Why do bulls buck? Jumping, bucking and kicking are inborn abilities that bulls exhibit naturally. All rodeo bulls instinctively want to get that lump of weight off their backs when they're first introduced to riders, and who can blame them? But controversy stirs anyway among animal rights groups and those who do not understand the inner workings of the rodeo. They say that surely this cannot be a natural reflex and someone must be doing something to these poor animals to make them buck like that.
Not so. Here's the truth behind all that jumping and spinning and kicking. First, these are no run-of-the-mill bulls. Most rodeo bulls are bred specifically for their bucking ability. Yes, it's in their genes.
They're further trained to know when they should—and when they shouldn't—get cantankerous and kick up a little dust. This isn't to say that they'll necessarily buck on cue, but they don't have to be provoked by pain or even discomfort before they'll do so. Nothing is done to the bulls to "make" them buck.
They're going to do that anyway. But a painless, harmless method is employed to encourage this ability and behavior and to give the animal the incentive to buck as hard and effectively as possible. It's accomplished through the use of a specially-designed device known as the flank strap. Despite what you hear from certain animal rights activists, this strap does not induce pain.
It works by pressure, just like a lead chain for a dog or a bit in a saddle horse's mouth. In fact, the flank strap is tightened in the same way you cinch a girth on a riding saddle on a horse, except the flank has a quick release. These straps are typically lined with sheepskin or they're padded to avoid chafing, cutting or otherwise hurting the bull. The flank strap must be lined by fleece or neoprene and placed loosely around the flank area of the horse, just in front of the back legs.
To pull a flank strap tightly would restrict or stop the motion of the animals, quite the opposite of what is asked of rodeo bucking horses. Horse flank straps are equipped with a quick release mechanism that allows the rodeo pickup men to release the strap when the ride concludes. Veterinarians familiar with rodeo events and equipment have testified that the flank strap does not injure or cause pain to the animal. Overall, the animal welfare program employed by the PRCA is extensive.
More than 60 rules are in place to govern the care and handling of livestock at PRCA rodeos. Professional judges enforce these rules and inspect all livestock before a competition; if any animal is not healthy and fit, that animal will not compete. PRCA rules also require a veterinarian on-site. These on-site, independent veterinarians are allowed by PRCA to conduct surveys to calculate the percentage of the rate of injury to livestock competing at PRCA rodeos.
The latest survey was conducted at 57 rodeos during the PRCA rodeo season. Out of 71, animal exposures, 38 injuries occurred. This calculates to a rate of injury of. As the sport of rodeo continues to grow in popularity, the care of the livestock involved will be under greater scrutiny.
The PRCA and other rodeo associations will continue to make the welfare of all rodeo livestock an important part of the rodeo industry. Home Blog Store Contact Us.
Donate Now! A myth is a powerful thing. Every time there is a slow news day or a rodeo returns to town, animal rights groups bring the debate over rodeo bronc riding and cruelty to the front again. The myth that rodeo bronc riding is cruel because a horse only bucks because it is being treated cruelly and is in pain is a persistent favorite of many animal rights activists. The facts to these claims are so contradictory to the truth, however, that the people who perpetuate the myth are frequently forced to give it up because no one is listening.
Bronc riding, as an event in a sport that would eventually be named rodeo, began in America in the mid to late 's. Like most of the events in early rodeo, bronc riding's origins stemmed from the lives of working cowboys, and the event was intended to mimic a cowboy's first ride on a healthy, fully grown, wild horse. From the very beginning a fresh supply of horses was constantly in demand for the event because the horses would quickly adapt to and accept a rider, and most of them quit bucking very quickly.
A horse that would buck well and continue to do it, was rare, highly prized, and in demand. This is the type of horse that became known as a "bronc. Today, the basic concepts of what a rodeo bronc is hasn't changed. A rodeo bronc must buck exceptionally well, and continue to do it.
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