Every year during the Fiesta horse parades, I feel deeply enraged. Do these horses really want to be ridden down the hard pavement streets with metal spurs stabbing them in their sides? Did they enjoy traveling enclosed in cages for hundreds of miles on freeways? Furthermore, is it ethically justifiable to ride horses?
There are many traditions throughout history that have been proven unethical. Think about how much the world has changed in regard to slavery, women's rights, racism, the LGBTQI movement, and so on.
We should shift our thinking in how we treat animals. Do animals deserve to be paraded around, tortured, and slaughtered by humans unnecessarily? We consume products made from their flesh and secretions, despite the many healthier and more ethical alternatives that exist.