Monday, June 21, 2010

Alleged Horse Shocking at CNFR

Group targets CNFR
By TOM MORTON - Star-Tribune staff writer Posted: Saturday, June 19, 2010 1:30 am

An animal rights group posted a video on YouTube on Thursday showing three scenes of a man covertly shocking what appears to be two different horses to force them to buck during Thursday's performance of the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper.

"They claim [horses] are born to buck," said Steve Hindi, president of Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, or SHARK.

"They are not," Hindi said.

The video appears to show a young man wearing blue jeans, a long-sleeve tan shirt and black hat with his hands on the horses' necks and pulling them quickly away.

In all scenes, he immediately tucks a device under his unbuttoned sleeve.

In the first and second scenes, the slow-motion versions show the man holding in his left hand what Hindi says is a Miller Manufacturing Hot-Shot Power-mite electric prod. Read More


If you watch the video it’s pretty clear that the guy is holding a handheld electric prod. What is not clear is whether or not he is actually using it. SHARK is claiming that the prod is being used on the horses, but there is no evidence of that. Those things don’t work on contact, the button has to be pushed and we can’t tell from the video if that is happening. So unless this animal rights group can provide evidence that it is actually being used rather than just having it available then they shouldn’t be accusing anyone of anything.

1 comment:

Caleb said...

Personally, I don't believe electric prods to be inhumane when they are used sparingly. I believe they should only be used when absolutely necessary in a working environment when no other low stress means are working to keep your livestock moving.

I don't know the rules and regulations of the CNFR, but I do believe that electric prods are not permitted. If this is the case, then these young cowboys should show better character by not trying to hide the use of them. He may not have pressed the button to provide the shock, but he should not even have one in the chutes.

Animal rights activists are constantly on the lookout for scenes just like this one to make their case stronger. In my opinion, the best defense that animal agriculture (and rodeo) has is good character and honesty.