Editing Bull riding (section)

==Animal welfare==
{{Details|Rodeo#Animal treatment controversies}}
There is debate between animal rights/welfare organizations and bull riding enthusiasts over many aspects of the sport. One source of controversy is the flank strap. The flank strap is placed around a bull's flank, just in front of the hind legs, to encourage bucking. Critics{{who|date=July 2020}} say that the flank strap encircles or otherwise binds the genitals of the bull. However, the flank strap is anatomically impossible to place over the [[testicles]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}  Many{{who|date=July 2020}} point out that the bull's genes are valuable and that there is a strong economic incentive to keep the animal in good reproductive health. Further, particularly in the case of bulls, an animal that is sick and in pain usually will not want to move at all, will not buck as well, and may even lie down in the chute or ring rather than buck.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

Critics{{who|date=July 2020}} also claim that electric [[cattle prods]] ("hot shots") are used to injure and torture bulls, while supporters{{who|date=July 2020}} of bull riding claim that the cattle prod simply gets the bull out of the chute quickly and is only a moderate irritation due to the thickness of the animal's hide.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} Cattle prods have not been used in the [[Professional Bull Riders]] (PBR) tour for several years. However, in smaller associations, a cattle prod is still sometimes used to ensure that the animal leaves the chute as soon as the rider nods their head.<ref name="prorodeo">{{cite web|title=Livestock Welfare Rules|url=http://www.prorodeo.com/prorodeo/livestock/livestock-welfare-rules|website=www.prorodeo.com|access-date=May 28, 2017}}</ref>  Cattle prods are not allowed by any major association.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

[[Spur]]s are also a source of controversy, though modern rodeo rules place strict regulations on the type and use of spurs<ref name="prorodeo" /> and participants point out that they are a tool commonly used in other non-rodeo [[Equestrianism|equestrian]] disciplines.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} Spurs used in bull riding do not have a fixed rowel, nor can they be sharpened. The PBR currently allows only two types of rowels to ensure the safety of the animals.