Bull riding

[kookicat]

I stumbled across a video of PRB Bull Riding on Youtube and I’m kinda hooked on them.

I have a few questions though-

I see they have horses in the ring but don’t use them very much. Why is that? Wouldn’t it be safer to use a horse to run off the bull rather than having bullfighters trying to protect the bull riders?

How do they get the straps on the bulls?

Damn it, I had more questions but I can’t remember them!

[Bluey]

My guess is that the horses are mostly used to rope a bull that doesn’t want to exit the arena, not really to try to talk them into leaving on their own.
Taking directions is something bulls are not very good at doing quietly.

The clowns train to distract the bulls attention from the rider and trick them into looking at the gate and so going out.

Best I know, with rough stock, the one putting the bucking strap on, so as to make the bucking and kicking out even across bucking stock, uses a long wire to reach under and pick the other end of the strap, then tighten it as loose or tight as the specifications for that one animal read.

I just know all that from hearsay, overhearing rodeo people talk about it.

[beau159]

[QUOTE=kookicat;8521832]

I see they have horses in the ring but don’t use them very much. Why is that? [/QUOTE]

The stock contractors are on horseback. Usually, the bulls know where their exit gate is after their ride. But sometimes, they don’t want to go through the exit gate. That’s where the horses come in. Sometimes you can simply chase them; other times you’ll have to rope them and “convince” them to go out the exit gate.

[QUOTE=kookicat;8521832]
Wouldn’t it be safer to use a horse to run off the bull rather than having bullfighters trying to protect the bull riders?[/QUOTE]

No.

The bull fighters are on foot and right inside the action. When a cowboy goes down and the bull goes after them, that bullfighter needs to be there in a fraction of a second to distract the bull (get their hands in the bull’s face) and get the bull following them so that the cowboy can get to safety. A horse would not be able to do that.

@kookicat;8521832

How do they get the straps on the bulls?

They are put on while the bull is in the chute, usually using a rope of some sort to get it around and under the bull’s body, as it is not safe for a human to be trying to reach around under there while the bull is in the chute. Whether it’s the flank strap or the bull rope.

[kookicat]

Thank you!