The wildfires that once scorched the forests above the Spanish village of Barro each summer have all but disappeared since Lucia Perez began grazing wild horses in the area.

“There used to be fires every year, but since 2019 when we started coming here, we’ve had one small fire in the first year and nothing since,” Perez, 37, said. She explained that the horses help reduce the risk of wildfires by clearing the undergrowth between trees, preventing fires from igniting and spreading.

Fire prevention is just one of the ecological benefits wild horses provide in Galicia, a region in northwestern Spain known for its delicate ecosystems.

Scientists said Europe’s largest herd of wild horses plays a key role in maintaining these landscapes although the population has dropped dramatically. In the 1970s, about 22,000 wild horses roamed the region’s mountains, forests and heathlands. Today, only half remain.

On the Serra da Groba heathland, located 80km (50 miles) southwest of Barro, wild horses feed on the yellow flowers of gorse – a highly combustible plant. “By selectively clearing [gorse], the horses help prevent wildfires,” said Laura Lagos, a researcher at the University of A Coruna.

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Horse grazing allows other plants, such as purple-flowering heather and white asphodels, to flourish, Lagos explained. “It also helps preserve the heather around peat bogs, which are abundant in sphagnum mosses – one of the most effective ecosystems for capturing carbon,” she said.

A 2021 study by the University of A Coruna in which Lagos participated found that wild horse grazing was the most effective method for preventing wildfires, promoting plant biodiversity and capturing carbon. The study compared this method with other land uses, including planting long-term pine forests, short-term eucalyptus plantations and grazing by domesticated animals.

Although sheep and cattle can also help reduce wildfire risks through grazing, Lagos noted that wild horses are uniquely adapted to Galicia’s rugged terrain. She highlighted one distinctive characteristic: “moustaches that appear designed to protect their lips from the prickly gorse.”

Hotter, drier weather due to climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires in Galicia. From 2001 to 2023, fires burned through 970sq km (375sq miles) in the region, according to Global Forest Watch.

This trend has coincided with the proliferation of eucalyptus trees, brought to Galicia from Australia by a missionary in the 19th century. The trees are pyrophytes, meaning they rely on fire to release and disperse their seeds. Their spread has contributed to heightened fire risks while also reducing grazing pastures for wild horses because only ferns grow beneath them.

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Galicia’s eucalyptus forests now account for 28 percent of the region’s total tree population, according to a local government study. The demand for eucalyptus wood from regional pulp mills has driven the expansion of these plantations.

The history of wild horses in Galicia dates back thousands of years. Rock carvings of horses being hunted by humans suggest their presence in the region during the Neolithic period.

Over time, humans and horses developed a symbiotic relationship. Known as “besteiros” in the Galician dialect, people traditionally monitored the health of free-roaming horses in exchange for occasionally domesticating or selling them for meat.

Once a year, the horses were rounded up during events called “rapa das bestas”, or “shearing of the beasts”. During these gatherings, the animals were deloused, vaccinated and had their manes trimmed to prevent wolves from catching them.

Today, the “rapa das bestas” has evolved into a cultural festival. The most famous event in Sabucedo draws thousands of tourists annually, who gather to watch locals wrestle wild horses to the ground for treatment.

While these traditions continue to honour the connection between Galicia and its wild horses, the growing risks of climate change, habitat loss and declining herd numbers highlight the urgent need to protect both the horses and the ecosystems they sustain.

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