http://www.bullfightingfree.org/
----- Original
Message -----
From:
Maria
Lopes
Sent:
Monday, June 26,
2006 7:19 PM
Subject:
Expose about
bullfights published in a Horse Magazize of New Zealand
Dear Friends,
15 days ago we came across an article about Lusitano's horses
that also talked about Portuguese bullfights. The paragraph was a
piece of misinformation so we complained to the editor. He
replied to us apologizing and informing us that he had
taken that part of the article. We thanked him and offered to
write an article exposing bullfights which he accepted. Below
is the article that was published today.
For the Animals
Maria Lopes
Horses - the forgotten victims of bullfighting
This
photo is from 2001 in the bullring of
Madrid.
What is a bullfight, and who suffers in this bloody so-called
sport?
by Maria
Lopes
Co-ordinator of the International Movement Against Bullfights
Article ©
www.iwab.org 2006
This article may not be reproduced in any form without prior
permission.
A
horse is blind-folded before being used in a bullfight.
In Anglo-Saxon countries it is regarded as a sport, perhaps due to
lack of knowledge.
It is, after
all, banned throughout the UK and the Commonwealth nations, as well
as most of Europe. In countries where bullfighting is allowed it is
increasingly becoming recognised as sheer barbarity. This savagery
involves two beautiful animals, bulls and horses. While the bulls
are guaranteed to die, the future of the horses is often no
brighter.
Bullfights take place in three European countries, France, Portugal
and Spain and in some parts of Latin America. In some states of
North America a form of bullfight is permitted but the animal is
covered with velcro and the spears used are imitation.
It's commonly believed that in Portuguese bullfights bulls or
horses don't suffer unlike the Spanish versions. This is
unfortunately a myth since the suffering is the same in both
bullfight styles.
The only difference is that in Spanish bullrings the bull is killed
in the ring instead of in the slaughterhouse when the
"entertainment" is over.
Every year more than 50,000 bulls are killed in bullfights in
Europe alone. Countless horses die or suffer severe injuries.
Bullfighters claim that bulls bred for bullfights are aggressive
and fearsome animals. This is also untrue. They fight because they
are fighting for their lives.
This
photo was taken during a bullfight in Spain. The horse was
killed.
But bulls are
not the only creatures to suffer in bullrings. The tormented bull
does not understand that it is the man on the horse's back that is
causing his pain, only that he is in agony. He therefore sees the
horse as his enemy as much as the man.
It's not unusual for horses used in bullfights to be so badly gored
by the bulls that they have to be killed, but only after they have
been dragged from the ring and the view of the spectators.
Spanish bullfights also employ "picadors", men on horseback armed
with spears.
These horses are often gored even though they are protected by what
is termed a "peto", or a protective cape. These petos often do
little more than hide the horses wounds.
Scene
from a Portuguese bullfight.
The horses are
blind-folded to prevent them from becoming terror stricken at the
charge of the bull. It is commonly believed that their ears are
stuffed with cottonwool to prevent them from panicking and their
vocal cords cut to stop them screaming with fear at the bull's
attack.
As little as 12 days ago in Madrid another horse was gored by a
bull and had to be killed.
This is the fate of these beautiful animals. To be used to
entertain a crowd that lusts for blood and claims that bullfighting
is a tradition and "cultural heritage".
What about the brave matadors, picadors and their ilk? Bullfighters
are rarely injured and seldom killed in the ring. With their
armoury of weapons to weaken the bull until it can no longer fight,
their lives are not at great risk. In fact, in the last 50 years
only 10 bullfighters have been killed worldwide.
Should you ever find yourself in a country where bullfighting is
practiced, please do not be tempted to attend one of these sadistic
displays. The continuation of bullfighting depends on government
subsidies and the tourist industry. Don't be an accomplice to this
savagery by supporting it with your dollars.
Further
information:
Take a look at the
International Movement
Against Bullfights website.
We suggest you read the "ongoing
campaigns"
section.
26.6.06
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/features/bullfighting.shtml