Men grab a wild colt during the Rapa das Bestas (Shearing the Beasts) tradition in Mougas, northwestern Spain, on June 9.
Daniel Ochoa de Olza / AP
A wild horse runs as the Shearing of the Beasts takes place in Mougas, June 9.
Daniel Ochoa de Olza / AP
Men grab a wild colt during the Shearing of the Beasts on June 9.
Daniel Ochoa de Olza / AP
Men mark a wild colt during the Shearing of the Beasts in Mougas, June 9.
By Associated Press,
Rapa das Bestas or the Shearing of the Beasts is an ancient tradition in Mougas, northwestern Spain, dating from the 15th century. It consists of gathering the wild horses in the mountains, placing them in a 'curro' or corral, shaving them and branding them before releasing them in the mountains until next year.
A mare, a ''Pura Raza Espanola," or Pure Spanish Breed, runs next to the stable at "La Yeguada de Cuatro Vientos" ranch in Almonte, in southern Spain's Andalusia region on April 8. Barring an unlikely reprieve, the purebreds at this ranch will be turned into horse meat for export in the coming months.
Laura Leon / AP
A Pure Spanish Breed horse rears up inside a stable at La Yeguada de la Nobleza ranch in Almonte, Andalusia, Spain.
By Alan Clendenning, The Associated Press
The southern Spanish region of Andalusia, famed for flamenco and Moorish castles, is also home to a legendary breed of horses that carried conquistadors into battle in the Americas, featured in Hollywood epics and more recently became trophy acquisitions for Spaniards during a giddy economic boom.
On his grassy ranch in the territory's heartland, 73-year-old Francisco Mesa breeds these ''Pura Raza Espanola" - Pure Spanish Breed - horses with a passion that comes from years of pampering the elegant beasts known for their intelligence and affection for humans. He enters a muddy pen and is immediately surrounded by mares and foals who nuzzle him with tenderness, oblivious of their almost certain fate: the slaughterhouse.
Barring an unlikely reprieve, Mesa' purebreds will be turned into horse meat for export come July. They are victims of a wrenching economic downturn that has wiped out fortunes, turned housing developments into ghost towns and left more than a quarter of the population out of work. Read more here
Laura Leon / AP
Butcher Manuel Delgado prepares a piece of a ''Pura Raza Espanola,'' Pure Spanish Breed horse meat, at a horse meat butcher in Camas, Spain.
Laura Leon / AP
Breeder Francisco Mesa places his hand on the back of one of his Pure Spanish Breed horses at "La Yeguada de la Nobleza" ranch on April 8.
Laura Leon / AP
Sculptures of horse heads decorate the main entrance of "La Yeguada de Cuatro Vientos" ranch, belonging to breeder Francisco Jose Rodriguez, in Almonte, Andalusia, Spain, on April 8.
Laura Leon / AP
Pure Spanish Breed mares, belonging to breeder Francisco Jose Rodriguez, walk in a field at "La Yeguada de Cuatro Vientos" ranch in Almonte, Andalusia, Spain, on April 2.
Laura Leon / AP
A Pure Spanish Breed horse belonging to breeder Francisco Mesa at "La Yeguada de la Nobleza" in Almonte, Andalusia, Spain, on April 8.
Simon Lenihan, a full time commercial horse logger, removes a Scots Pine tree from the Balmoral Estate with Sultan De Le Campagne, a 15 year old Belgian Ardennes horse, on Dec. 11 in Balmoral, Scotland.
The Prince of Wales is the Patron of The British Horse Loggers, an association that works to promote horse logging and support professional horse loggers. The horses working at Balmoral are being used in place of large timber machines to minimize any damage to vegetation, soils and water-tables.
-- Getty Images
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images
Simon Lenihan, a full time commercial horse logger, removes a Scots Pine tree from the Balmoral Estate with Salome Du Pre Renier, a 4 year old Belgian Ardennes horse, on Dec. 11 in Balmoral, Scotland.
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images
Simon Lenihan, a full time commercial horse logger, removes a Scots Pine tree from the Balmoral Estate with Sultan De Le Campagne a 15 year old Belgian Aldennes horse on Dec. 11 in Crathie, Aberdeenshire.
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images
Simon Lenihan, a full time commercial horse logger, removes a Scots Pine tree from the Balmoral Estate with Sultan De Le Campagne, a 15 year old Belgian Ardennes horse, on Dec. 11 in Balmoral, Scotland.
Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images
Simon Lenihan, a full time commercial horse logger, removes a Scots Pine tree from the Balmoral Estate with Salome Du Pre Renier, a 4 year old Belgian Ardennes horse, on Dec. 11 in Balmoral, Scotland.
Jockey Glenn Boss riding Ocean Park and Mark Zahra riding Yosei during track work at Breakfast With The Best at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Oct. 23, in Melbourne, Australia.
Aloitadores struggle with wild horses during Shearing of the Beasts in Sabucedo, some 25 miles from Santiago de Compostela, on July 9, 2012. Hundreds of wild horses were rounded up from the mountains to be trimmed and marked.
Men known as Aloitadores struggle with wild horses during the 400-year-old horse festival called Rapa das bestas, or Shearing of the Beasts, in Sabucedo, Spain, on July 9, 2012. According to typicallyspanish.com, the festival in Sabucedo was first documented at the beginning of the 18th century. Through this, the locals were able to keep an eye on the animals and maintain the horses' hygiene. Both locals and tourists herd the horses and bring them down from the mountain, but only the local Aloitadores are allowed to wrestle and trim the animals.
A horse rears its head as it's rounded up on the eve of the Rapa Das Bestas or "Shearing of the Beasts" festival on July 6, 2012 in Sabucedo, Spain.
During the first weekend of July hundreds of wild horses are rounded up, trimmed and groomed in different villages in the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia as part of a 400-year-old festival call Rapa das Bestas or “Shearing of the Beasts.”
Miguel Riopa / AFP - Getty Images
A villager rounds up wild horses on the hills of Sabucedo, Spain during the Rapa das Bestas on July 6, 2012.
Miguel Vidal / Reuters
Participants grab a wild horse during Rapa das Bestas in Sabucedo, Spain on July 6, 2012.
Miguel Vidal / Reuters
A participant of Rapa das Bestas cuts off the mane of a wild horse in Sabucedo, Spain on July 6, 2012.
Two dozen fox hounds from the Mill Creek Hunt Club in Old Mill Creek, Ill. pause during an exercise outing on the grounds of the 2012 Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, Wis., as presenters and participants prepare for the opening of the annual three day event on April 19.
Thousands of cowboys and their families gather to watch each year on the anniversary of a 1819 battle fought by soldiers led by independence heroes Simon Bolivar and Gen. Jose Antonio Paez.
Paez and about 150 soldiers swam across the river alongside their horses, then attacked and defeated a force of more than 1,000 Spanish troops who had been sent to quash their rebellion, which eventually led to independence.
Today, only the horses do the swimming, as competitors in canoes guide them across the river. Read more.
Ariana Cubillos / AP
Horses jump into the Apure River during a weekend of traditional horse races across the waterway in San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela.
Ariana Cubillos / AP
A man jumps off his canoe to run for the finish line with his horse during a race across the Apure River in San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela.
Ariana Cubillos / AP
A girl watches horse races across the Apure River in San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela.
Ariana Cubillos / AP
Horses reach the shore led by horsemen as they dash for the finish line during a weekend of horse races across the Apure River in San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela.
Ariana Cubillos / AP
Cattleman Eduardo Contreras celebrates after winning one of the horse races across the Apure River in San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela.
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) exercise their horses at first light in Hyde Park on March 28, 2012 in London, England.
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR) is preparing for ceremonial duties during celebrations to mark HM Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in June, 2012. The mounted regiment will provide a Sovereign's Escort from Parliament to Buckingham Palace. This will involve 116 men and horses riding fore and aft of the carriage carrying the Sovereign. In addition, the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry will be playing fanfares in St. Paul's Cathedral during the Jubilee Service and the double mounted band (53 musicians and horses) of the Household Cavalry will be marching the processional route in advance of the Escort.
Ben Stansall / AFP - Getty Images
A member of the Household Cavalry washes down his horse as they prepare for the Major General's inspection and the state celebrations for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee.
Ben Stansall / AFP - Getty Images
Members of the Lifeguards Household Cavalry perform morning stable duties as they prepare for the Major General's inspection and the state celebrations for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee.
Alastair Grant / AP
Corporal McCabe, a farrier with the mounted regiments of the Household Cavalry, shapes a horse's shoe, during a media day at the barracks in London.
Andy Rain / EPA
A farrier of the Household Cavalry places a horse shoe at Hyde Park Barracks in London, Britain.
Suzanne Plunkett / Reuters
A State Trumpeter of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment arrives at the Hyde Park Barracks in London March 28, 2012.
Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
Riding boots and a ceremonial sword await cleaning at The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Hyde Park Barracks.
Ben Stansall / AFP - Getty Images
Members of the Lifeguards Household Cavalry prepare for the Major General's inspection and the state celebrations for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee.
The Household Cavalry and King's Troop at the first full rehearsal for Trooping the Colour 2010 (The Major General's Review).
The mounted bands of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals lead the Household Cavalry down The Mall from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade where the salute was taken by Maj. Gen. W G Cubitt CBE, Major General Commanding the Household Division.
The video also shows The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery [02:43] returning down The Mall to Green Park where, on the Queen's official birthday, they fire a gun salute. The troop dates from 1946 when King George VI decided that a horse troop should be retained for ceremonial duties.
A horseman jumps over a bonfire in the central Spanish village of San Bartolome de Pinares to open the celebrations for the feast of Saint Anthony, patron saint of animals, on Monday Jan. 16, 2012.
Daniel Ochoa De Olza / AP
A man rides a horse through a bonfire in San Bartolome de Pinares, Spain, Monday, Jan. 16, 2012.
By James Cheng
On the eve of Saint Anthony's Day, hundreds ride their horses trough the narrow cobblestone streets of the small village of San Bartolome during the "Luminarias," a tradition that dates back 500 years and is meant to purify the animals with the smoke of the bonfires and protect them for the year to come.
Master of Hounds, left, looks at his neighbor Viscount Nelson on Thursday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Master of Hounds, trained in Ireland, is entered in Saturday's Belmont Stakes.
Horses are driven through the town of Three Forks, Montana, during Montana Horses' spring drive, April 23. About 350 horses were involved in the drive.
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