RSPCA WA is urging those planning on attending this year's Mullewa Muster to think about what animals may experience during roping and bucking events, with research showing they can cause fear, distress and risk of physical injury.
RSPCA Australia Senior Scientific Officer Dr Di Evans said the welfare concerns were grounded in a growing body of scientific evidence.
"What people may see as part of the entertainment, animals experience very differently. The science is clear that some rodeo events expose animals to significant fear, distress, and risk of injury. These animals, sometimes very young, are placed in situations they cannot understand or escape, thereby seriously compromising their welfare," Dr Evans said.
RSPCA WA's concerns about some rodeo events involving animals are reflected in broader community sentiment, with independent polling finding 61 per cent of Australians are worried about the animal welfare impacts of calf roping, including 62 per cent of West Australians living outside Perth. More than three in five Australians support a ban on calf roping. * If events involving calf roping are part of the program, RSPCA WA remains deeply concerned about the significant welfare impacts identified in scientific research.
The RSPCA is also concerned about bucking events, particularly those involving horses. Preliminary findings from current Charles Sturt University research mirror findings in recent calf roping studies, with bucking horses displaying behaviours consistent with fear and stress after the flank strap is tightened as the chute opens.
Some horses display extreme reactions after the flank strap is tightened and being spurred aggressively by the rider, including stumbling, falling heavily, colliding with arena barriers, or striking the ground headfirst. These forceful and repeated impacts may place horses at risk of bone, ligament and muscle injury, in addition to significant psychological distress.
Dr Evans said consideration of contemporary science of animal behaviour and pain raised serious welfare concerns about bucking events.
"The evidence increasingly points to these responses not being voluntary athletic displays, but behaviours associated with fear, stress and attempts to escape significant harm," Dr Evans said.
"When animals are deliberately placed in situations that provoke these responses for entertainment, that presents a serious welfare concern."
While RSPCA WA acknowledges regional events like the Mullewa Muster can play an important social and economic role in country communities, specific events often seen at rodeos, such as calf roping and bucking events, should not escape scrutiny.
"Many people attending these events may be unaware of what the science tells us about what animals experience," Dr Evans said.
"We are simply asking people to make informed choices about the events they support and ask relevant questions about what events are included on the program."
