Letters to the Editor: Why horse experts are wary of L.A.’s rodeo proposal

To the editor: The Los Angeles City Council is considering an ordinance that its sponsors believe will improve the safety and welfare of rodeo animals without prohibiting rodeos within the city. It is based on a misunderstanding of how rodeos are currently conducted.

If passed, the ordinance will effectively prohibit rodeos within the city and will likely have unintended consequences for other equestrian activities, including police work, Mexican charrería, movie filming, backyard gymkhana, jumping, dressage and even the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The ordinance would ban implements used not only in rodeos (such as spurs), but also in many other equestrian endeavors, as well as safety implements necessary to protect human participants and spectators.

The Los Angeles Equine Advisory Committee strongly supports the humane treatment of animals used in equestrian competitions. The committee was created to advise the city on matters pertaining to horses. It has offered to assist the council in formulating an ordinance that will improve animal welfare without having unintended consequences for the horse-loving population of Los Angeles.

Good policy is made by informed individuals with the assistance of experts. We hope that the council will table the current proposal, take the time to become fully informed and work with its advisors to create an effective ordinance.

David Ramey, Los Angeles

The writer, a practicing equine veterinarian in L.A. since 1984, is president of the Los Angeles Equine Advisory Committee.