Do you think Bronc Riding is COOL or CRUEL?

One of the reasons that I like the bronc riding so much (saddle bronc anyway, bareback...not so much) is because it is the only roughstock event that actually has it's base in history. That is pretty much how folks used to break out their ranch horses back in the old days.

That, and when you get a good horse and a good rider together, it's like poetry in motion. Cowboy poetry, but poetry nonetheless.

And, having ridden a few bucking horses myself, their ability to ride some of those horses and make it look so damn easy just amazes me.

I enjoy watching bronc riding. I like bareback better, but appreciate the history behind saddle bronc riding more.

Some very good ranch horses still buck almost daily, just out of sheer exurberance. They are big, strong, fit, and even on our grass can be loaded with extra energy. Most mornings here are brisk and they're just frisky.

I did bareback in the 70s. In the GRA (for ancient history buffs). I find it easier than saddle bronc and liked the challenge of staying on. Rode a single-hand rigging because the women's two-handed riggings looked like they pulled the women forward more than I wanted. Figured I could fall on my face without extra help.

Says the person who's avatar is of a horse's mouth almost touching an infant's head :roll:

There are about a billion ways to get hurt around horses, and as far as I know all the bronc riders in rodeos are adults who can choose to do it or not if they don't want to.

The broncs are my favorite thing to watch in the rodeo, the horses look so happy to be bucking around, their ears are up and most of them are big, beautiful horses with a "rogue" mane and tail to look tough, but they do their thing and look like the enjoy it.

I went to the IFR last week. Half the horses sat down in the chutes, one completely laid down and got the heck spurred out of it's back. Obviously the horses don't enjoy their jobs, I don't honestly see how they can.

Personaly, if I was a stock contractor and cared about my horses, I don't think I would be doing this:

Walker Bucking Stock Breeders-Bucking Horse Fututity Prospects

Seems a bit too young to be doing that to a horse if you ask me. Horses don't make those kinds of noises when they are "enjoying their job". Horses don't fall over and run straight into a fence if they "enjoy their job"....

I wouldnt care if people sat on horses just bucking, but I don't agree with the tight strap right on the groin area to hurt/irritate the horse to make it buck.
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It does not hurt the horse.
It is on the flank and it does not cover the genitals like some animal groups claim....no different than you cinching your saddle.

I have a slightly different experience. I guess you've never had a young cow-horse get excited and go to squealing just like that whenever you put them on a cow? I have, and it wasn't because they weren't enjoying their job. I've also had horses fall down and even run into fences when I was riding them simply because they were so focused on the task at hand, like watching a cow, that they didn't notice that their feet were getting tangled or that there was a fence coming up. Mostly it's young horses that happens to, like the ones in the videos, simply because they are still uncoordinated.

I haven't voted, yet.

I am pro rodeo and anti SHARK by choice, but I've just watched half of this video and I have questions, the evidence looks genuine, but at the same time the horses don't look like they are reacting to a shock.

Can someone who has more knowledge of rodeo explain what it going on in the video before I cast my vote

From what I understand (have read and been told) that yes, they have the handheld prods, but they aren't actually used unless the horse stalls in the chute and doesn't leave, seeing as it's dangerous if they don't immediately leave the chute, for both bronc and rider.

I don't see it being cruelty at all. I could put a back-cinch on a few horses and get quite a bronc show, and they aren't even bred/trained for it. The flank strap is only to let the horse know that it's working and to convince it to kick a bit harder to get the rider off. The spurs used are rounded off, not sharpened. I've run them across my arm (to the point of how the bronc riders would, seeing as the spurs are rolled across the horse, not stabbed) and they don't hurt, just add a bit of pressure.
And like others said about anything else, the large majority of broncs love their job and know when they're suppose to be doing it.
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^^^ I agree...
I didnt watch all the video, I can't stand SHARK, they flat out lie.
I have one of those little hand held Hot Shots...and it isn't all that hot...I have hit myself with it a few times on accident. Like said above they use it on horses that stall, even though it is against the rules. But it is dangerous to have one stall out like that...same as one that rears up...which anticipation coming out.

On the post about the baby buckers....I couldn't watch all the videos but, they are just first teaching them about bucking. In the video of one colt I watched, you can see how the rigging comes off. They let them buck a couple of good ones and release the rigging or dummy. The horses learn that they can buck something off. No big deal...
Not all horses are grunters or squealers, but just like robs said I have had horses get excited about what they are doing forget where they are or squeal working a cow. The first time I put Stilts on cattle he did all the above, he ran,squealed and tackled the steer then bit him...it was quite a ride...my boss wouldn't of believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.
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