Amazing animal!!

Cat · #1 01/15/10, 08:54 PM

Saw this on another forum, this horse is simply amazing. WARNING - this is a graphic video of a bull fight. I have an immense dislike of the sport (much prefer the running of the bulls!) but the agility of this horse & rider is simply breathtaking.

SFM in KY · #2 01/16/10, 07:31 AM

Oh, yes! Brought back some memories.

I spent almost 5 years in Spain, many years ago, and the rejoneador horses were absolutely amazing. One of the bullfights I saw in Madrid was with one of the Peralta brothers (one of the premiere bullfighting families) who was not only doing the kinds of things you see on this video ... but TOOK THE BRIDLE OFF the horse and did the series of passes you see working on just weight and legs.

I learned to ride both "Spanish style" and classical dressage on these Andalusian horses while I was there. I've written about it on my blog and have some pictures up.

SFM
http://kaleidoscope-animalfriends.bl...-of-spain.html

tinknal · #3 01/16/10, 07:53 AM

Great clip. I've ridden some really good cow horses and appreciate the pure instinct these kind of horses have.

cathleenc · #4 01/16/10, 08:28 AM

the horse and rider were absolutely amazing! I know I was warned, yet still, I went to bad feeling pretty sad for the bull....

SFM in KY · #5 01/16/10, 08:43 AM

I never got so I "liked" the regular bullfights, where the toreador fights on foot, has lots of help, including the mounted "picador" with a padded horse and all of the other ways they "handicap" the bull.

I have to confess, however, I could not resist the rejoneador fights if I had the chance to go. The horses were so absolutely incredible ... and once I knew a little about the training especially, I was able to just "see" that part of things.

When I look back, that's what I remember ...

6e · #6 01/16/10, 08:44 AM

That is amazing. Almost puts a cutting horse to shame on ability.

6e · #7 01/16/10, 08:49 AM

You know, we had to watch that a second time and watching the feet of that horse is amazing. I have to say the training of that horse is impressive. I honestly didn't know a horse could side pass that fast. LOL

I think I've seen that man on TV before. I think they had a show on him, but I can't remember the name of the program.

That was awesome.

Cat · #8 01/16/10, 12:57 PM

The only appreciation I have for the whole 'sport' is the tradition & culture behind it, like SFM said the families that have done these things forever because that is there heritage. My brother went to a bullfight in Spain and brought back his home video showing where the bull leapt over the wall and into the stands. THAT is the type of bull fighting I enjoy. heh!

I'm not a 'horse person' per se, but I've ridden a fair amount in my life and I will tell you that horse would side step once and I'd be on my butt on the ground being bull food! LOL I'm still in awe and to my way of thinking the ability of those animals is once again proof of God's existence.

Minelson · #9 01/16/10, 04:14 PM

That video gives me chills! wow.

Peace n Quiet · #10 01/16/10, 06:47 PM

That was incredible!

However, I made the mistake of clicking on another video from the related videos... controversy on rodeo aside, it was very very scary. Here's the link for anyone who wants to see.

springvalley · #11 01/16/10, 07:00 PM

I`m not a big fan of bull fighting either, but that was way cool. Horse and rider as one. Only one wrong move and that horse would be toast.

BetsyK in Mich · #12 01/16/10, 07:09 PM

Amazing, just amazing, incredible movement from the horse and how does that rider stay on, he must have velcro on his behind!

SFM in KY · #13 01/16/10, 07:18 PM

Peace: It is scary ... and unfortunately it documents one of the bad accidents that do happen in rodeos, fortunately infrequently. I've lived the majority of my life "out west" and gone to a lot of rodeos. Twenty ... thirty ... fifty? I've barrel raced myself, briefly in my teens, my ex-husband and I raised QHs and he did some local rodeos (roping mostly) and performance events in shows.

I've seen one steer killed in a roping. Fell just wrong and broke his neck. That's in for animal injuries.

I've seen one girl killed when her horse reared and went over backwards while waiting to go in for the grand entry. I've seen a number of bull and bronc riders injured, a few seriously ... and my uncle was killed bronc riding.

What I found very interesting were the virulent, uneducated and completely ignorant rants by the animal rights believers in the comments. The few rational and generally "educated" responses by rodeo people brought nothing except more responses by people who apparantly aren't educated enough to post a readable response and believe that bad language makes up for the ignorance.

6e · #14 01/16/10, 08:50 PM

Actually, I do have to say that video that Peace posted was rather aggravating more than anything else. Accidents happen every day in many many sports. We either stop living all together lest someone get injured or killed. Granted, the horse was an innocent, but the men go in knowing good and well what the risks are and they take them. I've seen people get hurt at much more benign sports.

Oh, and something I just have to say..........the clown was not "throwing his hat at the horse". sigh The horse just happened to raise his head. But I will say this, why that man roped that bull is beyond me and honestly, that's the first time I've ever seen them rope a bull. Usually they just herd them out. That was odd.

SFM in KY · #15 01/17/10, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6e

Oh, and something I just have to say..........the clown was not "throwing his hat at the horse". sigh The horse just happened to raise his head.

I noticed that comment as well. Anyone who has actually been around rodeos and knew anything about what goes on and understands livestock at all would realize the clown was trying to hit the bull in the face to distract him. That's what clowns do ... get the bull's attention and distract them so the bull rider (and anyone/anything else) does not get hurt.

Again, another comment that only illustrates the level of ignorance being shown.

6e · #16 01/17/10, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFM in KY

I noticed that comment as well. Anyone who has actually been around rodeos and knew anything about what goes on and understands livestock at all would realize the clown was trying to hit the bull in the face to distract him. That's what clowns do ... get the bull's attention and distract them so the bull rider (and anyone/anything else) does not get hurt.

Again, another comment that only illustrates the level of ignorance being shown.

Yeah and that little comment just drove me insane. That and how the cowboy was so cowardly as to leave the horse. At some point human life becomes more important than animal and he was probably pretty scared as he got to fly through the air too. I probably would have been on the fence too. The clowns were doing their job. :-) Brave souls. I've seen them take some hard hits off of those bulls.

SFM in KY · #17 01/17/10, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6e

That and how the cowboy was so cowardly as to leave the horse.

I've always wanted to take several of these people, the ones making this kind of comment, and put them in an arena with 7' fences ... no gates ...and one bull.

Can I bet on how many "oh, the poor mistreated bull" comments would be posted after that?

Cat · #18 01/17/10, 07:54 AM

Yeah, I just looooved how he kept referring to the horse as a 'steed' too. How fairytale can we get? Not only that, the cowboy had just undergone a fairly significant traumatic event. How many people are in their right minds at that point? He's lucky he had the where-with-all to even get out of the bulls way!

SFM in KY · #19 01/17/10, 08:12 AM

Another comment that gets to me that you ALWAYS see on these anti-rodeo links ... "you'd buck too if you had a strap around your genitals" ...

Mmmmm ... sorry, people. How many of you have ever been close enough to one of these animals and LOOKED to see where the flank strap is placed and where the genitals actually are before you make these statements?

And what about the mares that are in the bucking strings? Another little problem in reality here maybe?

6e · #20 01/17/10, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFM in KY

Another comment that gets to me that you ALWAYS see on these anti-rodeo links ... "you'd buck too if you had a strap around your genitals" ...

Mmmmm ... sorry, people. How many of you have ever been close enough to one of these animals and LOOKED to see where the flank strap is placed and where the genitals actually are before you make these statements?

And what about the mares that are in the bucking strings? Another little problem in reality here maybe?

I am curious, why does that strap make them buck? I know some horses, if that belly strap on the saddle slides too far back from the cinch they'll buck and I always wondered why?