Horses leap through flames and pets blessed in honour of patron saint of animals

Hundreds of Spaniards watched horses gallop through towering flames, hours before pet owners in Madrid took their dogs and cats to church to be blessed by a priest.

The contrasting Spanish traditions take place every January to honour St Anthony the Abbot, the patron saint of domestic animals.

And despite criticism from animal rights groups, the horse-and-fire spectacle draws loyal crowds ever year.

Las Luminarias is a centuries-old tradition that takes place in the Spanish village of San Bartolome de Pinares, which has a population of 500 and is about 60 miles outside Madrid.

Riders guide horses through bonfires in the middle of the street in an act believed to purify the animals in the coming year.

“In the old days it was held because it was believed that the branches and the smoke blessed the horses and donkeys, which were used for farming, as a form of healing to prevent them from getting sick and to ensure they continued working in the fields,” said Antonio Patricio, 62, who attended the event.

Festivities started around nightfall on Friday as giant stacks of tree branches are placed on the side of the street, while locals share wine, beer and sweets. Hours later, the stacks are lit and become the menacing fires that the animals must jump through — or around.

Animal rights groups have long criticised Las Luminarias, but locals say the horses are rarely, if ever, injured.

The next morning, on St Anthony’s Day, pet owners in some churches across Spain take their companions to to be blessed with holy water.

That ritual blessing is also believed to bring the animals health and protection for the year — although there is less objection to the dogs and cats getting sprayed by water as compared with horses braving the flames.

Pet owners waited patiently on Saturday outside the entrance of St Anthony’s church in central Madrid, where Catholic priests blessed the passing animals. Many of the dogs were wrapped in winter vests, while the cats looked a little more bewildered.

“I’m happy to be able to do it,” said Madrid resident Rosa Gomez, holding up her dog, Kia. “She is a little dog that was given to us six years ago by a family that couldn’t take care of her, so we adopted her, and since then she has kept us great company.”

Hours before the start of Las Luminarias, riders wrap their horses’ tails in fire-resistant tape and braid their manes. Some apply a glaze on the animals’ mane to prevent them from burning as they leap through the flames.