I could really care a less about the Stampede, it's anachronistic exercise but there is a couple of things i think should be brought up
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Contrary to popular belief, this strap does not restrict or inflict pain on the horse's genitals. In fact, most bucking horses are geldings (castarated) and many are mares.
Rather, the strap (flank) acts as a mild irritant, an annoyance that the animal will attempt to dislodge with forceful kicks of the hind legs once the ride has begun. This strap is removed immediately after the ride.
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Most horses really seem to grow to love the rodeo lifestyle
Let's assume you're right for the moment ( i think the perhaps the animals night have a different view- but since they cant talk we'll leave it out) Getting one's nuts clipped seems pretty painful to me.
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Despite what you hear from certain 'animal rights' activists, nothing is done to intentionally hurt the bucking horses. Cowboys and cowgirls understand the power of bucking horses and a mutual respect develops between the horses and competitors.
Most horses really seem to grow to love the rodeo lifestyle. They get to remain wild and free, working only 8 seconds a day, while their counterparts have to remain under control and the saddle for most of their career.
Well we'll go back to my first point, no one rally knows if they like or dislike it since we're unable to really effectively communicate. But i think giving the animals in question the benefit of the doubt that having a 200lb human strapped to their backs, while surrounded by several thousand screaming hairless monkeys ( Us) probably does not rise to the level of "loving it"
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Bulls and horse and bred especially for the sport. They have good lives on the farm. Well fed and quite comfortable. They enjoy the sport as much as the cowboys. Just as athletes, and indeed the riders themselves, the stock become excited at the moment of the ride, so they will also become nervous and excited.
But you just said this?
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Most horses really seem to grow to love the rodeo lifestyle
Seem to, not absolutely. You don't really know for sure because of aforementioned inability to actually communicate
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As for calf roping, this still happens on a ranch. A calf is roped to be branded or casterated. A calf is usually casterated a few months before going to a feed lot to be fattened up before ending up on your plate for dinner.
These activities remain the same today on modern ranches all-be-it with modern methods and equipment. These ranch chores would evolve directly into the rodeo events of tie-down roping, team roping, and bronc riding with the other events expanding on the ideas of these early events.
The point I'm making is that I think the people opposed to rodeo should also consider where the meat they eat comes from.
My meat come from guys in hats roping cows at the Calgary Stampede?
News to me
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I guess I'm 'pro-rodeo' because it was a part of my life for a long time. My husband and I had a farm in northern Alberta. He and his family raise and breed bucking horses for a living. My son started with mutton busting, then steer riding, on to bull riding and ended his career in saddle bronc riding when he broke his collar bone. It was tough watching my son ride, in fact, I encouraged him to please stop. It didn't make sense to me, to risk his life for what? 8 seconds of ??? I couldn't figure it out, but that's where his passion was so I backed him up.
Don't mistake me for some Vegan or something i like my meat as much as any other non-vegan. But i think we can all agree that animals capable of feeling pain. I mean they do bleed. And i realize that we actually kill millions of farm animals for our table. But you lost me when you tried to link the spectator sport of the Stampede, unless i missed the news that they have a processing plant at the stadium (or whatever)where the Stampede is held, doesn't directly put meat in my freezer. It's a vanity exercise.
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