Animal Welfare in Rodeo: Rodeo Cares About the Animals Before Anything Else

Veterinarians are arguably some of the strongest advocates for animal welfare. They have no issues educating the public on what is considered unethical or detrimental to the animal's health. These same opinions apply to the rodeo world. Rodeo veterinarians main goal is to prevent injury and make sure that the animals are being treated well and that they are not being hurt or mistreated. Hear it Straight from the Veterinarians Themselves Several rodeo veterinarians have spoken out on the issue of animal welfare in rodeo and have given their take. While there are some that are against the use of animals in rodeo, several vets speak in favor of the sport. In an article written by Lisa Granshaw titled, "How Rodeo Veterinarians Help Keep Animals Healthy," Dr. Douglas Corey speaks out as a veterinarian that is a part of the Pro Rodeo Cowboy's Association's Animal Welfare committee. In the article, he states that "Injury rates at PRCA rodeos are 0.0005, so it's

 False information about rodeo is everywhere, and it displays rodeo in a negative light. Often times, people's negative portrayal of rodeo and its practices come from a lack of personal experience or knowledge on the sports that make up rodeo. While it is understandable how an outside perspective could skew rodeo's image, we feel as though the people and the practices within the rodeo community speak for themselves.     What evidence may lead others to see the benign and caring nature that rodeo participants have towards the animals?     While it may seem unlikely to some, people who are involved in rodeo, especially those who have grown up in the rodeo world, view the animals the same way that people view their pets or children. The animals are the backbone of the sport and in order for riders, sponsors, rodeo organizations or fans to get the most out of the sport, the animals need to be in the best possible condition. For example, an article published in Tri-State Livestock