May is the month of El Rocio and romerias in general but amongst the costumes, flower, decorated carts and horseback riders… there’s also death.

The pilgrimage to El Rocio with revellers converging from all over Andalucia takes days and after all the festivity there is the trek back… and it can be gruelling for the horses, ponies and donkeys, so much so that this years the death toll was 13 dead animals.

We’re talking about nine horses and four mules; all dead from exhaustion or in some cases, callous mistreatment. And that’s just the death toll because the ones that do make it back sometimes take months to recover.

In fact, a total of seven people have been charged over some of these casualties.

One such case was a person in Sevilla who hired a mule for the trek; one that was 25 years old and not exactly in prime physical condition. By the time that they got to El Rocio the animal was showing symptoms of extreme weakness yet the owners blustered that the animal would have no trouble making it back – it died attempting the return journey.

In another case, five people were charged who had two hired mules between them. By the time that they reached the village of El Rocio both animals sported seriously injuries provoked by the serreta viva; a metal piece of muzzle equipment habitually used in these kinds of romerias.

Fortunately, these two animals at least were saved thanks to the medical attention given by the vets from the Refugio del Burrito.

One such vet complained bitterly that these riders stop along the way for two or three hours to eat and drink and never think to even take the saddles and harnesses off their mounts.

The Partido Animalista (Pacma) demanded back in 2015 that the Junta investigated and found those responsible for the deaths amongst the animals during El Rocio of that year – nothing was done, nor is liable to be done this year either.

(News: El Rocio, Huelva, Andalucia – Photo: El Refugio del Burrito)