"So extensively bruised that the only areas in which the skin was attached (to the flesh) were the head, neck, leg, and belly. I have seen animals with six to eight ribs broken from the spine and at times, puncturing the lungs. I have seen as much as two to three gallons of free blood accumulated under the detached skin. These injuries are a result of animals’ being thrown in calf-roping events or being jumped on from atop horses during steer wrestling."

That description is from a veterinarian who spent 30 years as federal meat inspector, worked in slaughterhouses and saw many animals discarded from rodeos to slaughterhouse.

Rodeos are promoted as rough and tough exercises of human skill and courage in conquering the fierce, untamed beasts of the Wild West. In reality, rodeos are nothing more than manipulative displays of human domination over animals, thinly disguised as entertainment. It began in the late 1800s as a brutal masculinity skill contest among cowboys, and become a show motivated by malice, greed and profit.

How can humans consider beating up helpless animals a sport?

Rodeo is about human (especially male) superiority, and is a travesty of the natural behavior of animals.

Although many people regard the rodeo as family entertainment, the rodeo’s most popular events would not be possible if humans did not inflict pain on the animals involved. These events are thought of as a contest of will between contestants and animals, yet the wild and combative behavior of broncos, bulls, and calves is artificially induced by painful measures of provocation.

In the calf-roping and steer-wrestling events, cowboys demonstrate their ability to capture and tie up calves and steers in a short amount of time. Handlers prod and then release calves from pens. The frightened animal runs from the gate at twenty-five miles per hour, at which point the contestant lassoes the calf by the neck, snapping his head back as the calf comes to an abrupt stop. A contestant in the steer-wrestling event chases the steer, and then grabs him by the horns and throws him down by forcibly twisting his neck and slamming the steer to the ground.

Rodeo employees and competitors have been filmed painfully twisting calves’ tails and ramming electric prods into them before the chute gates open, causing the animals to run, trying to escape the pain. Severe injuries to the animals, such as broken bones, massive bruising, and internal bleeding, are common. All in the sake of human's entertainment.

Calves have become paralyzed from severe spinal cord injury, and their tracheas may be totally or partially severed.

Team roping
In this event, two riders rope a horned steer, one at the head, the other at the hind legs, again usually in a maximum of 90 seconds. The difficulties of two riders roping simultaneously may lead to the steer being pulled in different directions at the same time.

A steer is released and chased by 2 riders. One rider keeps the steer running in a straight line, while the other grabs the steer by the horns and leaps from his horse. He twists the steer's neck to force him to fall to the ground. The contestant has 30 seconds from the time the steer is released to throw him to the ground.
Apart from the stress of this brutal treatment, it can also injure the neck of the steer. Strained muscles and tendons are painful, but are not visible to the observer. The animal can sustain broken and splintered horns in this event. Neck twisting can cause considerable pain, and also spinal injury.

Humans bully the terrified, confused animal and push them from the chute with electric prodders. All animals are tamed domestic stock. Only fear and pain make them buck.

In all bucking events, the aim of the riders is to stay on the animal for 8 seconds after it is released from the chute. Horses are ridden either with a saddle and lead rope or only with a girth strap and handle to hold on to (bareback). On bulls, a rope is pulled around the girth.

Electric prods, sharp sticks, caustic ointments, and other torturous devices are used to irritate and enrage animals used in rodeos. The flank or bucking strap, used to make horses and bulls buck is tightly cinched around their abdomens, where there is no rib cage protection. Tightened near the large and small intestines and other vital organs, the belt pinches the groin and genitals. The pain causes the animals to buck, which is what the rodeo promoters want the animal to do in order to put on a good show for the crowds.

All horses and bulls buck because of the flank strap that is pulled tightly around their groin. Animals do not buck because they are wild or mean. They buck because the flank strap irritates them, and they stop bucking as soon as it is taken off. Imagine a strap pulled tight around your groin, and you will know why animals so frantically try to rid themselves of it.

Bucking horses can develop back problems from the constant pounding of riders on their backs, and constant jumping up and down can cause serious leg injuries, particularly tendon breakdown.

Mexican style rodeos are called "Charreades" and focus more on horsemanship. Flank straps are not used and bucking events are not timed, but events such as “El Coleo" (tailing) in which steers are grabbed by the tail and downed, sometimes knocking the animals unconscious or ripping the tail off, are dangerous for the animals.

A few municipalities and states mandate that rodeos have a veterinarian present throughout the event. The majority of local governments do not, however, and animals suffering severe injuries often die from lack of immediate medical attention. The majority of severely injured animals are shipped to slaughterhouses.

Animals also needlessly suffer before and after rodeo events. Animals endure constant travel in cramped pens. The proper loading of animals is rarely enforced, their travel trailers are often improperly ventilated and feeding, and watering does not occur regularly.
The travel contributes to a life of misery for these animals as well.

What more do you need to know? That in America, there are rodeos for children, high school and college rodeos, and events for the police, armed forces and prison inmates? That there are even black, gay, and all-women rodeos?

Can you believe it? Humans established torture education institutions!

For a completion, unfortunately we cannot hear the animals, so at least read the eyewitness:

"The next calf was jerked by its neck in classical fashion. When it came to the end of its rope (the well-trained horse skidded to a stop), the calf spun up into the air and came down with a thump. The rope clearly constricted its neck to a mere, unbelievable fraction of its normal diameter. It looked like a cartoon character, but it still had enough airway open to let out a long, loud moan." One of the horses, while it was bucking, made a sound half way between a whinny and a moan, which I guess would qualify as a horse’s way of crying out for help.

Only One Solution
Updated in Sep 2003
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