kinder ways

"Monty has done a good job of getting people to think about kinder ways, and so have the Parrellis. Are their horses happier than the ones trained using Buck Brennaman, Bill Dorrance, or old school English techniques? I'm not seeing it..." Thanks, kestrel. This post has been brewing for a long time.

But isn't "getting people to think about kinder ways" a  sensible direction for training to take? Everyone has their "tricks" of the trade, and in the right hands, tricks work. But give that trick to a poorly timed eye, or a cruel or stupid eye, and lord help that animal.

I have old experience, riding those long ago horses. My TadPlaid was a 3yrold TB stallion, rarely handled. I never had to resort to anything other than turn-out, longing and then hacking. I do understand the rationale behind the tricks, but the tricks would be far less necessary if people weren't always revering/emulating bronc types of rodeo events. I think riding western correctly is really hard, and not that many people do it well. Roughness seems to be normal. I know I am generalizing, I'm just reporting my preliminary findings, is all;)

Me & Chester, 2001

There's a brutal side in all forms of horse-training, and I ain't here to argue that. But by sheer volume, western wins, on the cruelty scale. We celebrate our "struggle" breakin' broncs. We mug the horses to the ground, with brute strength, how strong we are!

**My post about western being for the comfort of the rider, and not the horse, stands. The good saddle-seat riders have angles. Yes, WAY behind the "ideal" that we have. But the way these horses move allows for just about any contortion, doesn't it? The Saddle-Seat horses were bred to be smooth. Western, to work. Stop. Go real slow, don't jar me. Back up. Lower your head. Lower it more. More. MORE. I'm just not seeing as many comfortable horses wearing western tack. Since western is the dominant rider type these days, you notice things.**

To me, western means I will sit you like an arm-chair, and you will like it. A recent study of horses and jockeys discovered that the old style straight legs placed a far greater load on the horse. Why else would the ideal bronc rider start position be having your heels ahead of the horses' shoulders in the bronc chute? Huge marks are given for lying prone across the horses' back, legs straight out, when in full-buck. How comfy for the rider. The lazy-boy posture WINS! Not so much for the horse. Have you seen some of these guys doing their victory lap after the fact? Painful, and not for the rider.

I'd love to see what would happen if the bronc-riders had no flank strap, and sat up when the horse was released from the chute. Just for my own studies:)
Horses were not built to be ridden COMFORTABLY for them, like armchairs. That they react fairly violently, or shut down completely into their own pain-free little world, is no surprise to me. Quit telling me the flank strap is an annoyance. Why then, do their mouths gape? Why is a bloody good yank applied, JUST before they "explode" out of the chute, every, single, time? It's like winding up a spring toy, and then being surprised at the sproing. I just don't get it. I didn't get it years ago. I STILL don't get it.

I watched parts of the Calgary Stampede this year, for the first time in years, because I wanted to be proven wrong in any of the thoughts I have about rodeo. They had the novice saddle bronc rider event on. To a Horse, they all struggled in the chute. Each was explained as being a real tough character, real experienced bucking horses. One mare, 22 years old, needed a metal bar through the chute, below her throatlatch, so she wouldn't lie down. I watched a documentary series put on here called simply "Rodeo".  In one clip, taken at the Edmonton rodeo, another "very experienced bucking horse" was flipping right out in the chute. Rearing, trying to fall over backwards, trying to jump out the front of the chute. Call me crazy, but those horses didn't seem to be enjoying their job.

Audiences love it. It makes me queasy. Not because of what you think, oh, poor horsie. I think, how odd. How strange, why would you do that? I don't deny the risk of death is the big seller in this sport. Man against the wild angry beast. But we MADE him wild, and angry and terrified, and sure his world has ended, as he head-first slams into the wall. Oh, well, just the rough-stock. I dunno. Because we are going to eat the animal later, does that make it okay to beat it up, and break it down, first? Why doesn't CBC-TV (covering the Calgary Stampede), show the impact of the calf hitting the end of the rope anymore, in "tie-down" roping? Why was it re-named? This event used to be called "calf-roping". Was the sight of clotheslining a young calf upsetting people? As long as we don't see it, it must be okay?

We are in angery times. I found that spelling in a comment made by a youngster about training her horse. "You have to get angery, or the horse won't listen." That made me queasy, too.

The prevailing attitude towards our food animals has always been drool first, ask questions later. But the laughing at an animal's injuries/distress, the cheering when the horse is flipping out, it all makes me wonder. What is the message we send to our youth? To each other? To ourselves?


There is no good reason to terrorize our domesticated creatures, I mean, why did we bother domesticating them, if we revel in making them "wild" again? I know I am in a tiny minority, but I've said from the beginning I'm not a fan of these rodeo events. I don't think all the rodeo events are cruel, of course, you guys already know my theory on barrel-racing. Or maybe you don't.

I watched a video simply named "Saddle Bronc", and I can not get the link to work. It was at a school in the USA. Bronc slammed head first into the concrete stands, and fell backward. They tried to get him to move. He'd flattened his skull, twitching and shaking as his brains slowly scrambled. Saddest thing I ever saw. Kids of about 8-9 were looking on with great interest, wearing cowboy hats. I know, that way they learn about death. But didn't WE kill that animal, just to see what he'd do when we wound him up?

Truly, what is the point behind putting underwear on a cow? Cartwheeling a calf? Mugging a pony, so he flips over on his head? SHARK didn't put out the three videos I posted below. Happy spectators did.
What are we telling ourselves? I wonder.
I know my readership will now shrink down to minus three. I know how popular and profitable the rodeo industry is, for a lot of basically good folks. But it's the premise, I think, that makes me pause, and wonder.

I don't "buy in" to anything. I was thinking this long before SHARK ever put out a video.

I stand by my disgust at the Wild Horse Race. We wonder where our brutality comes from. Then we put it on display, for all to see. To Cheer.

OH, and good news, Dad has changed his mind. I will continue to gently berate Dad to be careful of Stanley's hind claws, which I clipped, he is such a good cat.