Equi-libre Sierra Nevada

Let's talk about cowboys! 

The cowboy is undoubtedly the quintessential figure of the United States, popularised by Hollywood in westerns. However, few people know that this icon, considered genuinely American, actually comes from the Spaniards who came to America. 

Today it is a profession on the verge of extinction, as there are fewer and fewer extensive cattle ranches that need cowboys to look after and manage herds of cows. 
 
Although with technological advances some of our cows now carry a GPS that allows a cowherd to know where the cow is, and probably through it another part of the herd, the work still follows a long and ancient tradition and culture.
 
As mountain pastures grow naturally, without human intervention, cows need to move around a lot to find enough food, and their territory has to be large. 

Our herd, certified organic since 2007, consists mainly of "Berrenda en Negro", "Berrenda en Colorado" and "Pajunas" cows. They graze freely all year round on 7.000 hectares in the Sierra Nevada National Park, mostly above an altitude of 2.000 metres. 
As the territory is so large and also because it is a protected area, it is neither possible nor desirable to put fences in to limit the cattle's movements. This is why the cowboy's job is so important; he has to make sure that his animals do not leave the territory where they have the right to graze, that they do not go onto land cultivated by farmers or get lost.