Clinical and Radiographic Evaluation of Cattle Tail before and after the <i>Vaquejada</i>Race

The vaquejada race is a sport with animals which has the greatest socio-economic impact in Brazil and is responsible for generating an intense cultural and economic movement. However, this activity has been the subject of questions about well-being involving the environmental and mental comfort conditions offered to equine and cattle interactions. It is necessary to perform technical evaluations of the cattle involved on the basis of scientific study to better understand the processes of sport and, with this, promote their evolution on good welfare practices in the 21st century. Therefore, to test the hypothesis that the use of the official rules of the vaquejada where cattle use a protective harness on the tail protects the cattle’s tail from injuries in this region that compromise health. Before, during and after races, a study was developed that aimed to perform a general and radiological clinical evaluation in the proximal coccygeal region in cattle that ran in a modern cattle stall. Forty male bovines were evaluated (average: 2 year-old and 420 kg). Oxen were subjected to clinical and radiological examination before and after racing with official rules. Results of the clinical and radiological evaluations performed by veterinarians, did not observe clinical occurrences before and after the races in the 40 cattle evaluated. The increase in heart and respiratory rates was a reflection of temporary management stressors, as the animals returned to the feeding/rumination/interaction pattern after running in the rest pen. The radiographic findings in the tail, represented by the reduction of the intervertebral space and areas of subcutaneous radiolucency, suggest technical artifacts derived from the manipulation of the tail for proper positioning to perform the tests in the condition of retention in the corral. The partial fracture found by an evaluator showed signs of calcification and was accompanied by swelling in the soft tissue but without pain in the pre-run examination. It is concluded that the modern vaquejada race, which meets the official rules, is not related to the increase in lesions in the locomotor apparatus or other evaluated tissues, including the tail.