
Does this picture look odd? Â Upset you? Â Horrify you even?
It’s real, as I found out today.
Our local county fair is coming up soon. Â I inquired to see whether they were having their pony rides for the children. Â There are a few ponies that ride in a small circle, slowly, while young children ride them.
I was told this event will not be put on but instead the fair will offer “Mutton Bustin” ~ which instead of riding a bucking bronco, young children, up to 55 lbs. are placed on the backs of sheep and hold on until they are kicked off.
W T F??!!
I had never heard of this practice. Â Isn’t this child abuse? Â AND animal abuse? Â (I deplore most rodeo events for the animal abuse. Â But now we have child abuse thrown in the mix??)
I found this article that shares some more details. Â I have contacted our fair requesting they cease this activity for the reasons stated in this piece.
For awhile our fair did have what they called an exotic animal exhibit. Â Beautiful animals such as lions and bears and panthers, locked in small cages, approximately 2/3 of a football field away of the main stage which blasted thumping music 12 hours a day (when musicians weren’t performing equally as loud). Â They paced in their cages or hid, obviously stressed out. Â We were horrified and complained. Â Enough of us did so that the fair no longer has this exhibit. Â But the people who run this charade still take their animals to fairs, expose them to traumatizing, unnatural settings while the programmed populace ooh’s and aah’s and takes pictures. Â Some, we saw, even walked up to the cages to attempt to pet them in spite of the yellow tape.
Just one more reminder how this family does not do this reality. Â Where are the higher conscious activities? Â Educational models?
Here is the article so you can read and ensure your local county or city fair does not engage in this horrid practice.