Horse Gestation

So I have been researching animal welfare in regard to rodeos. I have read many of the "official" releases stating that the animals are very well cared for and that less than 1% of the animals are injured each year. The releases say that roping calves does not hurt them, that barrel horses are not started too early and run until they bow tendons and then carted off to the kill truck, that bulls and broncs are not beaten in the shoot, cowboys and girls having very little horsemanship skill and riding like ammeters are not the norm, etc. But...there is so much evidence DOCUMENTING otherwise. I have watched videos (and witnessed in person at rodeos) that calves ribs and spines are broken, barrel horses being run lame, Barrel horses started running competitively at young ages and before their bones are "closed", people who have no balance, seat, or knowledge of basic ques and horsemanship "bouncing around" like beginners, yet they are running full speed around the pattern, throwing their horses off balance and causing tumbles, bucking stock being prodded, beaten in the head/neck/back and electrocuted/shocked in the shoot, and much more. I just don't get it. I have seen these things happen (and yes I spoke up at the time of the "incidents", to try and stop them), yet the industry says A) this stuff doesn't happen, B) that there are less than 1% of the animals involved being injured, and C) how is this still going on? Do you believe the associations? Are people blowing isolated incidents out of proportion? I know that not everyone involved in rodeo conducts themselves this way, or we would all hear much more about it. I am just dumbfounded. So, what do you think? I am all ears for BOTH sides of the argument. I truly want to know.

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