And we matadors love the bull, and don't want to see it suffer. Bulls are the ones that make us or break us. The bull might also be beaten with clubs, its ears and nostrils may be stuffed with cotton wool, and it may even be drugged to further obstruct his senses. Normally a veterinary surgeon, who is to be present before and during the fight, has to declare that each bull meets the requirements regarding the health, age and weight. However, some of these vets may be part of the bullfighting establishment and therefore may be prone to overlook certain manipulations.
Most traditional bullfights pass through several distinct stages.
Just before the fight begins, a steel emblem of the breeder's mark is driven into the animals back, and from its darkened quarters the bulls sent into the ring already in a state of terror. It is let out so that it faces the sun and is dazzled by it, a herd animal alone in strange surroundings. The chief veterinarian at Las Ventas bullring in Madrid has revealed that bulls from the fights have been found to have up to 25 kg of sulphates in their systems, whereas only 4 or 5 kg is considered to be a brutally massive dose. The veterinarian also discovered that sometimes the bulls are given drugs to sedate them before entering the ring. The sedative Combilin, a hypnotic and tranquillizing drug, may be injected into the animals so that by the time they are sent into the ring their senses are in complete disorder.