Re: flank straps: They are cotton ropes that cause a minor discomfort - like a tickling sensation - encouraging the bull to extend his back legs and kick.
You look silly for writing that. Tickling? Get rid of tickling. It's not ~painful~, you are right. You should have stopped there, and with the clarification that it isn't tied around sex organs. But the flank strap is put there because it makes the bull madder than he'd be without it. You have to own that. Explain why making the bull madder so he'll buck harder is not in and of itself causing pain.
Similarly, spurs do not break the ribs of bulls, cause internal injuries, or even cuts. Bulls have extremely thick hide and rodeo cowboys use extremely dull spurs for the purpose of anchoring their feet.
Another goofy statement that will only fool those who have never watched the sport. Dull? No they are not. Anchoring the feet? BS. Admit to me this. Your score goes down if you are not moving your feet and actively spurring. And if you ask me, anchoring your feet with sharp objects into the side of the bull sounds worse. Your good argument was the first sentence, and the concept that bulls have a thick hide, and the duller senses and higher pain tolerance of a prey animal, and the spurs are there because without them, the man's heels alone may not make the bull continue to buck. They do cause pain, pain is what the bull is trying to avoid by bucking you off. But they don't cause injury. That's the fact you have to live with and promote.
Just my two cents. You are in effect buying into the animal rights wacko's thesis if you must reduce your argument for the sport into their terms of acceptability. You can't, they won't find it acceptable, but the populace will, if you don't lie to them. People like bull riding, if they can be shown that the bulls are valuable and valued, which they are, and that few are actually injured in the sport.
>Explain why making the bull madder so he'll buck harder is >not in and of itself causing pain
Having ridden bulls for three years, they don't make the bull angry. Remember, in bull riding the flanks are tied on before the gate is opened. If they made him mad, he would get a wild hair in the chute and you wouldn't be able to take your wrap properly - especially on a smaller bull that can jerk you around a lot.
>nother goofy statement that will only fool those who have >never watched the sport. Dull? No they are not. Anchoring >the feet? BS
I participate in the sport. The spurs are not sharp. You couldn't cut something with them if you tried. You are correct that spurring will get you more points, but a lot of 90+ points are made on good bulls without spurring action. The spurs do anchor your feet to the bull - they are somewhat loose on your boots and act as "shock absorbers" almost to keep your feet from being blown out when the bull turns back. You don't wear them for the purpose of agitating the bull.