In the past, there has been no shortage of negative headlines about horse deaths during Calgary Stampede Chuckwagon racing. Whether it's horses being put down due to catastrophic injuries or suffering from heart attacks, every July the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” loses horses in this special competition.
As the Calgary Stampede continues this week and runs through July 14, recent research from the University of Calgary (U of C) Faculty of Veterinary Medicine seeks to prevent equine deaths through research and meaningful change.
“We are working with the Calgary Stampede to improve the safety of chuckwagon horses,” said Renaud Léguillette, a specialist at the U of C, at a Stampede media event.
He told reporters that his team had developed a test that measures how a horse's heart muscle is coping with the exertions of racing. “Then we can flag a horse that has a little more cardiac strain than necessary,” he explained.
Some of the testing and research is being conducted at the university's WA Ranches, a 19,000-acre research ranch about 30 kilometers northwest of Calgary. After two successful pilot years, the program is now in its third year.
According to Léguillette, these heart tests were performed on all chuckwagon horses before this year's Stampede. “The extensive majority of these horses are really good in terms of fitness, preparation and cardiac load,” he said at the press conference“We're really looking for the needle in the haystack, the very, very few horses that might be in trouble. That's about a handful of the 500 samples we look at. My interest is really in helping the horses do well in the races.”
It may be surprising to Horse Canada readers that animals that historically competed in rodeos, including the Stampede, were not given access to water before or after their appearance in the arena. Instead, they were returned to the ranch or farm they came from to be watered. This was a practice that animal welfare professor and Director of WA Ranches Ed Pajor wanted to investigate and change.
“We asked the Stampede if we could test the water supply for the animals. Would they actually exploit the water?” Pajor told CBC. “It turns out they all drink something after the event, and now the Stampede and all the enclosures where the animals are housed after the events have water available.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, the Calgary Humane Society is calling for more drastic changes in the treatment of all rodeo animals.
“The Calgary Humane Society is fundamentally opposed to risky rodeo events such as chuckwagon racing, calf catching and bull wrestling as they historically cause the most animal injuries and deaths,” said Anna-Lee Fitzsimmons, director of public relations, in an email statement to CBC. “While other organizations seek to intervene through protests or other lobbying efforts to change rodeos and the Calgary Stampede, the CHS has determined that it can best protect the interests of the animals involved by working with organizations that organize such events.”
For his part, Léguillette welcomes all parties speaking out to protect the animals. “These horses are prepared almost like Olympic athletes. They have diet programs, fitness programs, training programs and are monitored very closely,” he told the pubcaster. “They monitor their tendons, legs, ligaments, joints, heart and breathing. So they really are like athletes in a solemn training program.”
He also pointed out that the University of Hong Kong's research was unique and had been adopted by other equestrian sports, including the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which is currently developing its own cardiac programme.
“We hope to develop the tools this year and then exploit them next year to evaluate recent animal welfare assessments,” Pajor added. “We will look at a range of behavioural indicators showing the animals, the environment they are kept in, how they are exercised, as well as injuries and the health status of the animals.”
(Editor's note) Despite the recent measures, two chuckwagon racehorses had to be euthanized due to injuries sustained during the opening weekend.
