Garrano horses will help prevent fires on Cabreira mountain

Seeking natural-based solutions for the management of the easement corridors, REN drew up a protocol between the Vieira do Minho municipality, ACERG - the Garrano Horse Breeders Association and APOSC - the Cabreira Mountain Territorial Planning Association.

This initiative gathers around 263 mares and 28 stallions that will prevent forest fires on Cabreira Mountain, while creating conditions to protect this local endangered species. It includes the creation of a system of improved pastures, drinking troughs for the horses and the placement of GPS devices on dominant mares and stallions.

The undertaking also has the assistance of APOSC which, through its teams of forest fire fighters, supplements any work not done by the Garrano horses in the corridors of REN's power transmission lines.

Through an agreement signed by the four entities, REN will be responsible for building a fence, along certain specific sections, to keep the horses from easily reaching National Highway 103 during times of less food supply on top of Cabreira Mountain, thereby making road accidents less likely. To complement this initiative, REN will create a system of improved pastures, and plant native shrub species in select areas, helping to keep the animals from having to travel to more hazardous areas to find food, while helping to enhance biodiversity.

REN will also be in charge of creating drinking troughs for the animals, as well as for placing GPS devices on dominant stallions and mares, in order to monitor them.