REAL rodeo--graphic

I figured I'd put this here, and see what happens. Please note I'm a fan of western style riding, I would love to be able to barrel race or do games on a horse eventually. But having said that, ANY injury that these people sustained while participating in events like this where horses and other animals were manhandled and abused was well deserved, and I applaud all of the horses in this video who don't just roll over and accept it, and wish that they could have been made into traditional riding horses, as I'm sure they would have been just as fearless and unyielding, and a pleasure to work with.

Have you ever actually rodeoed or do you just get videos off of RodeoCruelty.com and Youtube?

I think I'm going to have to start making a compilation video for every sport set to depressing music just to prove there are idiots in every sport and it is not the norm.

Not to mention none of those clips look like they are from any sanctioned rodeo and are just backyard rodeos.

*sighs* Just like PETA - show something illegal and attempt to prove that everyone does it this way.

I frequent the rodeos in my area, and I have never seen a scrap of abuse. I watch the chutes closely while everyone else is watching the rodeo clown performance before an event, and I can say with all honesty I have never seen anyone kick or hit a horse. Heck, when we went to Selkirk Rodeo, one cowboy spent the entire time a horse was being saddled stroking her neck! We also witnessed something horrific, a mare went down right in front of us with a broken back leg after ditching her cowboy. I have never seen people act that fast in my life - within minutes, they had thirty people in that arena, got her down as quickly as possible and immediately went to work helping her out of the arena. They worked as a team to roll her over into a big tarp pulled by a tractor and then sat with her to keep her calm as they pulled her out - slowly. They had a veterinarian there immediately to tranq her and deal with the problem.

Now obviously I'm not saying abuse doesn't exist. But it's no different then any other discipline. These horses and animal are their livelihood, even bucking horses, and they do not want bad things happening to them.

I swear, at the average rodeo, I see FAR more abuse coming from the little barrel racing chikitas then anyone else. They yank their horse, smack 'em with quirts, spur them constantly and just treat them like crap. It's sad how we have a percieved notion of abuse and often fail to see where it's actually coming from.

Ugh. True that.
I'm a barrel racer myself, and I just want to rip half of the barrel racers I see off their horse and get them some riding lessons. But that's a whole 'nother rant..
You're exactly right though those cowboys treat the roughstock like kings. They are their livelhood.

Go to a rodeo and you will not see abuse at least 90% of the time. There is abuse in any sport, but it is not the norm. The last rodeo I went to I did not see any bulls or horses smacked. Two horses flipped in the chute, and they worked fast to try to release them to get them up.

There was one very funny thing that happened. A bull had been spinning so much that after the rider got off he stopped, weaved, and then sat down. Everybody stood around to watch as he got back up, looked a little confused, and then trotted into the pen.

Actually yes, we have one every month just down the road from where I live, and some of the girls in my barn participate, so of course we all go out and support them.

I am by no means saying that ALL rodeo's are like this, the title of the topic just suggests that this is a possibility as to what goes on behind the scenes that people don't acknowledge or know about. The real horror was actually in the comments on the youtube page, where people were saying that they saw nothing wrong in this video, and that's just how rodeo's are. I do think the depressing music was a little much, lol but hey, people do what people do.

I found this actually just searching for a video of barrel racing (it was the first round of nationals in 07 or 08 i think) where one of the girls knocked two of the three barrels down and I wanted to send it to a friend.

Instead of pouncing on me for posting it and assuming that I'm saying that all rodeo's are horrible, take the video as an example of what not to do and come up with ways to keep the a$$holes who do this from doing it again.

That's what I am wondering. I have been to a LOT of rodeos. Yes some people are idiots, but there are dressage idiots, jumping idiots. In our local rodeos, nothing like this ever goes on.

I suppose you are against horse slaughter too? Well, a lot of those horses would be going to slaughter if not for the rodeos. People think the bucking stock (bulls and horses) are so mistreated. Look, the owners of those animals makes damn sure they are fed well, and taking care of, because they invest in those animals to make them money.

So a horse throws itself over? They do it all the time! I've seen more horses injured or killed in that dang racecourse that has like hedge jumps. Have you ever seen a video of that? Horses brake their legs all the time! These broncs get banged up a little. But they have a pretty good life! Buck, eat, sleep.

I have never been to a rodeo that held a 'wild horse race'.

Oh my gosh, you think calf roping is cruel? Accidents do happen. But that is very rare! I have only seen it once in my life. These people aren't heartless! They feel bad that it happens. The guy apologized in the microphone.

I have never heard of 'steer tripping' Honestly. what about steer wrestling? and no rope is involved in that sport. I think that is honestly just a group of cowboys being stupid.

Well I can tell you I have been behind the scenes and many many rodeos and have never seen anything remotely close to anything in that video.
If there is someone who steps out of line, he is made to change or else he is reprimanded. Rodeo is these peoples life and career, they're not going to set their animals up to fail.

Wild horse racing, steer tripping, horse tripping, etc is all stuff I have never seen in any PRCA rodeo or other sanctioned rodeo...that is just macho crap they do at local rodeos and I personally dont like.

Honestly, Im not a fan of calf roping. I don't like how it's done at high speeds but that is the closest possible thing I could think of that is "abusive" at a rodeo.

That is very far from REAL rodeo.

Half of those pictures in the beginning show things that could happen anywhere. A horse or cow could trip and land on it's head, they could even run into wall by themselves.

o my dear god!!! NOT ALL FREAKING RODEOS ARE LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this looks like some back yard rodeo, were the dont give a shit about the livestock. Whoever makes these stupid videos needs to get there head out of there ass and not just have tunnel vision that "o, well if this rodeo is like this than all rodeos are" its a bunch of BS they take one thing and blow it way out of portion. Whoever makes these videos pissed me off!!!