Heart monitors for horses, shaded pens for bulls part of rodeo safety at Calgary Stampede

Tents are being set up to provide shade for bulls and broncs and some chuckwagon horses are to be fitted with tiny electrocardiograms at the upcoming Calgary Stampede.

After scorching heat at the rodeo last summer, Ed Pajor, a professor of animal behaviour and welfare in the University of Calgary's faculty of veterinary medicine, says the animals could use a break.

"We saw things like increased respiration rate in some of the bulls. We saw some bulls drooling. These are signs that the animals might be experiencing some discomfort due to the heat," Pajor said at a news conference Tuesday.

The university is working with the Stampede to study some of the animals this year. They'll specifically look at whether bucking bulls and broncos will be happier and healthier if they have a shady place to hang out right before the competition.

"It seems like a pretty straightforward question," said Pajor, adding if shade is beneficial, the Stampede would have to decide whether to invest in more tent coverings in the future.

Additional research at the rodeo is to focus on the heart health of horses in the chuckwagon races.

Dr. Renaud Léguillette, with the university's veterinary school, specializes in equine health and performance, and works closely with chuckwagon horses during the Stampede.

His research includes identifying in equine blood a baseline for troponin — a protein released when the heart muscle is damaged — to track underlying cardiovascular or other health issues.

"The goal of our research is to prevent cardiac accidents during the chuckwagon racing due to a cardiac problem," said Léguillette.

"There are some horses who have more electrical activity issues when they race or have a harder time to recover from the races."

At the Stampede, outrider horses and horses pulling the wagons are to be fitted with electrocardiograms before and during the races.

Léguillette said the devices and the blood tests can show what horses are at a higher risk of cardiac arrest and that information is passed on to chuckwagon drivers.

"I call it like a green light, an orange light and a red light. The red light horses, I will definitely have a discussion with the drivers ... they are very responsive, concerned and will make the right decisions."

An official with the Stampede said research in this area could benefit an entire industry.

"We know there is an element of risk in all sport. Our goal is to create the safest conditions possible. That's why all of this research takes place ... to remove all of those elements of risk," said Kristina Barnes, the Stampede's director of agriculture and western events.

"Can we remove completely that element of risk? No. But anything that we can control we certainly will."

The 10-day celebration of western culture, which runs from July 4 to 13, has long been a target of animal rights groups. The Vancouver Humane Society wants the rodeo portion of the Stampede eliminated.

"We're seeing deaths at the Calgary Stampede almost every single year. It's really not a matter of if another animal will die at the Stampede ... it's when," said Chantelle Archambault with the group.

"Last year, there were four animal deaths. It also marks at least 109 animal deaths at the Stampede since we began tracking fatalities in 1986."