Arizona Closer To Banning Horse Tripping
By Kathryn Brim, Editor

Arizona is one step closer to joining California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas in outlawing the practice of horse tripping. Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska are also in the process of considering similar legislation.

If passed, House Bill 2539 would classify tripping an equine for sport or entertainment as a class one misdemeanor. Sentencing would include up to 90-days in jail and $2,000 in fines.

Horse tripping is a traditional aspect of many Mexican-style rodeos, called charreadas. Essentially, it is the practice of roping the legs of a running horse, which then causes the horse to trip or lose its balance and fall to the ground. There are three different ways that a person can cause the horse to fall: roping the hind legs of the horse, tripping the horse from on foot or tripping the horse from horseback.