{"id":166,"date":"2020-12-01T07:02:48","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T07:02:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevegandragon.com\/?page_id=166"},"modified":"2023-10-10T06:39:09","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T06:39:09","slug":"rodeos-racing-fighting-and-animal-entertainment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thevegandragon.com\/index.php\/educational-journals\/rodeos-racing-fighting-and-animal-entertainment\/","title":{"rendered":"Rodeos, Racing, Fighting, and Animal Entertainment"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ga Maleven<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While using animals for entertainment in zoos, circuses, and marine parks<\/a><\/span> is cruel and causes many deaths, those are not the only form of animal entertainment that is abusive. Racing animals, fighting them, riding, using them for cruel shows, and even forcing them to perform stunts for movies that end up harming or killing them.  There are so many “sports” that non-human animals are used for so I won’t be able to cover ALL of them in this journal. I will cover some of the larger ones, and ask me about a “sport” that you may have heard of and want more answers on. And I already covered dog shows here<\/a><\/span>.

Racing animals such as horses, greyhounds, ostriches, water buffalo, camels, zebras, and many others has been around for hundreds, even thousands of years. Sadly, these sports continue with cruelty their center point. Horses used in horse racing are bred in the thousands every year, some stallions siring up to a hundred or more foals. But not all of these horses make it to the races. Those too slow, not tall enough, who don’t train well, or simply have some physical disability are sent to slaughter. About ten thousand horses are killed every year for their flesh and many of those are these “waste” horses, as the industry refers to them. Even more who begin the process of training to be racehorses end up being killed for breaking legs or having some issue rise up. The training methods are cruel, using bits that tear into the horses’ mouths, whips, beatings, electrocution, and even starvation. The horses are forced to run and carry riders much too young. At 2 years old a horse is still developing so their bones are soft. This causes pain and broken bones. Leg bones snap in half in the midst of running, causing more injuries from the horse tumbling at such speeds.

Jockeys don’t fair well either, often being fallen on, kicked, and sometimes killed while on the racetrack. Horses die frequently on the track whether from injuries, or being shot for an injury they had received. In the USA alone, about 2,000 horses die on the tracks where they fall. Horses, even champions, who reach the end of their racing careers whether from age or injury are all sent to the slaughterhouse where they are brutally shot through the head and\/or have their necks cut to slowly bleed to death. They will become either food for dogs, or they are shipped to other countries to be eaten by humans (which harms human health<\/a><\/span>).

Drugs are used on the horses to ensure that they perform better and ignore injuries. And while horses are being brutally killed for racing, greyhounds don’t fair any better. Just like the horses, they are bred in the thousands every year, most not making it to racing and end up being killed and buried in large graves. Trainers beat, electrocute, and strangle dogs to train them to chase the lure. Those not willing to chase the lure or aren’t fast enough are killed. Sometimes, live rabbits are used to get the dogs to chase them. Injuries on the racetracks are frequent with dogs falling, tumbling, and breaking bones. Dogs who are not adopted out or taken in by rescues are euthanized.

Camel racing is again similar with the excessive breeding, killing animals who aren’t fast enough, and the cruel beatings. One thing that makes it a little different is the use of kidnapped children as jockeys. Since children are light, they are abducted, sold into slavery, beaten, and forced to race camels for this cruel industry.

Ostriches, water buffalo, zebra, and other animals used for racing face the similar abuse of cruel training, injuries on the racetrack, being killed for not being fast enough, and being slaughtered when their careers are over.

Horse Dressage has its own abuse of not only using cruel bits that harm, tear, and destroy a horse’s mouth, but also the use of soring, painfully tying necks, and cruel training. While saddles and bits cause harm to a horse, especially if used aggressively, soring is the practice of taking a Tennessee Walking Horse’s front hooves and nailing them to raised heels. Diesel fuel or other chemicals that burn are poured onto the ankles of the front legs, then wrapped with cloth to smother it. This causes immense pain to the horse who instinctively jerks their hooves up. Chains are then tired to the ankles so every time the horse moves their legs the chains strike the burning ankles. This creates a ridiculous looking gait that is somehow praised as being “elegant.”

Horses, just like any vertebrae animal, have spines that can only sustain so much weight. While most assume a horse can carry a full grown human with ease the opposite is true. Too much weight, and especially carrying a lot of weight for prolonged periods of time causes spinal issues and immense pain to not just the spine but legs as well. And given the structure of many four legged animal spines, there are “sharp” parts that point upward, causing weight to pinch the flesh, hurting them. So while children may be able to ride a horse for short periods of time, it is best to avoid riding one or any animal if you are an adult. And given the immense pain that bits bring, they must be avoided at all costs as well. Bits on a horse is the same as prong collars on a dog. It only brings pain and not actually training or joy to the animal. Hitting horses is also completely unnecessary. Horses are highly intelligent and just like dogs can be trained to follow vocal as well as hand commands.

Horse Carriages in cities are another exploitation of horses. Horses are forced to live in tiny, multistory barns, and when out pulling carriages are overworked. Carriage drivers whip horses, leave them tied in the sun, and even work them on extremely cold days. Horses pull a large carriage by themselves rather than in a team, and often pull too many people. Horses in cities don’t do well at all. Being prey animals, horses spook easily. This causes frightened horses to run through congested traffic, sometimes pulling the carriages, and get struck by cars or suffer injuries from running into something in their blind dash. The blinds on their eyes don’t help them, making them get scared easier from not being able to see, and also not being able to tell where they are going. Humans as well as horses are injured in these events. And retired carriage horses are often sent to slaughter.

Polo is another extreme sport that has caused serious injuries to human and horse, as well as seen horses die from it. Buzkashi is a “sport” in Afghanistan in which mounted men race around pulling a body of a dead goat. This sport can go on for up to days causing severe injuries and even death to horses and humans. Not to mention the death of a goat for the game. Again, bits, spurs, and whips are used in these sports.

Rodeos are not fun and games either. Animals are beaten, electrocuted, and given rope burn to ensure they are agitated enough to buck and try to get the “cowboy” off them. A rope is even tied around the testicles of bulls and stallions to ensure they buck high enough. Calves, only a few months old, are roped and yanked at full speed, slamming them to the ground. Animals break their legs, suffer concussion, paralysis, and even die on spot from severe head injuries. Many of these animals are sent to slaughter at the end of their careers. Spurs, bits, and whips are again used on the animals. Injuries to humans is common as well, from broken bones, skull fractures, to even death.

Fighting animals has been around for thousands of years. While some animals are fighting for mates, some are bred<\/a><\/span> for fighting, but that doesn’t mean they are necessarily always going to be willing or wanting to fight. Dog fighting is common throughout the globe. While some “breeds” may have been purposely bred to be better at fighting, these dogs are still dogs and rather not participate in the act. This means that thousands of the dogs bred for fighting end up being killed for not doing so. How they are killed varies from either being stomped on, slammed to the ground, hung, electrocuted, starved, poisoned, or used as bait dogs. Baiting dogs, bears, cats, and other animals is the act of often removing the teeth and claws from the bait animal and tying them to a stake. The dogs being trained to fight are then made to tear these bait animals apart. Bait animals are often bought from places such as craiglists<\/a><\/span> or stolen from people’s backyards. Dogs left tied outside of shops are also taken, so never, EVER leave your pet unattended. Baiting bears, boars, and other animals is common as well.

Fighting dogs still are friendly towards humans despite being trained to fight. This is because they are pulled away from the other dog and mustn’t bite the humans doing so. Dogs often fight to the death or until one gives up. The loser is often killed. Just like dog breeders, dogs are tied to rape racks and forced to breed to keep the numbers coming.

Horse fights are often done in the Philippines, but do occur in other parts of the world. In horse fighting a mare in heat is tied in the center of the ring. Stallions are allowed to approach her and even mount her briefly. When the stallions are hard and desperate to fuck, the stallions are introduced to each other. They are released and the fight ensures. In the wild a pecking order would have already been established in the herd so fights wouldn’t last too long between a dominant horse and his competition. And in the wild a horse that loses can easily escape. In the small corral they are forced to keep fighting until one is killed or too injured to continue. Stallions are often killed when their fighting career has ended.

Cockfighting is similar to horse fighting, with the cocks fighting over a nearby chicken. Roosters in the wild can escape when losing, but in the small ring they have to keep going until one dies or is too injured to continue. Roosters are killed when their fighting career is over.

Bullfighting is one of the cruelest blood sports out there. Bulls are raised for the sole purpose of being killed. During the running of the bulls they bulls are terrified as they run blindly through loud, screaming crowds, trying to get away. They are kicked, have things thrown at them, and in desperation attack. Once in the ring they have their testicles pinched, twisted, and electrocuted. Pepperspray is used in their eyes, or juice from peppers. Their ears have Vaseline covered clothes forced inside, they are kept in a dark room, and are beaten. When released into the ring they are shocked by the loud noise and bright light. They are chased by men on horses, horses who have blindfolds to ensure they don’t see. These mounted men stab the bull with short spears, and chase them around, injuring and tiring them. Bulls often run into the horses out of desperation, causing harm to the horses, riders, and bulls.

Once the bulls are tired enough, the matadors go out. They chase the already tired and injured bull, stabbing them with spears. When the bull finally succumbs to his injuries, a final sword is stabbed into the back of the neck, killing them. These bulls actually aren’t aggressive, just like any other bull. Which is why much of the time they are trying to escape than fight back.

Now, while riding horses causes injuries to their backs and the training methods and gear used on horses is often abusive as well, riding elephants is another exploitation. Elephants are often stolen from their mothers, beaten cruelly for weeks to break them, and then forced to carry tourists. The use of beatings and bullhooks is the same as circuses and even some zoos use. These elephants are chained for hours on end, are overworked, and don’t eat enough. The spine of elephants is even more severe with the points along it than other four-legged animals. This causes even more pain to be brought to them if ridden. While riding the back of an elephant’s neck is the easiest on them, most ride on the backs, using large seats that add even more weight.

Sled dog racing brings about its own abuse. Dogs are often chained out in the cold, beaten, and freeze to death. Racing the Iditarod is a 1,000 miles that causes injuries to dogs, exhaustion, and even death. Dogs left at checkpoints are often chained outside in below freezing temperatures, and despite popular belief, a dog’s fur cannot protect them from the cold. Several hundred dogs have died during the Iditarod alone, most dying from the cruel negligence they are forced to live through, chained to barrels in all weather, without clean water, little food, and no love.

Animals used in movies are sometimes killed or forced to perform stunts that terrify or injure them. With modern CGI the use of animals in films, especially when dangerous stunts are done, is no longer necessary. But, sadly many animals are being used to do such dangerous acts. While having an animal do a simple, safe act is fine, some animals have been forced to swim in dangerous waters, thrown, tripped when running, or even left unattended for and are injured. While many films and TV productions have gotten better over the years, there have still been cases of death and injury in these industries. And when wild animals are concerned, it is especially important to use CGI to keep everyone safe. The TV show “Jockeys” was cancelled after three horses died on set. During the filming of “The Hobbit,” 27 animals died when they escaped an enclosure that wasn’t being watched and fell to their deaths when they stumbled from a cliff. During a recent filming of “A Dog’s Purpose,” a German Shepherd was forcibly thrown into rough water and was seen almost drowning<\/a><\/span> and obviously terrified.

Animals simply are not ours to exploit or forced to perform cruel “sports.” There are plenty of other cruelty-free and safe(r) sports that have willing participants. These sports are football, soccer, basketball, NASCAR, baseball, cricket, golf, running, gymnastics, swimming, and many, many more. So, do not go to these animal “sports,” do not bet on these races, and avoid them at all costs.
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