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Bucking Tradition, A Short Documentary About Rodeo Cruelty

by Jennie Richards · Published April 15, 2023 · Updated April 23, 2023

Bucking Tradition, A Short Documentary About Rodeo Cruelty

“Some traditions deserve to die. This is one of them.” ~ Unknown

Rodeos are touted as entertainment, but in reality they are nothing more than displays of human domination, torment, violence and cruelty to animals. What began in the 1800s by cowboys, has become a show of power and brutality, causing unnecessary suffering and death to animals. The rodeo is not tradition, custom, culture, or entertainment—the rodeo and its practices are outrageous acts of animal abuse, animal exploitation and cruelty done in public, to entertain. The rodeo is entirely driven by profit and greed, at the expense of sentient animals.

Forcing an animal, inflicting suffering and pain, abusing, beating, brutalizing, tormenting, injuring, harming and killing animals—is typical animal cruelty at rodeos. Every rodeo. And every training practice for the rodeo. It’s time to ban rodeos and their abusive, inhumane practices. Captive wild animals in traveling circuses for entertainment purposes are now banned in many countries, cities and states—and rodeos time has come too, and cannot come fast enough. It’s time to end the rodeo and all its acts of animal abuse, violence, cruelty, domination and death done at these events.

This 8-minute documentary short depicts the extreme fear and terror rodeo animals feel as they are forced into their event – young calves used for roping run for their lives, they are terrorized trying to escape. Horses are brutalized with tight flank straps, sharp spurs, then hit with an electric prod to anger them in the bucking shoot, so they will come out fearful, angry and bucking. Calves that are roped have their necks broken, but they are used over and over again, with no time to heal. Rodeo men intentionally hurt these animals, and disrespect and exploit the animal’s fear, suffering, pain and injuries. This is not entertainment. This is not sport. This is pure animal cruelty and willful violence, and needs to be banned—forever.

Horses and cows used in rodeos are prey animals. They are fearful animals by nature. They are sentient animals, like humans. The rodeo exploits their inherent fear and terror, then treats them cruelly, hurts them and kills them. The rodeo and this mentality is all about money and ego. Some traditions deserve to die. And some cannot die fast enough.

“Rodeo animals are prey animals. They fear for their lives when roped, ridden, wrestled, chased, jumped on, dragged or otherwise handled roughly. They (and we) deserve better than this.”~ Eric Mills, Coordinator, Action for Animals
“Do I think it hurts the calf? Sure I do. I’m not stupid.” ~ Keith Martin, Chairman of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
“The single worst thing you can do to an animal emotionally is to make it feel afraid. Fear is so bad for animals I think it’s worse than pain.” ~ Dr. Temple Grandin, animal behaviorist

Watch the 8-minute film: https://vimeo.com/372477852

Film Length: 8 Minutes

Film Premier: 2019

Common Injuries to Animals in Every Rodeo

Bucking Horse and Bull Injuries:

Broken neck
Snapped spine
Back problems, injuries, broken back
Tears in leg tendons, serious leg injuries

Calf and Steer Roping Injuries:

Broken legs
Back injuries and broken backs
Spinal cord paralysis
Neck injuries and broken necks
Severed tracheas
Internal hemorrhaging
Damage to internal organs
Bruises
Torn ligaments

Steer Wrestling Injuries:

Broken necks
Torn ligaments
Broken bones
Severed spinal cords
Severed tracheas
Internal bleeding

Steer Tripping Injuries:

Fractured horns
Neck injuries
Back sores
Hip sores

Barrel Racing Injuries:

Leg injuries, tendonitis, torn ligaments
Joint arthritis
Ruins horses later in life

For More Information

Visit the website, Action For Animals

Contact:

Eric Mills, coordinator

ACTION FOR ANIMALS

P.O. Box 20184, Oakland, CA 94620

Email: [email protected]

How You Can Help

If you attend the rodeo, quit. Don’t support the brutality and animal cruelty.
Speak out – Speak up and share this page on social media, ask friends to do the same. Raise awareness about how cruel rodeos are.
Understand the Cruelty – Google the many on-line You Tube video that depict rodeo’s deep animal cruelties.
Write letters to editors.
Call radio talk shows.
Organize a rodeo protest.
Meet with your city/county/state legislators—and ask them to sponsor. ordinances or legislation to ban/regulate rodeos.
Involve the local religious community and public schools.
Encourage boycotts of all rodeos and ask their corporate sponsors and advertisers to quit supporting them.