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Samantha Ollerton
Professor Stephenson
English 2010
07/03/2014
Profile of the Mad Cowboy
Enter the homepage of the Mad Cowboy. Theres a good layout consisting of fleshy
colors, a large bulls head across the top, various pictures of the Mad Cowboy leaning on a
fence or dawning a cowboy hat. Youd think at first glance that this man was obvious, easy to
read. Hes a cowboy, you vaguely see the words cattle rancher somewhere, but then you read
the whole thing. Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Wont Eat Meat. Its interesting, but
not that shocking, youve no idea who this man is, now you just know now that he doesnt eat
meat, whats so special about that? Under Whos in Charge? Howard Lyman, the Mad
Cowboy himself is listed as 2nd in charge (sometimes 3rd), with Caesar, a sleepy looking feline
as the 1st in command and ruler of the Lyman household. So now you know hes got a sense of
humor, but what is the agenda here?
A quick look into the biography and it tells you that Howard is in fact a vegan, previously
a cattle rancher, and even a 4th generation farmer from Montana. He talks briefly about his
struggle with a tumor he faced in the late 70s, and then the biographical introduction goes
straight into the major agenda of the site, of Lyman, and his supporters. The poisoning of farm
animals, the toxins that go into meat and dairy, all of it is a bit much but he clearly has passion
about the topic. He talks about how his experience as a cattle rancher and a farmer who raised
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many different animals forced him to realize how horrid the treatment of farm animals is, and
how the modern forms of agriculture and farming are poisoning Americas citizens, making us
a sicker country. Again, this is a lot of information to start with, so lets back up here and look at
his story, and how this cattle rancher went through such a drastic change of ideals and beliefs..
When Lyman first started out as a student in agriculture, he became enamored in the
"bold new age of chemically enhanced agriculture", despite the fact that his father and
grandfather had been successful organic farmers. Major farms, making lots of money, were all
modern and chemically enhanced, and Lyman had big dreams of launching such a successful
farm. Just like the other modern farmers, Lyman began feeding his animals hormones and
antibiotics before they were even sick, switching them out when they became immune to the
medications. He coated his farm land with pesticides and herbicides, and watched as it went from
a lush and rich environment to a deadly and toxic wasteland. The crops flourished, insect free,
and the cattle grew thick, without disease, but the cows and crops were still very sick.
In an interview, you can see Lyman, the Mad Cowboy himself, dressed like a cowboy to
the brim of his hat, admitting to polluting his farm with chemicals. He further talks about the
transformation he made from rancher to vegan in an unfortunate series of events. His cows were
getting sick despite the strict regimen of antibiotics, and bovine veterinarians quickly and easily
pointed out the cause. The chemicals were giving the cows tumors, killing them slowly and
painfully. Other animals were on the farm as well, and were just as sick. Not long after, Lyman
himself was diagnosed with a tumor in his spine, and with the risk of being paralyzed, he vowed
to convert his farm to organic. He talks about his attempts to do this, and recalls being laughed at
by his bank when discussing his financial prospects. In the end, he ended up selling his farm, but
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his agenda was not lost. He soon became vegetarian, and began loosing weight, felt healthier,
and began investigating mad cow disease.
In 1996 Lyman appeared on Oprah, and became well known, discussing the severity of
chemicals on the nations health and the dangers of eating non-organic beef and other modern
farm products. Some of his remarks spawned outrage, when Oprah decided to take his
information and renounce hamburgers on national television. The National Cattlemen's Beef
Association sued Oprah and Lyman, but it only served to draw more attention to the severity of
Lymans research and claims. The lawsuits failed, and both Oprah and Lyman were found not
guilty. Lyman even says in his interview, it was the worst thing they could have done, referring
to the NCBAs poor decisions to sue two people who were very much in the right.
Lyman eventually became vegan, and said he lost even more weight, became stronger,
and is sure that the decision saved his life. He continues to fight for farm animal rights,
advocates for proper nutrition and saying no to chemically treated animal products, and has a
number of impressive achievement to back up his credibility. He is the author of two books,
former director of the Beyond Beef Campaign, former president of both the International
Vegetarian Union, and EarthSave International, and is currently the president of the Voice for a
Viable Future.
All achievements aside, Howard Lyman has a unique view and collection of experiences
that can teach each one of us something about where are society is currently flawed in our
treatment and use of animal products. There is a lot for him to share with the world, and from his
work done so far, it seems he will continue sharing his experiences and teachings, hoping and
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striving for change and for a healthier America. Ill finish this profile with a wonderful and
insightful excerpt from Lyman himself:
My life experience has given me a better understanding of what is happening, and what
a mistake it is to believe there is anything called "humane" slaughter. Animals have families and
feelings, and to think that kindness before killing them is an answer is totally wrong. Humans
have no need for animal products. And when we consume animal products, we're not just killing
the animals. In the long run, we're killing the planet, and ourselves.
Citations:
Lyman, Howard. Mad Cowboy home page. 2012. <http://www.madcowboy.com>
Lyman, Howard. Autobiographical short. <http://www.humanemyth.org/howardlyman.htm>
Embar, Wanda. 2011. <http://www.veganpeace.com/famousvegans/profiles/howard_lyman.htm>
Flock, Jeff. CNN reports. January 21, 1998 <http://www.cnn.com/US/9801/21/oprah.beef/>