Recently, Los Angeles City Council filed a motion to ban certain rodeo-related activities and tools from rodeos in their city. Read the article below to see the entire motion presented and seconded by two council members on December 8, 2020.

Comments on this motion were allowed through early March, and groups, like the My Job Depends on Ag Facebook page, were asking their followers to submit comments against this motion, stating “If We have more comments against the proposed ordinance, we have a greater chance of stopping it. At the time of this post, there are 2 comments from our side opposing the ordinance and 10 supporting the ban. To make it easy, we’ve provided a link to the form. You DO NOT have to be a resident of Los Angeles, ALL COMMENTS COUNT.”

I sent in a comment. As a former rodeo queen for Woodlake Lions Rodeo, and a continued fan and advocate, I felt that it was my duty. I realize that there are a lot of people who love the sport, but maybe don’t fully understand some of the behind-the-scenes activities and tools used to help the sport be successful. So, I wanted to talk about how the motion’s intent, although maybe not ill-intentioned, was incredibly wrong and shows the ignorance many people have when it comes to the ag and rodeo industries.
Here are a few things I found that were incorrect in the motion, and wanted to write them for this month’s publication so that way, if you ever find yourself in a conversation about rodeo with an anti-animal ag activist, you may be able to help them understand:

• Rodeo associations have rules about types of rowels used on spurs. They must be blunt and short.
  
• A veterinary professional must be present to ensure the health of animals at all events.
  
• Bucking stock is bred and trained to buck. The flank strap enhances this, and horses must be lined with neoprene or wool, and no sharp objects are allowed. For bulls, it’s a cotton rope. It’s no different than placing a cinch around their rib cages, except it’s on their flanks which helps signal them to buck. The straps also must have quick releases, and veterinarians have testified that this causes no harm to animals.
  
• Cattle prods are an effective and safe tool. PRCA rules require that the prod be used as little as possible and that the animal be touched only on the hip or shoulder area. It is powered by low amperage batteries.

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There is a lot more to be found regarding animal welfare in rodeo on the ProRodeo website. To learn more about prca animal welfare, go to ProRodeo.com

After I read about the Los Angeles City Council situation, I was reminded of the Rodeo Houston drama a year or two ago. Protestors showed up at a parade demanding to quit harming and exploiting the horses. People commented on a Facebook post regarding this situation saying that the horses looked terrified, were sweaty, and went as far as to claim that horses die being hit by cars, and others collapse before getting to this parade. The Facebook post also discussed the animals’ waste as they walked down the parade path.

This was a very sensationalized critique of parades, obviously. Knowing how multiple horses I’ve been on have acted, it’s actually not anywhere as violent as this one activist made it seem.

Here’s what I have to say about the Rodeo Houston protester situation, and hope that when you’re at parades or interacting with social media activists you can use this to discuss with them what is actually going on:

1. Protestors show up to these events so eagerly…I have yet to see any of them post about being there when a natural disaster hits when animals are actually dying or being harmed. I HAVE seen cowboys and cowgirls though. In fact, less than five there were a handful of young ranchers that died in fires across Texas, Kansas, and Oklahoma trying to save their livestock. I have never heard of a story from an activist.
   
2. The comments towards humans on one of their posts say a lot about their morals and values. I am always an animal lover, I would say I love my dogs more than I love most people, but I would never say or think the things these people have said about someone they don’t know. Why would I trust these people with the care and welfare of my animals if they can’t treat humans well? just because we love animals doesn’t give us the right to be cruel to people. cruelty is cruelty no matter who you’re giving it to. Most cowboys I know treat their animals and people with so much respect.
   
3. As to the horses looking terrified, and the other references to their sweat, feces, and urination during the parade. Understanding animal behavior is a skill. You don’t become a psychologist or sociologist with no training- same with animal behavior. You must have experience around these animals to know what their reactions really mean. These horses get excited to be around the crowds, believe it or not, horses get hyped up in a good way… they get excited being around other horses and the way they react isn’t going to be like any human. We are not the same species and the way we process sounds, sights, and smells is so different. The statements made in this woman’s post were not legit causes for concern- just sensationalized reasons to exploit her cause. It’s fear-mongering at its finest because she’s relying on what people don’t know and feeding into their worries. This is a common tactic used by extremists.

Rodeo has a great following. We won’t stop supporting this sport, and won’t stop giving our animals a purpose and amazing life. I hope that when you are out at rodeo events where there are protestors, or even interacting on social media, that you will have civil discussions with others about the truth of this sport and what goes on behind the scenes. While it seems that our industry is burdened with so much hatred and misinformation, there are far more supporters than naysayers and we can help to combat it and prevent such a wonderful sport from going extinct.