Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Portland, Oregon – World renowned animal welfare expert and critically acclaimed author Temple Grandin, Ph.D., has issued a stinging statement against horse tripping, an event that is held at the Jordan Valley Rodeo. Currently under consideration, Oregon Senate Bill 835 would ban tripping horses and roping horses' legs in the course of a rodeo event. Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, is sponsoring the bill with Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas.
Well-known for her work to improve animal welfare, Dr. Grandin sent an email to SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) stating, “The horse tripping event you describe in your email dated May 20, 2013 is not acceptable. Roping the front legs and causing the horse to fall is abusive. Compared to cattle, horses are more excitable and may be more likely to be injured.”
Dr. Grandin's books include Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human. Dr. Grandin, named one of the 100 most influential people of 2010 by Time magazine, presently works as a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University.
Other horse and animal experts have also added strong statements in defense of the bill and against horse tripping which can cause severe injuries such as broken necks, injured spines and broken legs to the animals.
Hillary Clark, Program Director, Hooved Animal Humane Society stated,” Horse tripping is NEVER a humane procedure and should not be tolerated in any way by the horse industry. The majority of horse professionals would never allow such a thing to happen to horses in their care. The Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act declares persons convicted in horse tripping to be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for the first violation, and a class 4 felony after that. Something that is humane and accepted would not be against the law. Tripping injures many horses, many times fatally. Is this something that the horse industry stands behind? No way, and it never will.”
Sandy Johnson, Founder, Arizona Range Riders said, “Horse tripping has no U.S. historical significance and certainly has no place in civilized, family-oriented "rodeo" type events.”
F. M. Allen. Founder. Equine Right To Life - “ We endorse and support the ban on horse tripping since it is our view that any attempt to suffocate, cripple or maim a horse does not qualify as sportsmanship, horsemanship or sport.”
The Standardbred Horse Fan Club, BC, Canada – “As knowledgeable horse people here in Canada, we are outraged and dismayed to see the horrific Horse Tripping ‘sport’. Horses are by nature domesticated to be trusting of humans and turning them lose in a pen and choking them with ropes and tripping their delicate long legs with ropes can only bring suffering, pain, injury and death to many of those horses. Since veterinary care for resulting injuries from horse tripping would amount to thousands of dollars (if they are treatable) which most people could not afford to pay for a horse that was used for ‘sport’ with life-enduring injury(s).”
“Please ban the practice of horse tripping in rodeos. It is inhumane and dangerous and a determinant to horse sports everywhere.” Kaylene Johnson. Back Country Horsemen of Alaska
Shannon Morgan. Equestrian and former rancher of 45 years - “Growing up on a large ranch we used horses to herd the animals and NEVER, EVER would have done such a thing. When proponents say, "our animals are treated better than we are", that is a bald faced lie. To trip a horse is to likely lose a horse, and true "cowboys" wouldn't do this unless the animal was in a position to hurt himself more than the tripping. Bottom line is it is NOT a wild west "tradition". It is violent and potentially deadly for the horse. Roping them by the neck then tripping them by lassoing their legs more often than not ends up in some injury, and many, many fatalities occur with this spectacle. Broken necks and legs are fatal, of course. And if the horse is merely lame from tripping, they are no longer of use to the rodeo and are sent to slaughter.”
“I personally own a horse who was BRUTALIZED by horse tripping in Nevada in 2005. If my horse were human, he’d be in a mental institution. Horses like him who were lucky enough to survive horse tripping events have such dangerous fear issues of humans that any human who adopts them is in grave danger of being killed because horses are prey animals and they’ll do whatever they need to survive. My horse took FOUR YEARS to trust me because I belong to the ‘human race.’ He also has a broken C3 vertebrae in his neck and the side of his face is scarred from sliding face first in a dead run. Rodeo participants and competitors are NOT the majority of horse people. Far from.” – Catherine Revell, Equestrian.
“This needs to be stopped immediately. It is cruel and barbaric. The pain these horses endure is beyond wrong.” Joan Burton. Consultant. Horse enthusiast.
For video links of horse tripping please visit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmp8pkbU03I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsDPzurUZjY
Contact: Steve Hindi: (630) 640 1889
