In Spain the practice of transhumance is some 6,000 years old, with Neolithic pastoralists following the ancient paths traced over millions of years by wild herbivores.
The long distance between southern valleys and northern mountains, about 500 Km of plains that are extremely cold in winter and very dry and hot in summertime, forces the herds to travel four or five weeks in spring, and the same period back in autumn. Each herd is led normally by five people, each with one shepherd dog to handle the livestock, and five defence dogs to protect the herd against wolves and bears.
A vast network of drover roads, 125,000 Km long with a total area of over 400,000 hectares, links together the different Spanish regions. Today transhumance in Spain is being revived – a revival which is welcomed and celebrated by the people of Spain.
One of the most interesting ones and that remain nowdays is the horse trashumance between Teruel and the Valencia Region, North-East Spain, which usually takes place in June. Every year, a few priviledge people are offered the opoortunity to ride along and spend a few days sharing this ancient tradition with locals. Should you be interested, you can contact the Valencia Equestrian Tourism Association at info@atecv.org