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I understand that horse tripping raises many emotions, but even Eric Mills and I have been able to discuss this matter in a reasonable and measured manner. If you think you can do that, then contact me. Any obscene or irrational messages will be discarded. Please read the following before you contact me and be able to present evidence to prove my position wrong. If you can prove me wrong, I’ll withdraw the web page and apologize. I will assume that if I am right, you will do the same.
My position:
Horsed tripping or mangana is no more dangerous to a horse then other equestrian events.
1. Both Texas and California allow a horse to be captured by taking it down by its front legs for veterinary care. Therefore it is a reasonable means of capture.
2. Eric Mills, a major actor in the movement to outlaw horse tripping has conceded that capturing a horse by its front legs is permissible in emergency situations.
3. The argument that horse tripping is intentional and therefore different from other equestrian events, is irrelevant to any animals hurt in those events, since the riders know or should know that they are involved in events that are dangerous to the horse.
4. The current cruelty statutes seem to outlaw all other equestrian events, because an animal can be seriously injured or killed when a rider knows or should know of the danger.
5. In the hundreds of manganas, I have seen, only one horse has been seriously injured.
6. Horses are not repeatedly used in mangana, since they are rented and they need to be returned to the renter in good condition. Injured or dead horses have to be paid for, because the auction houses for which they are usually destined will not accept them otherwise.
7. Like it or not, most of us use products that have some sort of horse bi-product in them.
8. The French consider horse a delicacy.
9. Most of the world does not have the Anglo-Saxon obsession with horses. Many people consider them just another form of protein, which is cheaper then bovine.
10. Horses used in mangana are not forced to be part of the event anymore, then in any other equestrian events.
11. High School football is dangerous to students and kills more students in a year then then horses are killed in mangana.
If you have proof that mangana leads to the wholesale carnage of horses, show it to me. If all you have is individual instances, don’t waste my time. I can show you individual instances of horses being seriously injured and even killed in other events. The same is true of people in sporting events. The fact is, using horses in any equestrian events, be it rodeo, jumping, racing, polo, steeple chase, cross country or even charreada is dangerous to the horses and participants. That is the nature of sport.
So if you can discuss this in a rational manner, contact me, at rmj8757@hotmail.com.
PS: No I would not want to be chased around an arena and roped by my legs, anymore then I would want to be pushed down a chute, knocked in the head, have a chain thrown around my legs, hoisted up and then have my throat cut so I could be processed into hamburger. Those of you who go to McDonalds, might want to think about that before you get your next Big Mac.