the last spanish cowboys

Each winter, as the cold reaches the Sierra de Gredos, transhumance resumes its course. From Ávila to Extremadura, small groups of herders move their cattle on foot and on horseback along ancient drove roads, following routes that have connected territories for centuries.

At their side, the horse is not just a means of travel, but a silent companion—essential to the rhythm of the journey, to the control of the herd, and to the very possibility of covering such distances. Between rider and animal, there is an unspoken understanding, built through time, effort, and a shared endurance.

Far from any idealization, the journey imposes its own harshness: long days, persistent cold, little rest. At dawn, fog covers the landscape; at dusk, the light briefly transforms fatigue into calm.

This practice, increasingly rare, survives in the hands of those who maintain a deep knowledge of the land and the animals. “The Last Spanish Cowboys” approaches a way of life in disappearance, suspended between continuity and inevitable loss.transformation.