MUST READ! The REAL rodeo from an insider

Posted By: Emma Vandewetering
Date: Saturday, 22 May 2004, at 6:55 a.m.

In Response To: Why don't you try protesting something else that really need to be addressed! (Christie)

If rodeos ( and other events like it) were not cruel, then why do SPCA's and Humane Societies around the world condemn them and write official position statements against them? If they were not cruel, there would be no need to do this would there?

As a former long time horse person and rodeo participant (cutting horses, barrel racing, team penning, snaffle bit futurity, dressage, jumping, equitation, ) I can assure you that rodeos ARE cruel in many ways, it's just kept hidden from the public for obvious reasons. To those who think what they see at the event is cruel, I can only assure you that what you don't see that goes on behind the scenes, is far worse. I witnessed it for many years (in Canada and the USA) but could do nothing to change it on my own, so I stopped participating in any horse activities. And the cattle are treated even worse. I worked for a year in the US on a working cutting horse ranch, and I handled several hundred head of cattle a day, sometimes on horseback, sometimes driving an ATV. I can't tell you how many cattle fatally injured themselves because they were panicked and worked themselves into a frenzy while trying to escape the human "games". Not to mention the horrible transportation people who arrived with their electric shock prodder to move fresh animals in and take the tired ones away. And if they were lame or sick do you think they got to see a vet? Not! These animals were considered "downers" and were a normal part of the cattle moving process where victims are both expected and then ignored.

And the horses, well that's a whole other issue. The public has no clue as to the amount of training (which includes using spurs, whips and other cruel devices) that goes into making a horse a champion. Endless hours of going around in circles performing, getting corrected (kicked and beaten) when they do it wrong, people expecting them to behave like robots, the whole thing is sick. It was the same no matter which event the horse was being trained for. Thankfully, in more recent years, a few "horse whisperer" type people have shown the horse world that there is a kinder and gentler way to do things, but these experts admit that the one audience they cannot reach, are the cowboys. The same ones who will be at the Cloverdale Rodeo. These men and women have been doing it the same cruel way for so long (methods passed down from other generations), and they think they are so macho, that they laugh at these kinder methods. There may be a few exceptions, but in general they are pretty brutal to their animals. I know because I was laughed at too when I spoke up and tried to make things better for the animals in my care. Not a day passed that I didn't shed tears over the way some cowboy was beating his horse into submission.

One of the worst cases I remember was a three year old stallion who was stubborn and wouldn't submit well enough for the cowboys. They didn't want to geld him because they used him for breeding, so they decided to force this stud into realizing that humans were his boss. The took him into a round pen, hobbled his legs with ropes so that if he tried to run he'd fall over, and then they taunted him with whips to make him mad. The horse got into such a state that he finally fell over, exhausted and struggling in the ropes. And they didn't stop there. After he was already down, they covered him in plastic and made him bake in the California heat for 90 minutes until his body was dehydrated and he was foaming and weak, and then the cowboys took turns climbing up on to his belly and sitting on top of him, so he had no doubt they were dominant over him. I screamed, I cried, I threw fits at these men, and they just told me if I didn't like it, to go away.

So the next time you go to a rodeo and you see perfectly groomed, physically fit, shiny horses who are performing their tasks for their masters, think about that stallion. He may be one of them, and you just bought a ticket to go and watch!

May 28,2004

SPCA
322 - 470 Granville
Vancouver, B.C.
V6C 1W9


On Saturday May 22nd, 2004, my family including a 10 year child attended the Cloverdale Rodeo. It was the first Rodeo that they had ever attended and look forward to an entertaining afternoon. It was far from an entertaining afternoon. Where was the SPCA? What sanctions or rules did you impose on this Rodeo? Here is a list of things that happened that caused my daughter to run and throw up, my granddaughter to become so alarmed as to never want to see anything like that again and the rest of the family in disbelief that something like this could be allowed a license to operate. the Rodeo advertises itself as "family" entertainment and "animal" welfare a priority.

There was a white Bronco horse that escaped and ran amock throughout the grounds including jumping a fence and landing on a fence, attempting to get up into the grandstand seats and finally have learned it was put down due to injuries. All the time announcers broadcasting that no one should be alarmed. a cowboy was thrown watermelon style head first into the boards and was unconscious only to be dragged off the ring, an ambulance was in attendance. At the beginning of this event a girl on horseback fell off her horse heavy saddle and all. That was the introduction to this mayhem. A cowboy leaped off his horse and wrestled a small calf to the ground, breaking its neck. It lay quivering on the dirt and if that was not enough at half time little children came out to deliver still more entertainment. They had pain type guns and carried animals in their arms. They then proceeded to shoot each other throwing the animals they held in their arms up in the air. Different species went different ways, a rabbit ran off and so on however the dog did not get up he had to be carried off the grounds. THIS IS ENTERTAINMENT? Whose warped mind thought that on up? My granddaughter although only 10 1/2 rides horses, has several pets and works part time in the summer in a Veterinary Hospital. She knows what cruelty does to animals and she knows how to treat them with the care they deserve.

Where was the SPCA and why are you not outraged at this abuse and carelessness? One I guess has to feel somewhat lucky that no one else got injured. When are you going to prevent animal abuse...when? When are you going to enforce laws on these Rodeos? Somebody should be held accountable and ha heavy fine it nothing else should be levied. We all would be interested in your thoughts on this disturbing event held in Cloverdale B.C.

Yours truly
The Seward and Butler family

North Vancouver, B.C.