Rodeo season is underway

Rosa from North Dunedin

Every   year in New Zealand countless animals are terrified and abused in rodeo
They are grabbed …… ridden….. roped and wrestled aggressively…. all .in the name of ……entertainment. These animals frequently sustain series injuries such as bruising and broken limbs 
SOME Injuries have been so serious they has resulted in painful deaths
But its not just physical abuse that concerns me its also the fact that
in their natural environment these animals are quite wary and nervous Now   …..the sounds sights and smells at the rodeo together with the physical abuse can result in extreme stress coupled with fear.
Horses and bulls  are forced to buck by the use of a flank strap,and petrified baby  calves are forced to burst out of a shute and are  chased mercilessly before being roped and forced to the ground.
Sometimes these young animals are also ridden by  children and these animals also have to to suffer  the pain of a flank strap.
Calf riding i consider to be a despicable form cruelty . These baby animals are subjected to horrendous stress especially when the front legs of the young calf collapse under the childs weight 
I believe rodeos are inherently cruel ! I took a look at
footage on the internet from the past season
 Take a look for yourself on u tube ……….
You will see
Calves being wrenched off the ground by ropes around their necks .. Their necks are then twisted as they are thrown down by rodeo performers .
Bulls were seen struggling to climb out of the chutes …….One bull was grabbed by its ear and the inside of his nostril to force him back into a pen .
These animals showed severe signs of fear and distress
and what of the cowboys 
Well what they say publicly often contradicts the reality of what actually happens
. Lets take electric prods as an example
… the president of the rodeo cowboys associations claimed  
 we are trying to make sure that we don’t use electric prods!!
REALLY
Try typing........".waikato rodeo february 17 into google this will bring up the
FOOTAGE TAKEN LAST YEAR
you will see
CATTLE Repeateatedly BEING SHOCKED AND TORMENTED BY ELECTRIC PRODS

mmmmm
HOW HARD are they TRYING

This season has seen mounting pressure against rodeos ….as participants continued to attempt to defend the indefensible
As public revulsion over rodeo cruelty intensifies  rodeo promoters are repeatedly having to try defend their preferred  entertainment .

What can you do to help ……….well
Sponsorship is important to rodeo
I typed into google search
rodeo sponsors in otago
there is quite a list ……………
THE WANAKA RODEO PROMOTERS HAVE PUBLISHED A LIST OF THEIR SPONSORS IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENT

I have chosen to boycott these businesses
maybe you may like to check it out and do the same
You may also like to support s a f e   this is  an organisation    whose aim it is to see a total ban on rodeo 
The former mayor of Auckland successfully lead the way to a complete ban on rodeos on council owned land in the Auckland
please lend your voice to instigate such a ban in
our Otago province because

 IN MY OPINION RODEOS ARE NOTHING OTHER THAN A SPECTACLE OF ANIMAL ABUSE