DENVER -- "There it is! You can see the two prongs on the prod."

An animal rights advocate in town to chronicle events at the National Western Stock Show believes the videotape doesn't lie.

Shot Tuesday and Wednesday in Denver at the rodeo events, the tape appears to show several horses being stimulated or shocked by some sort of handheld device.

"They should prosecute," said Steve Hindi, President of Showing Animals Respect And Kindness or SHARK.

Hindi said he'll show the tape to Denver police in hopes they'll cite rodeo staffers for violations of the city's animal cruelty ordinance.

"When you get hit with that thing, it feels like you're being stabbed," Hindi said.

Stock show officials said the prods are allowed under Pro Rodeo Cowboy Rules or PRCA rules and have been used for years with no ill effects.

"The livestock prod is powered by nine-volt batteries and allows for harmless encouragement of the horse to leave the chute," writes Kati Anderson, spokeswomen for the National Western Stock Show.

"These animals are supposed to be born to buck. If they don't want to buck then why would you then shock them?" Hindi said.

When shown to Doug Kelley, Director of Denver's Animal Control division, there is no obvious conclusion.

"Y'know, it's kind of hard to tell. I want an expert to take a look at it," Kelley said. "If this even possibly rises to the level of animal cruelty we would certainly do a full investigation."

Kelley said he plans to show the DVD footage to the state veterinarian later this week.

For Hindi, the city is different but the song remains the same: denials and scoffs.

"And people ask, for one thing they say are you trying to eliminate rodeos? And we say no. We're trying to eliminate the cruelty in rodeos," Hindi said.

Hindi said he has followed rodeos for 14 years and is making his first stop at the National Western this year.