SAFE : Rodeo abuse

SAFE protestors were out in force against the International Rodeo. TV One, 3 News, Radio Live, Newstalk ZB, Waikato Times and YahooNZ aired SAFE's protest. Hamilton's Claudelands Arena was the focus of anti-rodeo campaigners protesting against the International Rodeo. SAFE campaigners staged a colourful protest, with funky 'cows' and 'horses' outside the Arena to highlight the plight of animals in rodeo events. SAFE says it has protested at previous shows held in Christchurch and was disappointed that Hamilton agreed to host this year's event.

"The International Rodeo is the largest rodeo in the country and includes loud music, fireworks and pyrotechnics, so along with the usual torment, goading and brutal treatment animals endure, they must also contend with fear, stress and anxiety caused by loud noise and bright lights," says SAFE campaign manager Mandy Carter.

"Rodeos are merely a cruel display of man's dominance and abuse of animals. These animals are forced to endure needless suffering and gross mistreatment, all for the sake of so-called entertainment," says Ms Carter.

"Rodeo animals are not wild animals, so they would not normally buck, but they are tormented into doing so through the use of flankstraps. The animals are at risk of broken bones, ruptured ligaments, extensive bruising and even death."

SAFE has asked the Hamilton Council not to hold rodeo events at Claudelands - the council responded by saying they were contracted to this event but would look at policy for future events involving animals.

"We urge the Hamilton Council to follow the Auckland Council's initiative by adopting policy prohibiting rodeos from council-owned land," says Ms Carter.

"Rodeos blatantly disregard our moral obligation towards other living creatures and have a negative impact on our society, particularly on impressionable children. Children attending the rodeo will witness animals being terrorised and ill-treated, seemingly with adult approval. Conditioning children into accepting such violence will have dire consequences for our society in the future, given the strong links between animal and human abuse."

SAFE also believes that companies sponsoring the rodeo must take responsibility for the role they play in perpetuating this type of aggressive attitude towards animals.

"They must act immediately by withdrawing from involvement with any future rodeos and adopting a policy of not sponsoring events which cause animals to suffer needlessly," says Ms Carter.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please write to the Mayor of Hamillton (at julie.hardaker@hcc.govt.nz) asking for her position on rodeo events. Politely ask her how the mistreatment of animals for entertainment fits in with the branding of Hamilton as a cosmopolitan city. Express your serious concern that the welfare of these animals is being compromised, and ask her to promise the city will not support International Rodeo events in the future.

If you live in Hamilton you can visit her in person and ask her what she thinks! Click here for details.

RODEO CRUELTY SEASON COMMENCES

December 2010 kicked off the 2011 national rodeo circuit, which means animals around the country will be stressed, tormented and abused for our entertainment.

The rodeo season will go until May in rural towns around the country. If you are concerned about this ‘sport' and wish to stop the abuse that the animals suffer in the name of family entertainment you can write to the main sponsors. Ask them to cease supporting the rodeo season and point out the damage this association gives to their company and products.

Often the local newspaper will use photos to glorify the manipulation of these animals. When you see one of the articles you can take the opportunity to put the other side of the story, reminding readers that these animals are not wild or naturally aggressive and are being betrayed by the people responsible for their welfare. For more details on what's wrong with rodeo please read the summary below.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1) Don't go to the rodeo and encourage others to do the same.

2) Write a letter to your local paper questioning as to why rodeos are allowed to continue tormenting and abusing animals for entertainment.

3) Contact the companies who sponsor the rodeos who are effectively supporting animal abuse.

Email DB Breweries, Wrangler, Lineside Automotive or Hydraulink at sales@hydraulink.co.nz. You can also call Cyclone Fencing at 0800 333 188.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH RODEOS?

DOMINATION:
Rodeos are promoted as rough and tough exercises of human skill and courage featuring cowboys conquering the fierce, untamed beasts of the Wild West. In reality, rodeos are nothing more than manipulative displays of human domination over animals, thinly disguised as entertainment. What began in the 1800s as a skill contest among cowboys has become a show motivated by greed and big profits.

PROVOKED & ABUSED:
Standard rodeo events include calf roping, steer wrestling, bareback horse and bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer roping and barrel racing. The animals used in rodeos are captive performers. Most are relatively tame but understandably distrustful of human beings because of the harsh treatment that they have received. Many of these animals are not aggressive by nature; they are physically provoked into displaying "wild" behaviour to make the cowboys look brave.

DELIBERATELY TORMENTED:
Traditionally electric prods, spurs and bucking straps are used to irritate and enrage animals used in rodeos. The flank or "bucking" strap or rope used to make horses and bulls buck is usually tightly cinched around their abdomens. This causes the animals to buck vigorously to try to rid themselves of the torment, which is what the rodeo promoters want the animals to do in order to put on a good show for the crowds.

Cattle and horses may be prodded with an electrical "hotshot" to clear them from the chute, which can cause intense pain to the animals.

Calves roped while running routinely have their necks tugged back by the lasso, which can result in neck injuries.

INJURED:
Although rodeo cowboys voluntarily risk injury by participating in events, the animals they use have no such choice. Because speed is a factor in many rodeo events, accidents and injuries are likely. Animals can sustain painful injuries and in some cases, these are so severe the animals die or are killed on site.

FLANK STRAP:

Flank straps are fitted tightly around the animal's abdomen where there is no rib cage protection, to encourage horses to buck. One US study indicates that even horses with a gentle temperament can be induced to buck when fitted with a flank strap. The same study demonstrated that rodeo circuit horses did not buck when released from a pen without flank straps.

SPURS:
Traditionally, spurs are also used to encourage animals to buck. Defenders of rodeos claim that provided that the spurs are blunt and if the rowels are fixed the animal is not harmed by their use. However an American vet and ex-rodeo performer claims that repeated blunt injury from spur use causes tissue damage which gets worse each time the animal is used and it is her belief that spurs should be banned.

CALF ROPING:
Traditionally, calf roping is the most cruel rodeo practice. Calf roping is a timed event and is carried out as quickly as possible for maximum points. Calves are `encouraged' to run from the chute when it is opened by tail twisting and electric cattle prods to reach top speeds of up to 35 km per hour. When stopped in mid-flight by the rope they may sustain severe injuries or be killed when they hit the end of the rope at top speed, are jerked off their feet, slammed to the ground and their legs tied together.

POOR EDUCATION:
Rodeos are disrespectful to animals and desensitise viewers to violence to animals. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights says "children watching these events cannot help but become brutalised and conditioned to regard nonhuman animals simply as objects to be used at the whim of humans."

RODEO COMING TO YOUR AREA?

Click to view dates.

PUT UP POSTERS in your area to help encourage people to boycott the rodeo. Email
resources@safe.org.nz to order some large posters.

IN THE NEWS

Northern Advocate editorial asks the right questions.

WATCH SAFE campaign manager Mandy Carter argue what's wrong with rodeos.

Waikato Times Hamilton Rodeo declares success despite SAFE protest

TV3 SAFE demonstrates at Hamilton rodeo

TV One Anti-rodeo protesters attend Hamilton show

NewstalkZB Animal rights activists stage protest

One News Thousands flock to Canterbury rodeo

Southland Times Rodeo-goers brave the weather

WATCH former Mayor, Hon John Banks, condemn the use of animals in rodeo at a major Christchurch event.

VICTORY!
Congratulations to the Auckland City Council for sticking up for rodeo animals! In a New Zealand first, the Auckland City Council banned rodeos from using council land on animal welfare grounds from 2008.

Former Auckland Mayor Hon. John Banks says: "The gross spectacle of animal torture masquerading as a rodeo would never happen in Auckland," said Mr Banks.

HAVE YOUR SAY!

SAFE urges everyone to write to their local newspaper to speak out against rodeos. Write your own if you can, otherwise use the sample letter below, and check out this real example from a SAFE supporter.

Dear Editor

Do we want to teach our children that it is okay to use and abuse animals? It's about time rodeos were banned on welfare grounds alone. Claims have been made that rodeos are not violent against animals however anyone who has watched this horrible spectacle will know that flank straps and electric prods are used to get a desired reaction from the animal. The fact that the animal is only in the ring for a few seconds does not justify the violence, stress, risk of injury and death that the animals are subjected to.

Kind regards