14 DAY TRIAL // This year's July reiterates a 400-year-old tradition of Spanish men tackling and cropping the manes of wild horses. The end goal: those who win this battle with untamed horses get to prove their strength.
Rapa das Bestas, which literally means “cropping the beast,” is a festival that takes place in the mountains of Galicia, and the men who decide to enter it are only allowed to use their hands when bringing down the animals.
Animal right advocates have been trying to outlaw this festival for quite some time now, as the wild horses forced to wrestle humans are argued to be considerably affected by these events.
Moreover, cropping their manes and Tails, together with branding them, can really traumatize the animals.
However, as far as the locals are concerned, this festival is also a test for the health of the wild horse population in this region.