The only way a bull can win is if it fights a very brave fight and is pardoned - given an indulto - by the presiding official, usually at the urging of the fans in attendance. In such a case the animal is usually treated by veterinarians and returned to the bull rancher to be used as a seed bull. This is a rare occurrence, however. Should a bull kill or severely injure a matador, it is killed by the remaining senior matador with no fanfare. The bull is almost always the loser. The reason for this is that a fighting bull, by law, can not be used in a future fight. To do so would be very dangerous for the man as the bull learned in the previous fight to distinguish the matador from the cape.
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If the sword thrust has not killed the bull the matador will use a descabello, a special sword with a cross-shaped piece on the tip of the sword, and use it to sever the spinal cord of the bull at the base of the skull.