Rodeo Research Paper

“Doping and the inappropriate use of normal medications present a serious threat to the integrity and reputation of our sport, because they give athletes an unfair advantage and threaten the welfare of horses.”(FEI’s Clean Sport Campaign pg1) Federation Equestre Inerationale and several other animal welfare organizations have well-established regulations trying to create a more perfect sport. Because riding in shows is so competitive riders need to understand that showing isn’t always about winning but learning for the experience of showing.

Roger began learning to rodeo when he was about 14 years old. He and his best friend would go everyday to a ranch next door owned by a pro rider who gave him lessons. Roger speciality was riding Brama Bulls. Brahma bulls is a very dangerous ride. The bull themselves can weigh from 1200-2000 pounds. Roger said I was big and strong. He said “It was like riding on an enormous muscle.” (He says that his wonderful Oklahoma drawl) Roger and his friends used to go to school dressed up in cowboys style. While most of the kids in the sixties would dress in the regular style of the high schoolers. Roger especially loved to wear his cowboy hat in his boots everyday. He love the challenge of riding the bulls. He was especially like meeting new

The sport of Rodeo has been a tradition in the United States since the cowboys of the American West began pushing herds of cattle across this country. Often, there was very little to do besides hard work with the cattle and horses, so the cowhands would often get together and compete with each other in the skills that they practiced every day on their jobs in order to relieve boredom. The first competitions in rodeo consisted mainly of riding bucking horses and roping steers, cows and calves, because this was what their work consisted of. Each ranch would send their best cowboys they had. The cowboys were competing only for the honor of their ranches they worked for, and their bosses who owned those

Horses' anatomy enables them to make use of speed to escape predators and they have a well-developed sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight response. Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. Female horses, called mares, carry their young for

Rodeo is popular throughout the United States and is the official state sport for South Dakota, Wyoming, Texas, and Idaho. People think we are just entertaining the people and think the animals are physically provoked to make the cowboys look more impressive (Nielsen 1). Really that isn’t true its really how good of a hand you are and how well and experienced you are riding an animal. Some people make their horses hard in the mouth pulling back to much and that isn’t a good hand on a horse. A good hand on a horse has their horses mouth super light so with a little touch of the foot and rein your horse will turn a complete circle without pulling hard.

“On average, 24 horses die per week on racetracks in the U.S.” (Cohen). This is due to the horrible mistreatment and horrendous training methods used on too young horses. However, the racetrack is not the only place where horses are abused. Horse shows, show rings, large business stables, smaller private barns; wherever a horse can be found, there is potential for some sort of animal abuse. There is not one certain breed or type of horse that is most commonly abused, every horse around the world can be subject to mistreatment. Unfortunately, there are not many laws that protect these horses, and some people merely turn their heads away. That is why there should be more laws against the abusive techniques applied by many equestrians in the equine

Rodeo has been around for several decades and has gradually become very popular around the world. The three events that have been apart of the rodeo since the beginning include saddle bronc, steer roping, and bull riding. Rodeo is a great sport for cowboys and cowgirls to compete in an event that suits their lifestyle. These contests have changed dramatically since the first official rodeo in the late 1800’s. Because the rodeo event was created in 1888, ranchers culture has been brought to the world and created into a world wide sport.

Fans have argued that rodeo is abuse the the animals and others have argued that it’s not abuse to them. There are a lot of people who absolutely love the rodeo and come to watch and support it. Then on the other hand, there are those people that hate it and are totally against it because they believe it is abusive to the animals. Without the animals, rodeos would not be possible; therefore, the care of the animals is of the utmost importance to all participants and staff. A writer for Beef Magazine.com says, “Rodeos put animal health and welfare in front of fans. How rodeo has used veterinary information to prepare for—and respond to—a range of questions can be an example for the beef industry.” (Ryan, 2013). This proves that during the rodeos

“We all ride for the same purpose, to win, but its those that ride with their heart and soul and leave everything in the arena that truly win in the end, no matter the outcome of the final placing.” Its not the person on the horse’s back, or the cowboy on a bodacious bull, that wins. It’s the horse and the bull themselves that are the champions. There are misconceptions when it comes to the sport of rodeo. Despite what PETA and animal activists think, rodeo is the way of life for some people and nothing can change that. We take pride in our animals, the livestock we use, and wouldn’t dream on attentionally mistreating these wonderful creatures.

According to PeTA , The tricks that animals are forced to perform—such as when bears balance on balls, apes ride motorcycles, and elephants stand on two legs—are physically uncomfortable and behaviorally unnatural. The whips, tight collars, muzzles, electric prods, bullhooks, and other tools used during circus acts are reminders that the animals are being forced to perform.

Not only do the animals get hurt from animal entertainment, the trainers do too. Many wild animal trainers suffer from injuries or even fatalities. Many zoo, circus, and theme park workers get seriously injured from these wild animal’s “revenge”. Injuries from animals in captivity, like large cats, are very common. After being cooped up, in cages and trains, it would be expected for these wild animals to be aggressive towards humans. Since 1990 there have been at least 123 attacks on humans from caged, large cats. Most of us see just the “kill” part of these facts and portray these

Bull riding has a long rich history, it can be traced back all the way to the early 1800’s. Cowboys would get together and have contests in things they normally do on a ranch like roping and trying to break horses, but you didn’t have to get on the back of a

Training is another concern. Physical punishment has long been the standard training method for animals in circuses. These methods are simply cruel. They include the use of electric prods, whips, and even some animals especially large cats, have their teeth removed. Bears balancing on balls, apes riding motorcycles, elephants standing on two legs are acts that are physically uncomfortable and behaviorally unnatural. Such “performances” do not teach audiences about how animals behave under normal circumstances. Instead, they are often portrayed as ferocious and stupid.

There are many types of animals used for entertainment such as circuses, dog fighting, zoos, and rodeos. All of these types of entertainment are not natural for these animals which is a form of abuse. Often times they are wild animals that don’t belong in cages and are not able to do things that are in their instinct to do. This is especially true about zoos and circuses. Animals are not able to roam free and instead kept in small cages. Even in optimal settings experts say that it is difficult to provide for the needs of wild animals.(Lemonick) Children should learn to respect animals and not see them as entertainment. People should only support animal free circuses and raise awareness how animals are abused for entertainment.

Animals have been a main focus in circus performances around the world for many centuries; however, in recent history, there have been far more regulations put on the use of these creatures, stemming mainly from how they are treated by both their trainers and the circus as a whole. Whether it be on the federal or local and state-level, there has been a definite increase in the questionable legality of America’s circus industry due to the neglect and abuse of the participating animals, courts’ decisions highlighting the true importance of the issue. These rulings make one ask the question: What types of regulations could be put in place in all circuses to ensure that the animals involved are not abused in the process? In the end, many