(July 3, 2012)

The American Association SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness) has released a video shot between 14 and 23 June during the Reno Rodeo, in Nevada.
In these shocking images a man, in a light green shirt, gives electric shocks to the horses just before the opening of the gate. It’s an accepted practice in almost all the rodeos and (theoretically) it’s prohibited in Nevada.

The use of electric shocks makes a stir, but we would like to point out, in the same video, the man with the plaid shirt who tightens a belt when the gate is opened. It’s the infamous "flank strap", a leather strap tied closely to the sides of the horse, who thus begins to squirm and kicks back to get rid of it: this is the key to the rodeo and it’s not certainly because of horses (or bulls) particularly savage.

The SHARK’s video shows other scenes of this pseudo-sport, practiced by sad stunt of modern cowboys on the skin of helpless animals: two calves taken to the lasso and flipped violently on the ground, before being tied by the legs.
One of the two calves is wounded in the leg back: you can see him limping as he leaves the arena.
The other is lying on the ground, with an unnatural position of the neck which is probably broken…but the brave cowboys continues to tie his legs, before the poor animal is loaded into a pick-up for removal.

In recent years the fashion of western sport has unfortunately taken root in Italy, so that Reining, Barrel Racing, Team Penning, Roping (the last two with use of calves) and many other so-called American riding disciplines are joined Italian Federation of Equestrian Sports, to further enrich the already wide range of use of the horse.

WATCH THE VIDEO


SEE SOME PICTURES:




In this still image, the man at the center in a green shirt gives electric shocks to the horse





The calves, after being caught by the neck with a lasso, are violently pulled back





In this picture it seems clear that the lasso had broken the calf’s neck, while the competitor continues to tie his legs. The poor animal is then loaded onto a pick-up and taken away