals aren't "performing." They're irritated, frightened, and in pain. You assert that an underweight animal doesn't "perform." Neither does a dead or injured animal. But rodeo makes its money by the animals reacting severely. A calm animal walking along normally, peacefully, eating grass, being nuzzled by his mother - as God intended - doesn't bring in the rodeo crowds who want to see action. Ruining animals here and there is just part of the cost of business. Of course, the rodeos - dishonest to the core - try to hide the animals' suffering and dying. Faux-cowboys surround the fallen animal so the spectators and media can't see the victim. The announcer may try to deflect attention away or ignore the spectacle. These tragedies are entirely preventable. There are many problems in the world; but unlike most, this is one we can stop tomorrow. Just don't go to rodeos. They would cease almost immediately.

The flanking strap is on far too long to merely cause a reflexive reaction. Pull away from a hot stove - that's a reflex; writhe in pain because a branding iron is pressed to your flesh - that's prolonged pain. The strap is pulled exceedingly tight - enough to frequently cause wounds - so that it hurts. Furthermore, the animal does not know that this is about to be done and is further frustrated that he cannot reach the source of the discomfort. Some horses go crazy as a result, hitting their heads on fences or slamming into the ground. (All this is well-documented.) And to what end? So psuedo-cowboys can feel macho for a few seconds? As soon as the bucking strap is loosened, the horse calms down. Just a couple of months ago, a friend went to the rodeo and caught a glimpse of the "fierce," "wild" bucking bulls. They were all calm. Until the rodeo bullies started shocking them with hand-held electric prods. Again, the whole idea is to get the animal irritated, hurt, and riled up to put on this fake show. It's inane and barbaric. (BTW, I used to ride horses from time to time, but that's mostly beside the point.)

And the calf-roping and steer-busting events are even worse. The cruelty of the misnamed "wild horse race" is almost incomprehensible.

Animals are without question abused in rodeo. You may want to review this video footage as a reminder. Rest assured that I'm involved with many other aspects of animal abuse, as well. But I'm not going to ignore the cruelty of rodeo.

I appreciate your concern for the rights and well-being of animals. I support any activism and personal actions on your part to make the world a kinder place for all species.
 

to gary
I think it is funny that you talk to animals and know how they feel. You also like to keep repeating yourself to make it look like you know alot about what is going on. But you really don't have a clue. I don't know where you come up with this 5000 volt shocking device but a hot shot doesn't hurt that bad. Sticking your finger in a light socket hurts a hell of alot more. A hotshot is more like a static elec. shock.
 

It is obvious when animals are afraid and in pain. It is even more obvious when animals are injured or die in rodeos as they do each year.

The voltage and wide use of hand-held electronic prods is well-documented, and some rodeo personnel have admitted that they use them - often repeatedly on the same animal to make him hurt, be afraid, and be riled up so he'll put on a "show." The animal can't escape while this cruelty is being inflicted on him. It's sadistic, cowardly, wrong, and shameful.

If you think the prods are no worse than sticking your finger in a light socket, have someone repeatedly stick one on you when you are held captive. But even if it hurt no more than a light socket, even that is cruel.

There is no excuse for cruelty, especially cruelty for entertainment.
 

I participate in rodeos every year in several states. My whole family has done so for generations. I cruised around in the internet trying to verify your claims, followed your links that claimed to have documentation of abuse and all I found were people who, like you, refused to see the big picture. The claim that animal abuse occurs at rodeos is, as was mentioned earlier, an uneducated eye looking on.

As I said before, I have been to too many rodeo events to count even before I began to ride in them and have never once seen this electric shocker deal you are talking about. You say it is well documented, but I, nor my father or mother have seen it. Ever. Not even once. Don't you find that a little strange that such a "well documented" torture method has not been seen by gate pullers and folks right there at the chute? I sure do.

Several of my bulls buck with or without "provocation" as you put it. They are not frightened, hurt, or enraged. As for my bucking bull we put in Rodeos, and other folks around here who breed them; the bulls live a pretty good life- hell the big timers (bulls) who go professional have it better than even you.

Even with my saying all this, you will still refuse to see the bigger picture, only focusing on what some ass did at some rodeo that was documented, or what another redneck did at some little fair. Why don't you turn your attention to something that deserves a petition like horse slaughter or the pet food industry.
 

Megan, you must not have looked very hard, or didn't want to know.

You could start here -- www.youtube.com/watch?v=7poZuhymtRo -- to watch recent video of rodeo participants shocking horses, one after another, in plain view of the judges - which gives you an idea of how corrupt rodeo is.

Then you can check out this video: href="http://s147271628.onlinehome.us/BigHatRodeo.wmv. It could not be plainer. The guy repeatedly shocks horses while they're in the chute. The poor animals must be scared out of their minds.

Here's an excerpt from footage that was broadcast on the TV show Hard Copy: http://www.sharkonline.org/rodeocrueltycontractors14.mov. The guy bends over with his right hand and shocks the animal over and over. Other participants at the rodeo twisted and pulled animals' tails. Rodeo thugs threatened the Hard Copy crew after the incriminating scenes were caught on camera.

These cruelties have been witnessed, photographed, and videotaped at least hundreds and probably thousands of times. One can only imagine how many times they take place out of view of the camera, and how many animals have been hurt.

Contact me offline, and not only will I point you to tons more video, I can put you in touch with the folks who took the pictures.

In rodeo, horses, bulls, calves, and steers are forced to take human-inflicted punishment while they are held captive and have no means of escape. So that the animals, writhing in pain and fright, will put on a show. How can you defend such cowardly, utterly thoughtless and selfish cruelty?

I've spent plenty of time around horses, bulls, and cows who are treated right. They are not carted around the country, they are not prodded, they are not provoked. They do not have their children or mothers forcibly separated from them. They don't have ropes pulled around their flanks, or spurs in their sides, they are not repeatedly shocked with 5000-volt electric prods. They are not locked up in chutes and ridden against their will. Their lives are not put in danger for so-called "entertainment." They are not destroyed when they're no longer monetarily useful. They are given plenty of pasture and care, and regular veterinary treatment. They live to ripe old ages. They are amazingly calm. That is their basic nature unless provoked, Although these days, breeders are trying to create animals who are prone to kick and buck, which goes against the animals' basic nature - and I think that's evil and criminal.

Rodeo flagrantly violates the most basic concepts of fairness, decency, and compassion. It forces animals to be the brunt of stunts that are done strictly for human pleasure. By far, the greatest risks are put on the animals, who, unlike human participants, do not give willing consent to be in the rodeo. Every year, animals are badly injured and killed in the rodeo. That blood is on your hands. Quit defending it and do the right thing: Condemn cruelty. Get out of rodeo and help the animals.

Re: Horse slaughter, pet food recalls, and all the other scandals and cruel treatment of animals: I'm on it, and so are lots of other people. But rodeo will not get a free pass. It is unconscionably cruel and barbaric.
And that, my friend, is the bigger picture.
 

ok idiot rodeo isnt crule. for one the animals are bred to buck,shoot some even like to take a victory lap. I ride bulls and nevr have i seen or herd about this shocker and it WOULD NOT give 5000 volts. Get a life and some facts. If you dont like rodeo stay away from it. NO ONE is gonna let you get ride of americas first sport. Oh and it doesent hurt the animals they do not get back and neck problms and plus how would you know did you look it up off of another tree huggers web site? so your not that smart and learn what your talking about before you go talk about it does that sound good or not
 

ok rodeo is a way of life just like when pigs r kept in farrowing crates or calves in huts. now i wont mss with your non anything a person needs life but dont you mess with mine
 

Rodeo is cruel through and through. Its very nature is cruel: inflicting harm on unwilling animals.

Rodeo animals are killed and injured every year. Even the rodeo associations - despite their attempts to hide it - admit this if you grill them enough.

5000-volt "hot shot" prods and many other cruelties are so thoroughly documented, you have to be blind not to see them. Or afraid to see them. Or in serious denial.

I have a hundred links to videos, photographs, testimony from rodeo participants, testimony from veterinarians. Nearly every time undercover investigators look for rodeo cruelty, they find it in spades.

Time after time, as soon as the flank strap is released, the soc-called wild buck calms down. If the straps and spurs aren't needed, stop using them. If they don't hurt them use them on humans, leave the animals out of it.

Ditto for bulls. The "mean" bucking bulls are calm if you treat them nicely. The whole thing is for show. Bother, hurt, shock, instill fear in animals so they'll flail and put on a show. What a shameful way to treat God's creatures.

Rodeo is cowardly cruelty. I'll say it because it's blatantly true.

Rodeo is gratuitous meanness and has no place in civilized society. It should be banned - and one day it will be.

Quit being so desperate to defend cruelty. You're upset because at some level you know it's wrong and you know you shouldn't be doing it or liking it. You're projecting your inner - probably repressed - turmoil onto me. Be honest with yourself and quit enslaving animals for so-called "entertainment." Once you fully practice the Golden Rule and practice sympathy for animals, you will no longer be angry with me or with yourself, you will have no desire to defend or participate in cruelty, you will be at peace with yourself and the animals.

And with this I am publishing no more of these repetitive pro-rodeo comments on this post. They deny mountains of evidence, and have nothing new to say. Not to mention the grammar and spelling are so atrocious, even for the Internet.

My policy henceforth is to delete at the first sign of tired pro-rodeo rationales or rudeness.
 

I will contintue to speak out about avoidable cruelty for the rest of my life.

All exploitation is wrong.

I speak for the animals because they have mo rights, they have no voice in society, much of their abuse is legal and out of sight.

I only "mess with your life" - in the sense that I protest your cruelties and call for mercy and kindness - because you "mess with" the animals' lives in a much more profound and cruel way. Once you leave them alone or only interact with them through kindness you will never hear a word of criticism from me, only praise. Once you develop sympathy for animals and treat them as you would want to be treated, and feel their pain and share their happiness, you will detest cruelty and speak out against it also, and together we will create a peaceful and just world.
 

Dear Gary,
All I have to say is that you’re not very smart about rodeo. You sit there and type about here says. What you really mean is you don't have a clue. Have you ever been in a rodeo? The animals are not hurt or shocked with this imaginary device that has 5000 volts. You really know nothing so show me of one calf that has gotten hurt in calf roping, one steer in steer wrestling, a bareback, bronc, bull, or team roping steer. You probably don’t know what type of cattle they are. The rough stock is bred to buck so don’t complain. I want to know how long you have researched this topic and how many lies you know of. How many rodeos have you been to?
Sincerely
Anonymous 12 year old
ps show me a calf that has died of calf roping
 

Watch this for starters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50nf7Io52c0

This is recent, from one of the best known rodeos in the country. You'd think the participants would be on their best behavior. If this is their best, what's their worst?

Tell me this isn't cruel. Tell me this isn't sadistic. The announcer thinks that slamming steers to teh ground and dragging them through the mud is funny. Do you think it's funny? Would you want someon to do that to you? Would you want them to do that to your dog? And then claim the dog doesn't mind?

The contestants and participants think harming and hurting a helpess animal is fun. The steers are slammed into the ground repeatedly, sometimes head-first. Do you think this is civilized? Compasionate? Loving? Fair? Do you not feel the animal's pain? This is a disgrace. How can anyone with a conscience suppott this?

Now watch this video: http://youtube.com/user/SHARKonlineorg. See electric prods being used, the ones you and other rodeo defenders claim don't exist. How much video evidence doyou need b you stop lying to yourself? Watch how the judge is worthless. rodeo rules are a cruel joke. A farce.

Here's another: http://youtube.com/watch?v=EJvz_gFth5k. The calf, running for dear life, crashes at full speed into a steel fence. This is rodeo - injurting innoncent animals - some of them mere babies. Its cowardice is despicable. Even when the animals are hurt and unable to escapr the torment these so-called men abuse them.

Are you really 12 years old? These men are not role models. They do not show compassion. They do not show care, kindness or consideration. They inflict harm on the vulnerable and get off on it. They think it's cool.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. I have to get back to work.

You want to see a hundred more videos from rodeos throughout the US and Canada? You want me to put you in touch with the folks who shot the pictures and video? Contact me offline. Even if you search "rodeo" on my blog you will see pictures of animals injured and killed by rodeo. You've got some learning to do. Or - quit denying the truth and accept that rodeo is nothing more than
cowardly cruelty. It should be banned in any civilized socisty.

I went to rodeos when I was younger and lived the West. But I was ignorant of the cruelty and was clueless enough not to look or know where to look or want to look. Now I know better, thanks to thousands of hours of investigations and a mountain of documentation of all types.

BTW, rodeo events have almost nothing to with actual ranching operations, which are bad enough in themselves.

Finally, do you really think I'd waste my time and thorougly wreck my credibility by making this stuff up? I'm not interested in fantasy. Nor do I have time for it. Rodeo cruelty is so thoroughly documeented that it's ludicrous to claim there's no evidence of it.
 

Confidential to "Cowgirl Tuff:"

Working toward the abolition of pointless cruelty is not a "hobby."

Shame on you for inflicting needless harm on innocent animals who are unable to give informed consent - and who never would. Perhaps some day you'll realize this and have a change of heart. Never say "never."

I - and many others - will continue to expose the brutality of rodeo. The evidence mounts. My faith is that ethical and kindhearted people will reject rodeo, and it will die out and become illegal, as has happened to many other types of cruel "entertainment."
 

i participate in the bull riding event in rodeos and i have only seen a hot shot used once and that one time was when a bull turned on the stock contractor and tried to pin him up against a gate. and i will also give you a little tip if you want to keep going on your worthless unsubstantial crusade i sugjest you go and atend a few of these rodeos and take a walk behind the chutes becuse you look like a total moron you have no idea what your talking about you rely on videos you find on the web and other websites sounds to me like you got yourself one hell of a claim
 

The videos and pictures don't lie and they're not faked, neither have the rodeo companies claimed otherwise. If the videos falsely represented the violence of rodeos, the rodeo companies would sue. They haven't and they won't.

I have talked to the people who have shot these videos as well as taken thousands of incriminating still photos. The difference between the investigators and you is that they are looking for cruelty and infractions of the rodeo rules (which are in and of themselves insufficient) - you are not. And they find them in spades.

At least you have admitted seeing the "hot shot" prods. Some of your comrades claim they're never used.

The evidence of electronic prods and many other forms of cruelty - including serious injuries and death inflicted on innocent animals every year - is indisputable. At the Cheyenne "Frontier Days" rodeo, one of the biggest, most public rodeos, this year as in previous years, in addition to the electronic shocking devices that were in plain view - if you knew where to look - animals were slammed to the ground, their bodies twisted into painful contortions; obviously injured animals were forced to "perform;" some were injured and died - for "entertainment."

Just look at this event: http://www.sharkonline.org/?P=0000000459. It's hideous. How in God's name can you defend it?

Rodeo events are inherently cruel. Humans tie, jerk, jump on. kick, pull, squeeze, twist, and knock down animals - and the shocking devices only add to the cruelty.

Harming others for fun is reprehensible. It's what we teach youngsters *not* to do. Why do you do it?

Efforts to end cruelty and exploitation are never "worthless."

Don't feel compelled to defend cruelty. You can quit, and become a compassionate voice for the animals by speaking out *against* rodeo.
 

Confidential to "Hunter:"

It is an indisputable, well-documented fact that horses are injured and die as a DIRECT result of rodeo.

Here is yet more video evidence showing how rodeo people - including the stock contracters themselves - use small taser-like devices to get normally calm horses to buck in the rodeo: http://youtube.com/watch?v=hwJdQZU9_oU. What a horrible thing to do to an animal.

The poor horse cannot escape the pain from the shocking device because he is trapped in the chute. The manufacturer of the shocking device recomomends that this "tool of torture" never be used on horses because horses' skin is too sensitive. But the rodeo doesn't care. Anything for a "buck."

The shocking devices are used in plain view of rodeo judges, and the offenders are rarely penalized. They are never announced.

Undercover video and pictures are the only legitimate way to determine how rodeo animals are mistreated. Those with a vested interest in rodeo will deceive and lie in response to challenging questions or visitors.

When shocking devices are outlawed in an area, as they were in Pittsburgh, rodeo events that use them cease to occur in that area - more evidence that electronic prods are commonplace in rodeo.

In addition to painful prods that shock horses, rodeo participants tie a rope tightly around the horse's flank and the rider repeatedy uses sharp spurs on the horse's sides. It's all about abusing animals for so-called fun. It's obscene.

Why would rodeo contractors allow their animals to be treated so badly that they could become badly injured or killed? Because a calm, nicely-treated animal generates no interest and no money in rodeo. Rodeo events abuse animals.

Besides, animals - including horses - whose rodeo-caused injuries render them unfit for further rodeo use are sent to the slaughterhouse so the rodeo contractors can make a few extra bucks from the animals' slaughter.

Note that the International Pro Rodeo Association urged its supporters to ask their representatives in Congress to SUPPORT horse slaughter.

Believe it: Rodeo makes money from abusing, tormenting, and inflicting physical injury and death on animals. It is disgustingly immoral and should be banned. And I'm sure one day it will be - and that will be a step toward a more moral and decent and just nation, and a victory for animal welfare.
 

Anonymous you should learn to write grammatically correctly first in your own mother language. The word correctly in English is "guarantee" and I am telling it from Europe where we speak and write correctly in several languages. So, I do not think that you know really anything about anything. You must be a sadistic idiot what is obvious for me - who never been at any rodeo - as I do not have to even participate at any of them to know that it is nothing else that an amusement for sick cretins like yourself. But you will pay "the fine" for hurting animals and watching them in pain. I believe that one day you will go through the same or even more pain as you must learn through your own skin how it feels what you cause to pure little creatures. These animals you hurt are expecting from you - as a human - a care, a help and protection instead of being an Evil. Note: Evil is not a cosmological case but the mankind selfishness itself. Means that you should look for some normal amusements like: save our planet, nature and animals instead of destroying the health of other creatures and torturing them for any reason. But it is all up to you anyway and this is your problem and your cross to carry and it is your task to heal your own mind. Nobody will suffer more than yourself when you will realize what you have done so far. And then there will be no way to heal those animals you killed and no way to make things as they never happened. You will be sorry one day and ashamed for all the bad things you have done. There will be one day when you will say: " I do not even understand how could I do such things, I am so sorry". Believe me you will be sorry as I met people who were like you and they have changed and felt bad later on. (You will feel the same as it is a rule that the mind is developing on this Earth.) The positive thing is that still in this life they have realized the mistakes they have made. And I was sorry for them and not upset. And I was sorry for the animals as well they have caused pain or death. Please, consider this and try to become a better person for your own sake and for the sake of our planet, to make it a nice place, a place where there is no fear and suffer but a healthy environment with healthy soul and mind and good heart. We do not have in Hungary (a country in the heart of Europe the land of the Hungarian nation) rodeos, neither we torture bulls, dogs. We still have here as well sick people hurting animals, but we also have a law what considers animal torture as a crime in our country. So, you would go to prison for what you are doing. In most of the European countries you and the guys what are doing these rodeos are considered as criminals. So, you can not put here anyone wise but you would be putted to a prison. In Europe many people look at the US as the wild west and look down on “cow boys” and consider the American “culture” as a very primitive one. Probably the reason for this lays in the minds what you also represent.
I will probably never get again on this site as I got on this by chance. So do not expect from me any answer to any comments. I wish to all a good soul and heart and and a normal humanbeing life with dignity.

Angelina

PS: Gary! You can not change anyone but they must change themself. There is no other way. And this guy will change as well. Otherwise he would not fight with you. He fights with you only because he feels already that it is wrong what he thinks and does but he is not enough prepared yet to take the responsibility for the bad things he did. The good news is that he knows it is bad, so he is in process to develop and to become a friend to animals instead of being their biggest enemy. You should rather write to your government and ask that they stop all the rodeos. People should look for other things to do in their spare time especially if they want their children to live in a normal world.