Exhibitors at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo strive to keep livestock warm and safe in icy conditions.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo attendees are doing their best to keep their livestock warm and safe during this week’s winter storm.

They use hay to cover the icy streets of Fort Worth to keep their investment, potentially valuable livestock, from slipping and falling.

“It gets very slippery here and the bulls have no friction in their feet,” said exhibitor Madeleine Florence. “As far as large animals, livestock, if they fall, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Icy roads: North Texas drivers face treacherous conditions

If the animals fall and are injured, they will have to be euthanized.

Bryce Baca used a powerful dryer to remove ice from animal fur.

“They are quite warm animals. The ice doesn’t affect them that much, but we don’t want to leave it there,” Baka said.

The warm air also calms the animals and keeps them healthy in freezing temperatures after a longer than usual trip from Austin.

“It’s warm air. We blow out all the wet water and just wash them. If you leave them wet, they can get sick, so we blow all the water out of them to make sure they feel good,” Baka said.

Despite the ice, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo schedule hasn’t changed.

A horse pulls children in a sled in Lancaster

This means that participants heading to the Will Rogers complex with livestock trailers navigate icy roads and rely on their driving experience.

“Most of the people who travel these roads with these trailers have been doing it for a long time, so they’re pretty used to it,” said exhibitor Jeff Parker. “We know when it’s hard, take it slow and easy and get up.”

The children, who have worked for many months and taken care to raise their bulls, are very careful that the ice does not harm their animals.