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Rapa Das Bestas – Spanish Horse Wrestling Festival
An ancient festival in Galicia Spain, the Rapa das bestas is an old practice of ‘Taming the Beasts’ and is thought to date back to the Bronze Age. Men and women alike would wrestle the untamed horses to the ground with their hands and arms to cut their manes and tails.
It’s a noble tradition where man pits his strength against a beast without ropes or weapons and only using his bare hands and courage. This Spanish fiesta goes on for three days of which after the horses are sent up to the hillside again and it does not involve cruelty and death.
17 more pics of the Rapa Das Bestas festival after the jump.
Source: Blame It On The Voices
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laura said
July 31, 2008 @ 9:44 pm
Funny.. that looks pretty cruel to me.. :l
David said
July 31, 2008 @ 11:46 pm
Cruel, stupid, idiot.
What they wnt to proove?
Yes, we are smarter than horses…?
I dont think so.
Why not to put their children there to fight with bears?
f*ck that stupid festival..
Bucko said
August 1, 2008 @ 5:55 am
what the hell is this crap . People are f*cking idiots !!!!
Horsetrainer said
August 1, 2008 @ 6:06 am
This is not good. This might be a tradition, but this is also a very bad experience for a horse. Today we don´t need to handle horses like this. I hope people don´t look at this “tradition” as a good thing.
Heiða said
August 1, 2008 @ 7:20 am
okay this is to much! ..Fighting with horses? ..whats wrong those guyse nedd some theraphy i’m not kidding ..itðs just sick! ..that people that are fighting horses for christ sakes should be in their own ring and check how it is to be beeten up of two or three horses!
Okay i’m from Iceland and i ride horses every day and belive me i’ve been throogh many things with horses ..all they have to do is get into a mood and your dead!
Animallover said
August 1, 2008 @ 8:16 am
You sick freaks, you call this entertainment. What the fuck is wrong with you guys. You are hurting the horses grapping their Tales what the fuck. You may all die in hell
goro said
August 1, 2008 @ 10:14 pm
poor animals and i mean the humans, they should be sacrificed cuz’ they are a waste of brain capacity -.- this is pointless
lyingit said
August 2, 2008 @ 12:25 am
You people are ridiculous – who gives a flying **** about the wild horses?
at least they aren’t killing them.
whinny bitches – I swear to god the way some animal lovers act you’d think they’d rather they be dead than an animal.
Link said
August 3, 2008 @ 12:34 pm
yeah, theyre not dying, but still. its painful for them to be wrestled like that. How would you like it if someone was beating you up? wait, you’re not dying so its okay, right?
no its not… Its wrong
and while these people are following “tradition”, they might aswell follow that “sacraficing human life “tradition too. since it is pretty entertaining to watch pain in action. (sarcasm)
Someone said
August 16, 2008 @ 6:25 am
This is article is wrong from the beginning….this festival is not about wrestling or taming the horses,.
These pictures don´t reflect the real instinct and purpouse of the festival.
The wild horses are “picked” up from the mountain and guided to that kind of square. The purpouse and history of this tradition was to keep track of the different group of horses that lived in a certain area and also it´suppossed to help the horses by cutting their hair, and this way they don´t get it stuck in bushes and things like that.
They only thing the humans do is grabbing the horses and cutting its hair, not beating or wrestling them… like this pictures may portray
You can check this out: http://www.galinor.es/galeria/rapa-e.html
outlet mujer said
August 19, 2008 @ 10:11 pm
Mmmm, nice festival maybe they should have a festival where horses trample on these people…lol
Alaric De Marnac said
August 29, 2008 @ 9:07 pm
Great photos and respectful text, but…
Well, this is all really full of “f**king idots” and “sick stupid freaks” seeking for “entertainment” -¿?- who have to “die in hell” but this ones are the people that comments in blogs without any idea of what they are saying.
The “rapa das bestas” -Crop the beast`s hair- is a festival in which possibly the last wild horses of Europe are marked by its owners by cropping their manes -see the last photo-, without fire, AND NOTHING MORE. And after that, the animals are set in the wild again, to the next year. THAT IS ALL (Well, and the music and wonderful food and wine). The “wrestling” -like in the photos- happens when they try to immobilize a horse so it doesn´t hurt anybody. Or itself. Nobody wants to hurt his or hers own horse.
Is a bad idea to speak about something, specially when insisting in what is right or wrong or who is this or that, without knowing what you are saying.
rick said
August 30, 2008 @ 4:12 am
Wow, great comments on these pics. It seems people are either outraged or outraged at the people that are outraged.
This tradition probably does no good. Does it do harm? Is there potential for people or the horses to get hurt?
Michael said
August 30, 2008 @ 4:56 am
In USA the cattle its been marked by iron incadescent.. that’s better, isn’t? Look at you own shit, and then, you may criticize about another ones.
Marissa said
September 8, 2008 @ 4:34 am
This broke my heart, horses are the most beautiful, noble wonderfully trusting animals. How on earth can these poor excuse for humans do this to such a wonderful animal (or any animal)
The write up states NO CRUELTY INVOLVED???? are they blind or stupid? things like this must be stopped along with all the other barbaric things like bull fighting, dog fighting, cock fighting and all of the other crazy cruel animal hurting activities!
And to Michael….. please tell me what is to be gained from this cruelty the horses have no need to have there mains and tails chopped off after being scared half to death? please open your mind and understad how horrific this must be for thoese poor horses.
And Alaric ….. you say it does no harm but if you know anyting about horses you will know the look in those horses eyes means they are full of fear and that is harm! Why own a horse if you leave it to be wild? it either is wild in wich case leave it alone or its owned by someone in wich case care for it, love it and gain its trust then it will happily give love back to you and let you cut it’s tail if you so wish!!
jacob said
December 1, 2008 @ 9:29 am
i hate why your doing this is because it has cruelty and its really really stupid gay.
Savannah said
December 15, 2008 @ 3:13 am
POOR HORSES !! !! !!
Jayne said
December 18, 2008 @ 12:22 am
Wow. and this is still going on today , And we dont think it is, But we are putting our little children at rick, to getting hurt i really dont think it right to be playing with the horse,like this Thay are stronger then us, So stop and think before you start playing with more power then you can handle. and putting our children at risk.
Dorita said
April 24, 2009 @ 4:35 am
Sadistic, unconscious, totally unnecessary. Cut their hair so it doesn’t get caught on bushes??? Give me a break!!! Horse’s manes and tails pull out readily, as those of us who have horses know. Why do you need to hot brand any animal? If you feel you need to “mark” it, use freeze branding. In America and Canada wild horses belong to everyone. They don’t have to be defaced. These people pictured are steeped in a cult of ego, of machismo and of narcissism. They have no empathy for other life forms. They are having fun, but look into the eyes of these animals. It is very easy to hurt a horse’s neck and pull its back muscles during falls. VERY wrong to do this. Those bullfights too…it’s hard to imagine this is 2009 and not the middle ages.
Tradition is sometimes another word for mass hypnosis.
krystle said
June 19, 2009 @ 12:44 am
This is so mean everyone who does this should die you are so cruel i cannot believe what i am seeing i hope someone does this to u i just cannot believe this God put these animals here for a reson but it’s definately not for this! These are beautiful animals STOP being so cruel!
Galician said
June 19, 2009 @ 8:00 pm
Once a year the wild horses are taken to the “curro” where they are grabbed and immobilised so they can be marked by cutting their hair. Then they’re released. THAT IS ALL. As a matter of fact, many of them do seem to know this “ritual” and walk towards the “curro” themselves when the date approaches.
Cutting the hair was believed to be in the horses’ best interest (hygiene) and it’s a way to keep track on them. The tradition goes back hundreds of years and it’s also believed to be related to the Celtic adoration of the horse; in many ways, in the “rapa”, one admires and appreciates the beauty and the strenght of the wild horse.
The “rapa” is fast and the animals are not beaten or mistreated, other than being grabbed for a few seconds. There are vets present, who actually take this chance to check the state of the horses (something they can’t do the rest of the year ‘cos the horses are in the mountains roaming free).
In any other country these horses would have been shot/killed or tamed to serve as domestic horses (slaves) to humans.
Unlike other barbaric events involving animals around the world, the horses are not drugged or receive electric shocks or anything like that (go do your research). They’re at their 100% and they kick humans as much as humans try to grab them.
If you feel offended by this then you better stop eating fish and meat, stop hunting, stop the damn bullfights (the “rapa” is in Galicia, where bullfights have no following cos they’re indeed cruel) and so on. Do you even have any idea of what’s going on in a normal regular standard farm??
Do not talk about what you do not know. Do not extract conclusions from a few selected snapshots. Go there, see it with your own eyes and understand the respect, care and admiration people feel for those wild FREE horses. Spend the day there and share the love locals have for these amazing beautiful beasts.
Peter said
June 24, 2009 @ 5:35 pm
Hello,
It is not uncommon for outsiders to not understand traditions of other cultures and provide an opinion that may not be so well worded. I have to say I agree with other writers that the horses are indeed scared out of their brains. It can not be disputed that the horses are scared because it is not hard to tell they are from the pictures. Horses are prey animals and people are more like predators when you look at how the two species live, act and communicate. For a ‘people’ it is normal to grab somebody by the arm and force his will upon somebody else. Horses don’t grab each other by the head but drive each other along by the hind quarters. To be grabbed by the head is telling the horse “I am ging to kill you and eat you”. The horse does not think this, it knows this as it is programmed by mother Nature.
Next the horse fights for it’s life. There is no two ways about it. The horse simply does not understand the people mean good because they are communicating to the horse that they intend to kill it.
Times change and was was OK to do 2000 years ago may not be so OK to do today and perhaps there is no need as there may well be a gentler way. If the people from Galicia really love these horses and would understand how the horse feels and what this practise does to these horses ability to not fear man, I would like to suggest the following;
Round up your horses in your square. Place several tables and chairs in the square among the horses and have your festival, food and drink among them, but don’t pay them any attention. Sooner or later the horses wil become curious and will start to investigate you. As you are not touching them, not looking them in the eye or making them move in any way, they will learn to trust you . After some time ( this could take a day or a week) you will be able to touch them and trim their manes without the horse objecting to it as your behaviour causes the horses no alarm. (Don’t forget to feed them and provide water for them as well). The measure of ‘a man’s’ strength against beast’ may have shifted to ‘understanding and skill’. Surely their must be some good horseman and woman in Galicia. Surely they would know of a more considerate way towards the horse and the people involved would feel just as good about their new strength expressed in a different fashion. I am sure it would be a delight ful event to see you trim the manes of Mother’s Nature finest creature with no fear in their eyes.
Best regards from New Zealand.
Peter
againstanimalcruelty said
July 6, 2009 @ 9:15 pm
This is absolutely disgusting….’spanish heritage’ ….load of shit. People who do this are completely brain dead. These poor horses are taken from their natural environment to be tackled and practically beaten to the ground, completely traumatised, and then just put back in the mountains again. Are these people completely stupid? Do they think that horses will know that ‘oh okay..all these men are jumping on me and tackling me to the ground, trying to cut my mane and tail, for some insane reason, and are also grabbing at my neck and head, but they’re not going to hurt me’.
Its absolutely horrible.
The article states that “it does not involve cruelty or death”, thats not what the pictures show.
In one of the photos…the whites of the horses eyes are showing..now you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure the emotion that the horse is experiencing.
Something serious should be done about this.
ps. they say that all that is being done to the horse is that the mane and tail are being cut off, but the tail is its only defensive of keeping the flies or other insects off of it in the wild..do you think they have insect repellent?
And the horse is severely traumitised for the rest of its life….and then also remeber that this festival is every year…so the horses are then captured again the next year.
OhMyPalomino said
July 10, 2009 @ 8:10 am
What the hell is this s*** , can we say Cruel. Just look the the horses reactions. These are wild horses that have never had any human contact. And people are jumping all over them, pulling pushing ect.
This is Horrible.
And i totally agree with-
againstanimalcruelty
sutumonetgirl said
August 6, 2009 @ 11:11 pm
to Someone, Galician, and Peter, i dont know if you have horses but my mom and step-dad have been rescuing them from torture like this. the look in the eyes of these horses is nothing but pain, torture, fear, and hurt. i have been around horses since before i can remember, and the first thing you need to know about horses is that they can get hurt very easily both phisicaly and mentaly. this is a very tramatic event to the horses. just imagine this for a moment : your a horse in the wilderness minding your own business then all of a suden your rounded up with the rest of your herd taken to an unknown place and put in a padock too small for the amount of horses there are then some human lunges at you grabs your head and starts to pull you down to the ground, all the while an other one is pulling your tail (think about how much it hurts tohave someone try to pull your hair out all at once) finaly they get you to the ground and you are put thruogh the final indignity of having your beautiful mane cut jagedly by these awful human captors, then lets say it happened every year for the rest of your natural life. now tell me WHAT IN THE HELL WOULD YOU BE FEELING, SERIOUSLY!!!
blestal said
August 10, 2009 @ 7:56 pm
you said this is idiot but in yours countries have more traditional idiots festivals ¬¬
Krispy said
August 14, 2009 @ 3:30 am
I have mixed feelings about this whole thing. On one hand, it seems quite unnecessary and the horses to seem quite terrified to me. I am by no means an expert on horses or the culture from which these photos were posted, which is why I’m throwing no real judgment around here.
On the other hand, I understand that traditions are important to a culture and a community. I fully understand this and most of the postings I’ve seen from people who’ve actually, you know, been there (shocking!) tend to like the festival and the goings-on.
I’m just a little confused about some things. The need to “mark” the animals by cutting their hair seems silly.. not just because it is a very temporary form of marking, but it also has no “personal” identification (either for the horse or for who marked it). Also: at this blog post about the same event:
http://jonstraveladventures.blogspot.com/2009/07/rapa-das-bestas-hairdressers-sans.html
The third photo on the page clearly shows a branded horse on the lower right (which throws out all of those comments about this being a more humane for than branding, because it’s only done in addition to it). If I am wrong, please correct me on this.
The other thing that I’m confused about is, the “vibe”, I guess, that I’ve been given by some of the more intelligible comments on this post, is that the horses mane and tail are cut for the horse, to prevent it from getting caught in brush and the like… but unless Spain doesn’t have insects, it would be much more humane to allow the horse it’s tail… it evolved that handy fly-swatter for a reason and I feel bad for the horse that doesn’t have it or insect repellent.
Otherwise: a note to comment-posters. If you cannot spell half of the words that you attempt to write in your post, do not know how to use or have lost both “shift” keys and the “Caps lock” key, feel the need to use the previously stated caps lock in excessive amounts, or feel the need to quote a big man in the sky to prove your point (“He” apparently put animals on this Earth to serve man, which is kinda the same as what you’re arguing against, hypocrite)… Please, just don’t post. It’s hard to believe your point of view in this type of post and everyone is more likely to simply ignore you (or at least that’s what they should do). Threads would be much better if the intelligent people just ignored the rest of the mass.
I apologize if that last part offended you… but really, if it did? You know you have a problem.
(Any actual answers to my questions would be great, thank you!)
Gilgamesh said
August 20, 2009 @ 5:12 pm
All these years and these people are still doing the same cruel “tradition”. Horses survived quite well without mankind cutting their hair, thank you, this is just macho thing.
Thor’s hammer, are they still practicing medicine in that local like they did 2000 years ago?
Chris simmons said
August 26, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
Firstoff i can’t even begin to start on this subject… well.. you don’t cut off a horses main and tail to “Help it” thats one idiot talking about things he doesn’t understand. the main and tail provide shade and help the animal survive in the wild.. if you cut it off the horses eyes will be eaten so bad from the flies and bugs it won’t beable to see.. 2nd i don’t think there doing anything worse than the way the horses are treated on the racetracks here in the US or at any rodeo.. not that i am trying to say i think it’s wrong how there treated. animals are tools. simple. we eat them. use them to do work for us. thats the way it is. i also feel it’s ridiculous for people to say these people are wrong. people still butcher turkeys on thanksgiving. ham on christmas and use horses to plow feilds all day long in amish community’s. you should be complaining at them also. ohh yea, how about the way the chickens are treated that provide the eggs you ate with breakfast while commenting on this someone should go talk about that! the thing i think is funny is so many people are upset about this but you have a drug dealer in your home town selling pot/crack/herion to the kids of your community. you want to know whats going to matter more in the long run? waste your time bitching about stuff like this…
ricky martin said
September 19, 2009 @ 2:56 am
i think everyone of u need a life half of you are pussies that care too much about fucking animals and the other half are just retarded i love horse wrestling especially the sound the horse makes when i tear its tail off with my bare hands
robertsmom said
September 19, 2009 @ 2:57 am
I Think you panzis should stop complaining. Your all a bunch of jealous wimps because none of you could wrestle a small dog to the ground on your best day. grow a pair of balls and find something better to do than bitch about things you could never do.
robertsdad said
September 30, 2009 @ 2:55 am
I completely agree with robertsmom on this one, not just because we are married. Stop bitching and whining over the horses, they are horses. They fight each other in the wild anyway so this is just training them to improve their combat skills. Obviously none of you could wrestle the horses so you started complaining, talking about animal cruelty and whatnot. Animal cruelty is not helping horses out by trimming their tails, it’s not corralling them to enjoy their beauty in a natural way, and it’s not testing their wits in a true and fair test of man vs. animal. The real animal cruelty is when you vegan pussies don’t eat the meat from animals which were raised on a farm and spent their whole lives looking forward to the point they would be put on your sandwich. You’re letting down the animal community, and it is your vegan bitching that causes people to become meatatarians. I also agree with my coleague ricky martin because the sound of tail ripping is both exquisite and stimulating. The great Chris Simmons was right when he said animals are tools, except he missed the part where you can’t eat a tool.
robertsmom. said
October 9, 2009 @ 3:02 am
Its me again. yes i agree with my loving husband. They are horses for fucks sake. Have you ever really paid attention to the sound a horse makes when you slap its eye with a firm open palm? Its breath taking. Me and my friends have an underground horse wrestling ring on my uncles farm. You think im scared of all you animal loving shit bags? You think im scared of PETA? I wrestle horses for profit… AND WIN
Laura said
November 7, 2009 @ 12:16 am
Dedicated to Robertsmom and Robertsdad –
ARE YOU HAVIN A FUCKING LAUGH ??
How dare you do this to these animals ? They have done absolutely nothing to you , yet you take them from their homes in the mountains , throw them into a pen that is far to small , and literally BEAT them to the ground . All for the sake of cutting a mane and tail and showing your strength against a fucking plant eating animal … Wow , your great robertsmom , you can beat up a animal that doesnt even have to catch its food . . . Have you any sense ? Do you seriously think this is a good idea ?
You think you are showing how wonderful , brave , strong and clever you are . . .
In reality , you’re showing the world how fucking THICK you are . Your saying your mind is as easily entertained , impressed and simple as the people who decided to do this in the Bronze Age .
Nice one , cave brain .
CanadianGirl said
November 20, 2009 @ 12:15 am
You can see the fear in their eyes. Grabbed for a few seconds? that looks like way longer then that. Here in Canada the wild horses are protected and untouched. I believe this is the way the memory of the wild horeses should live on. Leave these beautiful creatures along, let them live in peace untouched.
You would have to be literaly crazy to do something like this
Nastybusiness said
January 9, 2010 @ 12:03 pm
The article says “It’s a noble tradition where man pits his strength against a beast without ropes or weapons and only using his bare hands and courage.”
But the second last picture clearly shows a rope around the horse’s head and the men weilding sticks with hooks on the ends.
What a shitty thing to do, and they try to cover it up with words like “noble” and courage. Cowards.
miridunn said
February 8, 2010 @ 2:06 am
Fucking uncivilized bastards! Nothing noble here- Dress up vile cruelty to animals with fancy language – sure- morons!
Libby said
February 11, 2010 @ 4:56 am
If this whole festival is to prove mans strength against a ‘beast’, why not wrestle lions and cut off their manes? I completely disagree with it and wouldn’t condone it but I know these spineless excuses of ‘men’ would not entertain lion wrestling – why fight the predators when you can take the easy option and take down the prey! Typical MAN!
Unfornutely the previous posts just confirm the ignorance and uneducated thoughts of the people who support this. However, when people visit these places as tourists this also supports this cruelty hence it continues.
Blacksmith horses said
April 15, 2010 @ 6:33 pm
Hi, yes actually this fiesta is a ancient tradition to fight with horses males (not with females and colts) to cut the hair in the tail and head. They mark in te skin with owner name or logo and come back again to the hills. But, rapa das bestas (popular name in galician language) don’t have control ver the drank people that jump to the curro (square) where the animals are together. Many uncontrolled people beat the animals and there is anyone that take them out of the place. Horses suffered after being hit like any other animals.
The pictures that illustrated this page come from the most popular one in Galicia (Sabucedo) that celebrate in the first weekend of July. Locals and others go to the hills early in the morning to round up the horses and bring to the village. All this process takes some time and the party is over three days with music, dance and food.
irfan said
May 21, 2010 @ 5:07 am
its very bad because we should not treat animal like that. look on that pics people got crazy to fight against this beautiful animals. i think they should not do like this again
ricky martin said
June 28, 2010 @ 10:06 am
dear laura , if u really wanna do something for these goddamn horses go stop the rings instead of crying about it because it only fuels my laughter if i ever see another horse just because of you i will punch it right in the nose as hard as i can with a pair of lead brass knuckles you hardly know anything you talk about so just quietly sit in a corner cry a little while watch some stand up and try to get a sense of humour before you just annoy everyone around you like you already probably have done
singh said
July 14, 2010 @ 9:28 pm
This is really very very cruel monsterous game which these spanish bastards play with the poor animals ,and why the hell they wana trim the tails and manes….loads of shit,,..if they are so brave then why the horses are held up in a small place so that they can be pounced and cornered in a small place,,,,cos spanish assholes know horses can run faster than them so thats an advantage for them …so they minus that advantage….i dare them to try trim mane of a lion …..n watch wot happens…their ass will be ripped apart….
Robertsmom said
July 22, 2010 @ 7:31 am
Laura,I bet if these were pictures of people being beaten up you would laugh your ass off. I own a horse and wrestle it on a daily basis and it is great for both me and the horse. Fighting is in our blood. You can cry me a river about how cruel this is, but your liberal hippy bullshit only shows your ignorance. You make it soung like horses are small fragile animals. YOU try wrestling a horse with your bare hands then come back and tell me how unfair it is. This was a practice started in ancient rome by the way, not the bronze age We share their spirit. You don’t build the worlds greatest empire by NOT wrestling horses. Lrn2history you dumb cuntbag.
Seamus said
August 28, 2010 @ 12:29 am
1st This is not a fiesta, this is not a show. Even when in a few places they made an anfitheatre for tourists, this was and still is a work in the Galician countryside.
2nd The horses are not pets, they are horsestock, but in most of Galicia they run free allthe year and once a year people meet the horses to cut their hair and mark them.
3rd In the Curros (places to do the Rapa das Bestas) horses are not marked with red irons. The horse traditionaly is marked with a pierce in the ear.
4th The horsehair is cutted to clean the horse from parasites such ticks and fleas. A too long hear is not hygienic and confortable for animals.
5th If the hoof is too long, the people cut it like we do with our nails. Those horses are not using horsheshoes.
6th After the Rapa das bestas, the horse goes back to the mountain and there lives like a wild animal until next year when estays for 1/2 day or less down the mountains, in the village. The work of rapa takes normally 2 or 3 days, because there are many animals free in the mountain and they are token in groups.
7th The horses are not rided because they estay wild. Once a year all the community meets to make this work all toguether. Those horses are owned for everyone in the Galician commonwealth countryside system.
8th This is not animal wrestling or a joy of suffering. Before make an opinion think about the alternatives to keep horse lifestock in a more natural way. Things can be done better, but this is not evil. If you wash your cat or your puppy, you have enough with two hands. If you want to take a wilde horse to cut their hear you need two or more men.
9th We have all the information before talk. I think this not must be done as a show for tourists, because then we can see thinks like in the 3rd picture (a guy jumping over a group of horses). I think in America and in most of western Europe, those works where done in a simmilar way no many centuries ago. But a guy jumping over the horses like in the 2th picture shows what could have been the begining of the rodeos, so, a traditional work that becomes an stupid show.
10th I think those horses enjoy more their lifes as free animals in the Galician mountains that those we see in the horse races or those ones with a saddle and a heavy rider over them many days during the year. Please be objective and make an opinion with knowledge of the context.
Seamus said
August 28, 2010 @ 12:36 am
In 8th point where I said hear, i´d said hair.
c. said
September 5, 2010 @ 6:39 pm
its absolutely pointless.
just a bunch of guys thinking they’re ‘SOLID’ for being able to take down a horse with they’re bare hands.
completely pointless.
go found something better to do with you time.
brittany said
September 19, 2010 @ 8:59 am
woh what an argument! ok yea the horses are being pulled to the ground BUT there are no weapons involved so thats prety gd. ok these wild horses see people once a year athis festivle but look at rodieos and horse raceing focous your anger on them. rodieos beat the horses to a pulp and if they die they get new ones and the tridison of horse racing is cruel they seperate the foles from other horses so they wont get hurt (but it screws up there mind) then at age of around 2 they begin to ride them (horses should only be riden after age of 3 min) pump seroids into the thing, race it and if it dosnt win tey kill it (they dont even try to sell it of. these horses have got it great compaied to others so focous your rage on them!!!!!!!!!
Thanks
P. said
October 16, 2010 @ 2:13 am
POOR HORSES!!! People are idiots….
mia j said
October 16, 2010 @ 4:59 am
you call that ‘noble’ !! it’s sick!! and anyone who takes part in it is sick!!
what an uncivilized bunch of f…..!!!!
tricia said
October 26, 2010 @ 1:03 pm
This honestly brought tears to my eyes, to see those horse being treated that why is horrible!!! how can they get pleasure out of that? look at those horses they are scared and angry. thats not how they are suppose to be! they dont look strong and tough, they look stupid and like assholes! i honestly hope those horses kick the living shit out of them!!!
and brittany, i disagree with you very much! weapons? yeah our hands and strength can be counted as a weapon. if it can hurt someone or something it can be counted as one! there is no “prety gd” about that at all! now i agree with horse racing business, it is very cruel.
Lacy said
October 26, 2010 @ 1:32 pm
Robertsmom/dad and ricky martin,
are yall serious?
GO TO HELL! why dont yall “grow a pair” and shut the fuck up! no one here wants to read yalls nasty rude comments! i love how yall said get a life and stop bitching, WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING???!!!! goes for you to Chris Simmons, yall are sitting here bitching about us caring??? really? grow up! since it looks like yall never did.
YALLS COMMENTS ARE NOT NEEDED!!!!
GO TO HELL!!!!
thanks
bgh-horselover said
November 1, 2010 @ 2:41 am
Ghandi said – the mark of how advanced a civilazation is can be measured by how it treats the lower creatures (I’m paraphrasing here). Rodeos, bullfighting, etc, are equally as cruel as this event, but they are not what is posted in a photo here for comment. I have spent years dedicated to opposing those cruelties. After viewing many photos from various sites about this event, I do believe this to be an extremely cruel and barbarous event. Some photos show horses fallen in the herd, which means they are getting trampled, probably with injuries including broken legs. These animals are frightened, the foals get separated from their dams and injured, sometimes fatally, and I could go on…For what purpose does this event need to continue? Why not create a new “tradition” in the town, by rounding these animals up yearly, vaccinating them, inspect for injuries and medical treatment, then let them go? Why is it necessary to “prove” your machissimo through violence toward animals? The people who consider us “crybabies and whiners” are just the ones who need to understand they are showing their true weaknesses. It takes a strong person to stand for what is right, and it shows a weak coward that terrorizes an animal. The more you shout “whiney cowardly babies” at us, you show your cowardice, because you cover your fears with aggression and anger, then take it out on weaker animals. I feel sorry for you people because you refuse to recognize compassion as strength, and consider kindness a weakness. Back to the “event”, it is as cruel and disgusting as any others mentioned.
Robertsmom said
December 13, 2010 @ 8:20 am
Lacy, I am telling all of these people, including you, to shut up and stop bitching. It’s just Horses. You’re the one bitching. Games like these have been going on since the dawn of time, so why don’t YOU “grow a pair” and stop harrassing these poor people whos biggest joy in life is to fight horses. These people probably don’t have al of the modern conviences we do, so this stuff brings jot to them. Now if you will excuse me, im going to go punch a horse. Peace out bitch
Maggie said
June 27, 2011 @ 12:26 am
Hey Robertsmom,
Where do you live? I’d love to submit your comments to the Humane Society so they can take those animals away from you. Then when you’ve paid your fines for animal cruelty, you can go buy a mechanical bull to wrestle with. I hope you break your neck. Who gives a shit if people have been wrestling horses for centuries? If you really think great civilizations were built because of horse wrestling, then you are far too ignorant to be commenting on what empathetic people have to say. It’s people like you that are the reason why hundreds of thousands of seals are still being clubbed to death for their fur, or why the second most intelligent species, Tursiops truncatus, otherwise known as the bottlenose dolphin, is still being kept in captivity to do pointless tricks in too-small tanks for ignorant cunts like you and your bastard husband, or why entire pods of pilot whales are slaughtered annually in the Faroe Islands, including pregnant females whose unborn calves are cut from their wombs, or why 20,000 dolphins are annually slaughtered for food and captured for entertainment in Japan, or why 90% of shark populations have been wiped out because of shark fining, or why bull fighting, which continues to be one of the most disgusting and cruel practices of modern society, is still in existence. People like you who have no sense of empathy towards any living thing other than human beings make me hate the world and hate my own species. I hope your horse kicks you in the head and turns you into a comatose vegetable so your husband has to change your shitty underwear every day, you senseless, hateful bitch.
Stephanie said
June 29, 2011 @ 10:46 am
this is disgusting! This is pure cruelty and if one cannot see it, then they have bigger issues…
Edward Baldo said
July 5, 2011 @ 12:49 am
One of the most horrible things I have ever seen. The human race is collapsing…
Joel said
July 20, 2011 @ 11:41 pm
This is a STUPID tradition, I am of Spanish descent. I find this very cruel and unnecessary, its a tradition, that just like the running of the bulls and bull fighting should be discontinued… Love how the writer states, its not Cruel or deadly, these animals don’t look like they are enjoying themselves… I see fear, and confusion..
F$%k this stupid Tradition!
Vonmor said
October 4, 2011 @ 2:55 am
Bunch of ignorants… These horses live free in the wild. The purpose of this tradition is to count the number of wild horses. Only an ignorant will judge something that he does not understand…
F*ck you all very much.
Terry said
January 17, 2012 @ 5:48 am
It looks like these are immature horses. If not, they must be from a small breed. This does look needlessly cruel, from the animals point of view. For a former great power, they have many barbaric practices, like tossing a goat from a steeple so it can be ripped to pieces by the crowd once it hits the street below. I understand very little of the Spainish world.
Apparently, an evil Galician girl said
March 1, 2012 @ 8:59 pm
I’m seriously starting to consider creating a blog and explain every single Galcian custom, because you have to understand a few of them before being able to understand what actullay happens in a Rapa and why they take place (and that takes more than this commentary) . And no, it doesn’t have anything to with some cruel Galcian sport. Now, let’s hope if I manage to explain anything, because I still have problems with explanations in English, XD.
The funny thing, Vonmor, is that no one comments about American Football or Wrestling, or the fact that animals don’t play ‘fetch the ball’ between them, XD. Yes, I laugh, because I know that the reason to why us Galicians call a horse a ‘besta’ (beast) is because we’re veeeryyyy well aware that horses are very powerful animals: they are not weak. To quote someone from this Rapa (the only one were they hold the horses with their arms) who was holding a bag of ice against his head: “Me and the horse, we hit our heads agains each other; and his is way harder than mine”.
Part of the year I live in a village (my parents work in a city, and I study in another), so I got raised near animals and learned since I was little that: 1) Respect the animal, or it’ll prove you what it can do. 2) Big animals are really strong. That, readers, means that it’s difficult to make them stay still.
Now, let’s take in consideration the following: kids sometimes are scared of needles and had to be hold down (I was a legend in my city’s health center, to the point that one day they needed 4 people, XD), cats had to be hold down for grooming or vaccination(and they can be quite vicious), people wrestle and, seriously, exactly how do you think animals play between them? Fetch the ball? o_O.
Ever played ‘Bandera’ (lit. ‘flag’)? It’s a kids game that involves stealing an object from the other team, and no one comes out of it without getting hurt. And, by the way, my way of playing with the neighbor’s dog when I was little was… wrestling it. And yes, both me (evil, evil girl) and the dog had fun with this.
Now, a bit of culture:
1) Except a few exceptions, Galcians raise their horses in the wild and only take them out of the forest (which cover 2/3 of out territory) when they want to sell it or train it so others can ride the horse.
2) The Rapa takes place once a year and it involves the owners getting the horses from the forests/hills. Once they are down in the village, they are marked, counted and groomed. Why do we cut their mane/tail (and only PART of it)? 1. Because Galicia is full of toxos, a kind of bush full of thorns instead of leaves. 2. It’s helps to keep certain bugs that live in the plants (I have no idea of how to say ‘garrapata’ in English, sorry) away from the horses. 3. If they have to get vaccinated, it’s the perfect moment to do so (and the horse is not exactly going to let someone with a needle anywhere him).
3) THIS IS NOT A FESTIVAL, though most things in Galician can be seen like this nowadays because anyone can participate. And that’s another bit of Galician culture that needs to be explained: we prefer to everything like a community.
Nowadays, pigs are killed in… erm, I think the English term is slaughterhouse? Anyway, until recently, the pigs were killed in the house of the owner by someone that knew how to do it. However, all the neighbors would go to that house and help, both with preparing the pig and with preparing the pig’s meat. And yes, I’m only 20 and still hold enough to remember part of it.
Why do I mention the San Martiño (one pigs are killed in Galicia)? Becuase is my way of explaning that if two or three neighbors are doing the same thing, chances are that it will turn in a reunion of the whole village. It doesn’t matter what it’s about: it’s a chance to get together, help your neighbor with their jobs and enjoy a day of socilization. Galicia is mostly villages, and the villages and the houses that form them are not exactly close, so it’s the time of the year when you meet with everyone.
4) Horses are not weak, they’re really strong, DO FIGHT each other and you better not be anywhere near them when that happens. The ones that get really hurt here are the aloitadores (AKA the guys holding them), to the point that sometims they had to be taken to the hospital.