# GRAPHIC -- Criminal Horse Abuse at Oklahoma Prison Rodeo



## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

God, that's horrible. 
No wonder people hate rodeo.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

First off, not all rodeos are bad. For instance, the Calgary Stampede is a world-class facility. 

It's the backyard versions that make my blood boil.
The footage in that video made me sick to my stomach.


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## samc230 (Sep 6, 2009)

This made me cry. And I do rodeo.

However, not every rodeo is like that... every rodeo I have been to, everyone loved and adored their horses and any animals used.


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## CrazyChester (May 5, 2008)

When they were leading the horse with a broken leg out..I did indeed burst into tears. Why in the world do they do it?


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## close2prfct (Mar 9, 2009)

That was horrible, I've been to a lot of rodeos in my time and never ever seen anything like that before but they were all small local rodeos. I can't imagine anyone being so sadistic and cruel to allow something like that to go on.


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

Hard to believe that can still happen in America. Hopefully we will all flood them with e-mails and phone calls. Even if they could care less sometimes publicity will cause people to be more careful.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Note, I meant it was images like this that give rodeo a bad name. I rodeo and love the sport. However, it is crap like this that needs to be shut down.


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

having owned a horse that broke one of his legs and had to be put down, I find this video very upsetting. I have witnessed in person the pain and fear in a horse's eyes when one of their legs is broken. NO horse in this state deserves to be dragged around by a bunch of idiots. Look at them, trying to hide that animals are hurt in these events. I think the audience should see this, see what the cost of their crude entertainment is: a frightened and injured animal.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Keep in mind that this is not a big-time rodeo.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

What bothers me about this is that these rodeo and equine programs are supposed to serve as a rehab-type program for prisoners. I think that is great. However when this happens...it's insulting and horrifying. 

Backwoods rodeos are always sketchy, however I thinks something this large and citizen sponsored should have some sort of regulating body to it. Does it not?


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## lsucajun8 (May 28, 2009)

This is very upsetting...like many of you said before me I have been to rodeos where they loved and cared for all of the animals but this is horrendous..I mean, really, where are their hearts?


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

I did *not *watch the video, because I would probably stay crying. But from what everyone else has said, I get an idea what happened. I have been to many rodeos, and none of them hurt the horses or other animals in any way! I just cant even start to understand why someone would want to abuse any animal, let alone a horse?! It really upsets me *a lot*. Horse abuse is a really touchy subject, because my pony was abused before she came to my barn. :-cry: I just cant see how anyone could hurt an animal.


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## AussieDaisyGirl (May 21, 2009)

Oh my God. No animal should ever, ever be treated like that. No species on earth should be treated like that nor ever be allowed to treat another species like that.

I don't know what to say. My Lord how awful. Judgement shall not come soon enough for them.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Someone pieced together extreme situations to make a graphic video. 

Walk around at a horse show - any show. Especially at the trailers. I've seen owners smack the crap out of the show horse because they won't stand to be cinched, trail horses are whipped to get into the trailer, people leave junk in their turnouts and fail to fix broken things in stalls resulting in terrible injuries I have seen at our vet clinic.

Heck people on here have posted they withheld food to teach a horse a lesson.

Who can point a finger at who?


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

mls said:


> Someone pieced together extreme situations to make a graphic video.
> 
> Walk around at a horse show - any show. Especially at the trailers. I've seen owners smack the crap out of the show horse because they won't stand to be cinched, trail horses are whipped to get into the trailer, people leave junk in their turnouts and fail to fix broken things in stalls resulting in terrible injuries I have seen at our vet clinic.
> 
> ...


What? Where?!

Anyways, the horse with 2 boken legs should have been put out of its misery right then and there. Shoot it, inject it, SOMETHING. Don't walk it out .. that's moronic.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

JustDressageIt said:


> What? Where?!
> 
> Anyways, the horse with 2 boken legs should have been put out of its misery right then and there. Shoot it, inject it, SOMETHING. Don't walk it out .. that's moronic.


I am talking about the video as a whole.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I think it's just sick. People ON THIS VIDEO are real *******s.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Question...why is the guy biting the horses ears?


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

mls said:


> Someone pieced together extreme situations to make a graphic video. quote]
> 
> Thank you MLS!!!
> 
> ...


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Thank you Dee for the complete story !


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

While I found that video extremely upsetting all rodeo's where young calves are roped is cruel. I don't feel sorry for bull or bronce riding but when a calf is chased across an arena by a 1200 pound horse and brought to an abrupt stop with a rope around the neck or leg it is cruel and we as animal lovers should be outraged.
Horse racing 2 year olds is also cruel. So was that any more cruel then what we accept as a rodeo every day????


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

consider the source of the video and the bias commentary. I watched another video by the same people where a horse broke it's leg and they tied it down, loaded it on a panel and put it in the back of a trailer. The commentator critisized every step. Accidents happen, horses break thier legs, but they get very good care and everything is done that can be done to ensure thier safety. I might be able to work up some outrage about animal rights if there were no starving PEOPLE in the world or no abused CHILDREN in the world. In my world I put humans first. What people do with thier own property is none of our business. If you don't like rodeo then don't go. People have no problem turning a blind eye to human suffering in thier own communities but can't resist telling people what they can do with thier property.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

I am appalled at this video, and to connotation that ALL rodeos are bad, because of isolated incidents like this. 

I remember a rodeo one year in which a horse did injure his leg, and immediately the show was stopped, and the horse taken care of, very well I might add; the announcer even went as far as to tell us to be as quiet as possible so as not to stress the horse even more. I have not been to a rodeo, ever, where this hasn't been the case; and I would walk out of one, if the animals weren't cared for. We ask them to perform, and we owe it to them to give them the best care possible if they get hurt. 

Yes, there are people out there who perform like the video shows, but this is not the sport itself; and to say that it is, one could say that about ANY horse sport, because, folks, cruelty happens everywhere, not just the public places.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Spastic_Dove said:


> Question...why is the guy biting the horses ears?


It's a form of twitching...you'll notice after he simply twisted his ear...biting is an extreme of that, and very inhumane in my book. Twitch him on the lip, sure, but the ears are much more sensitive, and can cause more long term effects.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

dee said:


> mls said:
> 
> 
> > Someone pieced together extreme situations to make a graphic video. quote]
> ...


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

mom2pride said:


> *1) I am appalled at this video, and to connotation that ALL rodeos are bad, because of isolated incidents like this.*
> 
> *2) I remember a rodeo one year in which a horse did injure his leg, and immediately the show was stopped, and the horse taken care of, very well I might add;* the announcer even went as far as to tell us to be as quiet as possible so as not to stress the horse even more. I have not been to a rodeo, ever, where this hasn't been the case; and I would walk out of one, if the animals weren't cared for. We ask them to perform, and we owe it to them to give them the best care possible if they get hurt.
> 
> *3) Yes, there are people out there who perform like the video shows, but this is not the sport itself; and to say that it is, one could say that about ANY horse sport, because, folks, cruelty happens everywhere, not just the public places.*


 1) Absolutely.
2) That's what makes me mad about this video, is the way the situation was handled. It could have been handled SO much better.
3) Yes.


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## RedRoan (Mar 2, 2009)

Lets not also forget that this stuff dosen't happen during every rodeo out there. It is actually pretty rare for a calf to get a broken neck from roping, and other critters breaking there legs.

I've worked at three different rodeos over the recent years, and just wanted to also add that when a cowboy is being a bit to 'rough' other ones won't let him get away with it. They will harrass that cowboy to be gentler and stuff. Its not like its a free-for-all out there.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

dee said:


> If the makers of this video had their way, there would be no horse shows, no horseback riding - no horses in stables - and no horses in any kind of fencing. All horses would all be running free from all human intervention.


I don't think that was an intention of the video to ban ALL rodeos or (worse) show/sport. It's just about THAT particular place. The way people handle the situation and treat animals on THAT particular arena is just NOT right. Of course things happen, but some places are just s...s (excuse my French). Same with some boarding facilities, certain owners, trainers, etc. etc. etc. And if it happens people have to speak up. 

P.S. No offense to anyone here but I really dislike PETA for certain things they do.


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## M2twisted (Sep 9, 2009)

I did start to cry when i watched this. i grew up watching rodeo, i had very close friends on the rodeo team in college. and overall, yea these horses and other livestock, pretty well have it good. think about it, a bronc or bull works an 8 second shift, lol.

i agree that this was NOT handled properly. why hide the horse? in my opinion (especially as this is a prison rodeo), it would seem to show them as more, aniamsl friendly (etc), if they were to help the poor guy immediately. to me it's just the right thing to do. people have to deal with putting dogs, cats, horses down when they're time has come, and not let them suffer from cancer or something. i don't see how this is any different. if a cowboy (or inmate in this case) were to have a broken arm and leg, they would treat him immdediately, they would get a stretcher, not let the guy have to try and hop around. why not the four legged rodeo contestants? whether they put him down after the trailer was in place, who know, this biased video doesn't show that. but i did clearly see them whip him. he's in enough pain and totally scared as it is. why do that?

i've been to big redeos, i've been to the daddy of 'em all! and i HIGHLY doubt seeing anything like this there. i guess i would want to write to the sponsors, and make sure this really is a place they want their name associated with.

yes animal cruelty is everywhere. but some are more severe cases than others. when my horse tries to drag me around or run me over, i whack him with the end of the lead rope. does that make me cruel? i gues my point is that this was handled poorly! it didn't happen because no one knew (they clearly did, they hid him), it wasn't just someone whackin a horse with a rope. this was a horse in severe pain (if you watch, that front swings, ACK)...no one or thing deserves to end their existance in this manner...


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I agree with the majority that yes not all rodeos are bad, I enjoy going to rodeos but I have never seen anything like that before. That makes my stomach turn. I am not sure but I believe that the "pick-up" men are also prisoners. I didn't know that prison rodeos were still done anywhere, I know that they were stopped here in TX years ago. 

As for the rehabbing the inmates: IMHO, rodeo does nothing for the rehabilitation of convicted felons. Working in a prison, I get to see the personalities of the majority of the inmates we house. Many of them would take any chance they could get to release some frustration by hurting an innocent animal (we had an inmate several years ago that threw a barn cat into a burning pile of rubble. Fortunately the cat survived and found a good home with one of the officers and the inmate was punished; though not harshly enough in my mind). IMHO, programs like the assistance dog training and the Colorado prison that trains mustangs for adoption are a much better rehab method than anything else because then inmates understand how it feels to fix something or make it better and help create something good. Many of them never have that.


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

kitten_Val said:


> I don't think that was an intention of the video to ban ALL rodeos or (worse) show/sport.
> 
> P.S. No offense to anyone here but I really dislike PETA for certain things they do.


 
Actually, as I recall, that video really was used in an attempt to ban rodeos here in Oklahoma. A local PETA group claimed to have made the video. It garnered little local support, but the owner of the rodeo company was mortified! (and he should have been!)

Also remember that that video is NOT recent, nor does the fact that the rodeo was held at "Big Mac" and the contestants were prisoners have anything to do with how the horse was treated.

(I didn't care for the "twitching" thing on the ear - but it is a practise that has been used for years and it's hard to get old timers, and old timer wannabe's to quit!)


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## dee (Jul 30, 2009)

smrobs said:


> I agree with the majority that yes not all rodeos are bad, I enjoy going to rodeos but I have never seen anything like that before. That makes my stomach turn. I am not sure but I believe that the "pick-up" men are also prisoners. I didn't know that prison rodeos were still done anywhere, I know that they were stopped here in TX years ago.
> 
> As for the rehabbing the inmates: IMHO, rodeo does nothing for the rehabilitation of convicted felons. Working in a prison, I get to see the personalities of the majority of the inmates we house. Many of them would take any chance they could get to release some frustration by hurting an innocent animal (we had an inmate several years ago that threw a barn cat into a burning pile of rubble. Fortunately the cat survived and found a good home with one of the officers and the inmate was punished; though not harshly enough in my mind). IMHO, programs like the assistance dog training and the Colorado prison that trains mustangs for adoption are a much better rehab method than anything else because then inmates understand how it feels to fix something or make it better and help create something good. Many of them never have that.


SMROBS, I couln't agree more. The "Big Mac" rodeo is (was) not to rehab the prisoners, but to raise money for charity. I don't know if it is still being held or not. Here in Oklahoma, we used to have prison farms where prisoners could raise the food for the prisons. Even though the prisoners were at the farms voluntarily (and even earned a small wage), our state supreme court, in it's infinite wisdom, ruled it unconstitutional, and that it violated the prisoner's civil rights. Go figure.:shock:

And the pick up men really were employees of the rodeo company. That's what makes it even worse. Prisoners, who would have lacked experience, may have recognized the broken front leg, but not necessarily the broken hind leg. The professional pick up men in the video should have recognized the exent of the horse's injuries immediately, and taken better action.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

The horse was standing up so what should the pick up men have done? They could have thrown it down and put it on a skid but then the outcry would have been because they threw down an injured horse. It's not like some backyard pet that will load in a trailer and be hauled out. There really where not a lot of options. I'm sure everyone involved felt awfull about it but accidents happen.


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## frecklesgirl4ever (Sep 15, 2009)

That may be true, but that's still so horrible. I don't much like rodeos in the first place.


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> The horse was standing up so what should the pick up men have done? They could have thrown it down and put it on a skid but then the outcry would have been because they threw down an injured horse. It's not like some backyard pet that will load in a trailer and be hauled out. There really where not a lot of options. I'm sure everyone involved felt awfull about it but accidents happen.


If it was one leg, the horse could get a makeshift leg splint, get some pain killers, and be sent immediately to an emergency vet for evaluation with as little moving on the horse's part as possible, I had to do this once. If it was two legs, the horse should be euthanized on the spot. I'm sorry but there is no point in making a horse with two broken legs suffer because we only have the technology to BARELY handle one broken leg in a few of the less severe cases, and that almost always involves a lot of pain and issues on the horse's part and they will never fully recover (as well as a lot of money and time). To make a horse have to stand around on two broken recovering legs would be excruciatingly painful. They treated the frightened animal with utter disrespect as they yanked it around to try to hide him from the crowd and then made it canter through a crowded space to god knows what fate.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

roro said:


> If it was one leg, the horse could get a makeshift leg splint, get some pain killers, and be sent immediately to an emergency vet for evaluation with as little moving on the horse's part as possible, I had to do this once. If it was two legs, the horse should be euthanized on the spot. I'm sorry but there is no point in making a horse with two broken legs suffer because we only have the technology to BARELY handle one broken leg in a few of the less severe cases, and that almost always involves a lot of pain and issues on the horse's part and they will never fully recover (as well as a lot of money and time). To make a horse have to stand around on two broken recovering legs would be excruciatingly painful. They treated the frightened animal with utter disrespect as they yanked it around to try to hide him from the crowd and then made it canter through a crowded space to god knows what fate.


Agreed, unfortunately. 
Again, this particular situation could have been handled better... and yes, I would have preferred to see it layed down (not tossed down) and put on a trailer lying down, if it absolutely couldn't have been euthanized on the spot.


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

Thanks dee for the added information.


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## allie84 (Sep 14, 2009)

I'm sorry...but I want to break their leg and make them walk on it with no help (the men..not the horses)...I will gladly stand behind them and beat them every time they fall...and I will not loose sleep over it...

There is absolutely no reason that horse should have been made to suffer...who the h*** thought it was a good idea to let a bunch of fear maddened animals run loose without a vet there to help if there was an accident? These people in this video didn't care the slightest bit for the animals welfare... I am not against rodeos...just this kind of rodeo...where the animal is clearly and unmistakably mistreated...


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

Broken legs just.. Flap?


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

They can, yes.. when they're broke clean through.


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## Shalani (Jul 16, 2009)

allie84 said:


> I'm sorry...but I want to break their leg and make them walk on it with no help (the men..not the horses)...I will gladly stand behind them and beat them every time they fall...and I will not loose sleep over it...
> 
> There is absolutely no reason that horse should have been made to suffer...who the h*** thought it was a good idea to let a bunch of fear maddened animals run loose without a vet there to help if there was an accident? These people in this video didn't care the slightest bit for the animals welfare... I am not against rodeos...just this kind of rodeo...where the animal is clearly and unmistakably mistreated...



That was my point exactly ! thx! I have been to many rodeos and enjoyed myself! but this ??? and the crazyness of releasing 5-10 fearful bucking animals at once is just asking for injuries.

its the same with all equestrian sports though.... sadley. there is always someone at a show , pony club, rodeo mistreating their horse. 

I posted this vid I found on you tube to open people eyes a bit . YOU SHOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY RODEOS RUN LIKE THIS ONE.

And if you see someone mistreating their animals say something to them or an official . DONT LET THEM SUFFER!


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## weefoal (Apr 4, 2009)

Wow did this bring back memories. I attended my last rodeo about 15 years ago. The situation is so similiar its eerie. We had taken my young daughter and this rodeo also did a brawl where they let out the bucking horses and bulls. Horse got hurt with one broken leg. At least in my case they shot the horse in the arena. Needless to say my daughter was screaming and crying. It happened so fast we didnt have time to turn her around or take her out. I do respect that they shot the horse there to save it trying to walk but the announcer should have warned the crowd. And what a stupid idea to let out bucking horses and bulls together. That was the last time I ever went to a rodeo. I see things have not evolved so I will continue to boycott rodeos.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

weefoal said:


> Wow did this bring back memories. I attended my last rodeo about 15 years ago. The situation is so similiar its eerie. We had taken my young daughter and this rodeo also did a brawl where they let out the bucking horses and bulls. Horse got hurt with one broken leg. At least in my case they shot the horse in the arena. Needless to say my daughter was screaming and crying. It happened so fast we didnt have time to turn her around or take her out. I do respect that they shot the horse there to save it trying to walk but the announcer should have warned the crowd. And what a stupid idea to let out bucking horses and bulls together. That was the last time I ever went to a rodeo. I see things have not evolved so I will continue to boycott rodeos.


I can honestly say that until this video I've NEVER in my life seen more than one bull or bronc in the arena, let alone many together. 
Idiotic in my humble opinion.


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## ridesapaintedpony (Apr 14, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> consider the source of the video and the bias commentary.


Thank you. As a dog breeder we're faced with the same biased stuff. Any horse injured is a sad thing. However, I do not believe ANYTHING the animal rights people tell me.

If they had it their way, we wouldn't own horses or dogs or any other type of animal.


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

ridesapaintedpony said:


> Thank you. As a dog breeder we're faced with the same biased stuff. Any horse injured is a sad thing. However, I do not believe ANYTHING the animal rights people tell me.
> 
> If they had it their way, we wouldn't own horses or dogs or any other type of animal.


If they had it their way, animals wouldn't have to go through awful things like this.


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## Tennessee (Dec 7, 2008)

I'd like to see someone rap them skin tight in ropes and drag their sorry asses across the arena. And hell, why not break a leg or two and then drag them again?


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

roro said:


> If they had it their way, animals wouldn't have to go through awful things like this.


The non-radicals, sure. Unfortunatly groups like PETA have given legitimate animal advocacy groups a poor image, IMO.


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## ridergirl23 (Sep 17, 2009)

i think thats just gross, i have nothing against rodeos, i always go to the stampede rodeo, last year when a cow got hurt they had seven or more people out there faster then you could even say the cow is injured. and they put him on a stretcher and carried him out of the arena, i think they had to put him down...... but they gave that cow more attention then any hurt cowboy ever got, haha they made the cowboys limp out of the arena alone. haha.


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## aynelson (Jun 13, 2009)

I could not even watch the whole thing. You know, but I gave up going to them a while ago. Sorry, to everyone who is into rodeos, but I had a hard time finding one where I saw animals treated well. I have been to rodeos in MT, WY, KS, and MO, both local and PRCA rated. The worst thing I ever saw was a horse put down right there in the arena because she "bucked so hard, she broke her back" or so we were told. Why does this stuff happen? Is it that hard to understand when an animal is suffering?


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Personally I would love to be a horse on a good rodeo string.. which 98% of them are, it's the bad 2% that give the rest a bad name... 
Work for 8 seconds a day and that's that, I get to go back to my food.


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## Juniper (May 4, 2007)

I agree with JustDressageIt. And those 8 seconds of work are kind of fun for some of those horses. Buck as hard as you want and dump the rider!


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

I'm not crazy about rodeos because there is too much danger of somebody or something getting hurt. (Don't much like football.....either....but at least the participants in football can make choices.) But in all my years I have never, ever seen more than one animal besides the pick-up riders in the arena at the same time. That is just simply asking for something bad to happen. Especially with bulls and horses in there together, loose. What a cluster.


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## Haylee (Feb 2, 2011)

Thos guys deserve to have both there legs broken, then forced to run away from something scary. Would serve them right. Ive been to rodeos, and would have flipped if id seen this one in person. That infuriates me.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

You guys do realize that this thread is almost 2 years old, right?


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

smrobs said:


> You guys do realize that this thread is almost 2 years old, right?


I was wondering why the heck this was up again!:lol:


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

Duhr...shame on me...2 year old thread... *head desk!!!*


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