Rapa das Bestas Festival

In the north of Spain, the traditional annual Rapa das Bestas festival takes place, which has been held for several centuries. During this ritual, hundreds of wild horses that graze on the hills are herded into a cramped arena in the village of Sabusedo, and then the "aloitadors" (experienced horse tamers) bring the horses to the ground and trim their manes and tails. The festival is notable for the fact that during the taming of horses, daredevils do not use any ropes or lasso and other auxiliary items.

(Total 15 photos)

1. Wild horses fight in the Spanish village of Sabusedo during the Rapa Das Bestas festival, July 6, 2014. (© Reuters)

2. A man tries to stay on his horse during the festival Rapa das Bestas in the Spanish village of Sabusedo, July 5, 2014. Wild horses are herded from the hills to the village where the festival will be held. (© Reuters)

3 A man tries to hold on to his horse during the Rapa das Bestas festival in the Spanish village of Sabusedo on July 5, 2014. (© Reuters)

4. Wild horses are herded into a special paddock in the Spanish village of Sabusedo during the Rapa das Bestas festival, July 5, 2014. (© Miguel Vidal / Reuters)

5. Herd of wild horses in the Spanish village of Sabusedo during the festival Rapa das Bestas, July 5, 2014. (© Miguel Vidal / Reuters)

6. A herd of wild horses is surrounded by locals in the hills near Sabusedo, about 40 km from Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, July 5, 2014. Wild horses are driven from the hills to the village where the festival will be held. (© AFP / Getty Images)

7. A herd of wild horses is surrounded by locals in the hills near Sabusedo, about 40 km from Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, on July 5, 2014. (© AFP / Getty Images)

8. Aloytadors tame horses during the traditional Rapa das Bestas festival in the Spanish village of Sabusedo on July 5, 2014. (© AFP / Getty Images)

9. Wild horses in a special paddock in the Spanish village of Sabusedo on July 5, 2014, which are thrown by desperate daredevils during the traditional Rapa das Bestas festival. (© AFP / Getty Images)

10. Wild horse tamers try to handle a wild horse during the traditional Rapa das Bestas festival in the Spanish village of Sabusedo on July 5, 2014. (© AFP / Getty Images)

11. Mass taming of wild horses during the traditional Rapa das Bestas festival in the Spanish village of Sabusedo, July 5, 2014. (© AFP / Getty Images)

12. Mass taming of unbroken horses during the traditional Rapa das Bestas festival in the Spanish village of Sabusedo, July 5, 2014. Every year at the beginning of July on weekends, hundreds of horses from the villages of northwestern Spain are driven to the village of Sabusedo. (© AFP / Getty Images)

13. Mass taming of wild horses during the traditional festival of Rapa das Bestas in the Spanish village of Sabusedo, July 5, 2014. (© AFP / Getty Images)

14. A man struggles to stay on his horse during the Rapa das Bestas festival in the Spanish village of Sabusedo on July 5, 2014. (© AFP / Getty Images)

15. Horse tamers try to handle a wild horse during the traditional Rapa das Bestas festival in the Spanish village of Sabusedo on July 5, 2014. (© AFP / Getty Images)