101 Things: Protestation

[lacyjae]

Originally published at Tongue Tied 'n Twisted. You can comment here or there.

101 Things #98: Go on a demonstration.I have always loved animals. When I was little, I wanted to be a vet. I got a whole collection of vet books at a yard sale and, while I didn’t understand most of it, I read bits and pieces. I remember getting animal rights related

Comments

[starmind]

Ok, this was a hard entry to read for me. See, my family has been around rodeo and rodeo animals for 3 generations now. My grandmother and her sister did a ton of work to advance both rodeo and women in rodeo in Alberta. Most of the 'old hands' around the province would recognize her name. She hosted and put on rodeo's over the years that I've worked at as well.

So...I'm wondering what your exact problem with 'rodeo' is? Rodeo is a pretty broad term that encompasses a lot of events involving horses and other livestock. Are there some specific events that you don't like? I know a lot of the local protesting tends to focus on the Chuck Wagon races.

The problem with the Chucks is the same with a bicycle race or a crowded (marathon style) footrace. Too much flesh trying to cram into too small an area. Accidents are going to happen. Sadly, there are a lot of complications and issues in healing a horse's broken leg, if it's even possible in the first place.

Thing is, I don't know a rancher, cowboy, or anyone else involved in rodeo who doesn't care a lot for their animals. You have to remember that these animals are the cowboys livelyhood. Without a horse, a cowboy can't race, run, or compete in anything. Rodeo animals are usually exceptionally well treated.

It's just that when they fail, or make a mistake, it's very obvious. I recall the year you mentioned. 11 deaths. Do you know that, despite taking a huge loss (cowboys pay to play in the rodeo, and to put up and feed their animals at the Stampede, they don't get in free) many folks refused to risk their animals, taking the hit and the loss. The issue that year was that there was so much rain that the dirt track was a very slippery mud track for too long (too much of the undersoil got wet for too long).

I guess, for me, the question is more should animals be used in competition at all? That is a tricky question, and one that can be debated quite a bit back and forth.

[lacyjae]

Like I said in my original post, it's not all the practices I have issue with. I think when things are generally safe, it's one thing. Knowingly putting animals at risk, such as with the chucks that year, is cruel.

Rodeo can be great. A lot of things, especially with horses, can be great. Endurance, jumping, all that. When safe for the animals, or as safe as we can possibly make it. I am sure your grandmother and your family worked to keep the animals safe in the work they did, but the Stampede's rodeo certainly does NOT strike me as having that as it's top priority, with the number of deaths each year.

Entertainment only goes so far for some of us. Animals dying =/= entertainment. Period.