People in Sabucedo
THE THREATS
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Population decline - As Gelo says in the documentary, when they were kids there were 900... and now—in his 50's—there are only 300. The shadow of doubt about the future looms large in people's conversations.
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The wolf - It is the natural predator of the wild horse. Obviously, they are part of the ecosystem, and they eat about 50 foals each year. They are a protected species, although this year, amid fierce controversy, laws have been passed to allow their capture. The evolution of the situation is unknown.
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Cattle rustlers - As they say in Sabucedo, “the problem is the two-legged wolves.” In areas where there used to be three herds totaling nearly 100 animals, there are now barely 30. It is a problem that everyone knows is there, not without physical danger in the event of a direct confrontation. More forceful action by law enforcement is needed to stop it.
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Wind farms - Although wind farms have already been installed in Galicia and in the vicinity of the territory of these Galician mountain horses in recent years, dozens of projects have been submitted to build new wind farms. The action of civil action groups—among which is the Asociación de la Rapa das bestas de Sabucedo—has so far managed to halt several projects that sought to be installed in the territory. However, it is a constantly renewed threat, as new projects are once again requesting the space of the wild horses. The main consequences of the installation of wind farms would be:
- It will affect aquifers, as almost all of which are not officially registered
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It will facilitate access to the habitat of the wild horse, making it easier for rustlers to raid it and increasing the undesired presence of people in contact with the wild herds.
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During the construction of the wind farms – that can take up to 2 years– horses will move form their territory. One of the consequences will be that they will go down to other villages to eat in people's properties, what will bring conflicts for everyone –as it has been seen in the film–.
* UPDATE: The civil lawsuit has already succeeded in blocking two of the parks that were planned for the territory of the wild horses. The Rapa Association keeps on working on their behalf.
THE ORIGIN
The origin of the Rapa is uncertain; it is thought to date from between the 10th and 16th centuries.
The presence of horses in Galicia dates back to the dawn of time. It is documented in petroglyphs (stone carvings) found in areas near Sabucedo, dating from between the 17th and 7th centuries BC.
There are already written accounts by the Greek geographer Strabo from the 1st century B.C. regarding the work of the local peoples with wild horses.
The first written reference to the Rapa rodeo itself comes from a parish register dated 1682.
THE BREED
The Purebred Galician Horse (PRG) is the official name given to the small Equus caballus horse subtype that lives in Galicia. Other traditional names include Galician Mountain Horse, Galician horse, and Garrano, with the name used in Sabucedo being “besta” (beast)
However, few specimens maintain a high percentage of purity, both in blood and morphology, which is why both the documentary and the Association use the more colloquial term Cabalo Galego de Monte (Galician Mountain Horse).This breed of horse lives in the mountains of Galicia, in the most mountainous areas with sparse trees and a small population. Purebred Galician horses are gentle animals if they are bred in conditions of restricted freedom. The docile nature of this breed is beneficial to therapeutic riding centers or hippotherapy.
According to the most widespread belief, the origin of the purebred Galician horse lies in the legacy left by the Celts in the north of the peninsula. These peoples introduced a domesticated pony with a small head and ears and a broad back. Over the centuries, this common stock has become differentiated by environmental conditions and crossbreeding, giving rise to various breeds similar to Welsh ponies that are found along the European Atlantic coast from Portugal to Scotland and Iceland.
This breed belongs to the same family tree trunk as the Portuguese Garrano, the Asturcón from Asturias, the Monchino from Cantabria, the Basque Pottok, the Mérens horse from Ariège, the Landes pony, the Connemara from Ireland, the Bardigiano pony from Italy, the Dartmoor, Exmoor, Welsh Mountain, Fell and New Forest ponies from Great Britain.
THE HORSES
1. GENERAL APPEARANCE
According to information taken from the website of the Galician Purebred Association, they are characterized by a straight or subconcave profile, ellipometric (light 165-300 kg), and a brown (common) or black coat.
They have a docile, calm, brave, and intelligent temperament that makes them suitable for driving, both for leisure and sport.
2. REGIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Head
Proportioned head, with a long, flat forehead, often with a prominent bump. Small, hairy ears. Prominent, well-defined eye sockets. Large, lively, expressive eyes. Thick lips, sometimes with a tuft of hair on the upper lip (moustache) and long hair in the beard and outer canal region.
Body
The neck is well-proportioned, with good conformation and abundant mane. It has a prominent withers. The back-lumbar line tends to straighten. The hip withers are simple and slightly sloping. The tail set is medium, with a long tail. The belly or abdomen is rounded. The chest tends to be deep. Back slightly sloping.
Limbs
With thin, short, and strong limbs. Powerful and hard joints. Short shins. Dark hoof, tending towards black, round in shape, small and hard, well proportioned. They have small corneal and dermal growths (chestnut, spur, and silks on the spur).
Coat
Black or brown. Hair (mane and tail): Very thick mane and tail, with a loose mane of strong, thick hair. Extremities (nasolabial region, distal part of the limbs): the limbs sometimes have silky hair, but with a small amount of hair, as well as sparse corneal growths. The nasolabial region have hair (moustache or chin).
THE HABITAT
The beasts are present in an area of approximately 3,000 hectares of forest known as Monte Montouto, belonging to the municipalities of A Estrada, Cerdedo-Cotobade, Campolameiro, and Cuntis.
A peculiar skill
Despite the derogatory labels they receive (weeds, uncultivated forest, etc.) from an environmental point of view, gorselands and scrublands are one of the habitats with the richest fauna and flora. Combined with grass, Gorse, scrub and brooms shoots are the main components of the shrubbery, which constitute one of the first stages of potential forest replacement. It is a documented fact that horses do not eat this kind of plants, so it is the unique adaptation of the Garranos to the territory which has made the existence of these animals possible since time immemorial. In fact, some authors refer to this ability to say that they are different equids.
Natural scrubland and heathland provide an important source of nitrogen for the soil and have traditionally been used as food for livestock, fuel, or raw material for various tools. Despite being an unproductive ecosystem in economic terms, it is very valuable as a habitat for a wide variety of fauna, which find food, shelter, and protection here.
Benefits of beasts in the habitat
The continued traditional use of these animals promotes habitat conservation and, at the same time, the preservation of a horse population endemic to the northwestern peninsula. Beasts are a fundamental part of the open ecosystems of the Galician mountains and essential for habitat conservation. The Galician horse has a balanced diet based on gorse and grasses, which helps to reduce and keep biomass under control. “Galician horses are big consumers of gorse,” according to researcher Laura Lagos.
The efficiency of these animals in terms of biomass control makes them an ally in the prevention of forest fires by helping to keep forests cleaner. “It should be noted that horses not only eat gorse shoots but also wood,” says the researcher. Therefore, the use of horses for cleaning, in addition to being a more sustainable method, saves costs.
Other advantages of the presence of horses for the regeneration of mountain pastures. According to recent research, in pastures used for feeding livestock where horses graze during the winter, grass regrowth is more successful, as horses make better use of it.