Galicia’s wild horses in peril

Europe’s largest herd of wild horses, in north-west Spain, is under threat. Numbers have halved in the last fifty years. Now around ten thousand wild horses roam freely in the hills and mountains of Galicia. But they are facing a number of challenges, not least the loss of their habitat and the threat from their main predator, wolves. There are also legal demands imposed by the regional government which have placed added financial burdens on the local people who, in effect, “own” these horses. And yet Galicia’s wild horses have been an integral part of the local culture for centuries, particularly during annual festivals known as “rapas das bestas,” the shearing of the beasts. The horses are also known as engineers of the landscape, credited with boosting the local flora and fauna and with helping to control forest fires. John Murphy travels to Galicia to hear what is happening to these extraordinary animals and why they are so important.

Producer and presenter: John Murphy Co-producer and translator: Esperanza Escribano Programme co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Programme Mix: Eloise Whitmore Crossing Continents editor: Penny Murphy