Extremadura announces 75,000 euro grants for saddle horses

The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Environment of the Junta de Extremadura has announced, on a competitive basis, the 2026 grants aimed at promoting the breeding, selection, and training of saddle horses directed at livestock professionals. The call is published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura (DOE) no. 207, dated October 27, 2026, via Resolution of October 15, 2026, of the General Secretariat (reference 2026062621), accompanied by extract 2026062683 and identification number BDNS 937046.

The grants are governed by Decree 126/2024, of October 8, which establishes the regulatory bases for these subsidies (DOE no. 213, of October 31, 2024). The authority to approve the call corresponds to the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Environment, while the organization and processing of the procedure fall under the Agricultural and Livestock Production Service of the Directorate General of Agriculture and Livestock.

The call is financed through budget application 120020000 G/312B/47000 CAG0000001, project 20180106 “Equine Strategic Plan Actions,” with an initial allocation for the 2026 year of 75,000 euros, allocated in Law 2/2026, of August 3, of the General Budgets of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (DOE no. 149, of August 4, 2026). The aid consists of a payment of 5,000 euros to the owner of each beneficiary horse or mare, with a maximum of 15,000 euros per line, an amount that may be increased using surpluses from other lines in accordance with article 7.3 of the bases.

Five lines of aid and fifteen thousand euros per discipline

The initial distribution is set at 15,000 euros for each of the five lines, linked to the following equestrian disciplines:

• Line 1: Dressage.
• Line 2: Endurance.
• Line 3: Show Jumping.
• Line 4: Vaquero Dressage.
• Line 5: Others, which includes Eventing, Technical Riding Equestrian Competition (TREC), Combined Driving, and Working Equitation.

Only one line of aid may be requested per horse or mare. Once the grant has been awarded for a specimen, it cannot be obtained again in successive calls, nor for animals that were already beneficiaries under Decree 147/2018, of September 4.

Specimens born in BADIGEX farms and two minimum points

Beneficiaries may be natural or legal persons who are owners of horses and mares that meet, among others, these requirements:

• Animals born on a farm registered in the Registry of livestock farms, animal identification and traceability of Extremadura (BADIGEX) and located there from birth until the application.
• Identification in accordance with the registration regulations for the equine species, with an equine identification document or passport.
• Constant ownership since birth, except in cases of inheritance, generational replacement, or coincidence of ownership with a company.
• Age between 4 and 7 years, both inclusive, and between 5 and 8 years in the case of the Raid line.
• A minimum of 2 points in competitions during the period between September 29, 2025, and October 4, 2026, both inclusive.

Persons sanctioned for non-compliance regarding the environment, animal welfare, or health programs are excluded. The grants are subject to the de minimis regime of Regulation (EU) No. 1408/2013, with a limit of 50,000 euros per company over three years.

Ten business days and resolution within three months

The deadline for submitting applications is ten business days from the day following the publication of the resolution and its summary in the DOE, via electronic processing through the enabled associated headquarters at www.juntaex.es. Applications are evaluated based on the number of competitions contested and the results obtained in each discipline, with coefficients according to the territorial, national, or international scope.

The Evaluation Commission will be composed of:

• Lucía Galán Caballero, Director of Livestock Programs, as president.
• Juan Carlos Gutiérrez Hernández, Legal Advisor, as secretary.
• Antonio Luis Nieto Galán, Veterinarian, as member.

The resolution corresponds to the holder of the General Secretariat and must be issued within a maximum period of three months; lack of notification allows the application to be understood as rejected by administrative silence. An administrative appeal may be filed against the call within one month. The document was signed in Mérida on October 15, 2026, by the General Secretary, José María Guerrero Pérez.

The call reinforces a sector that the resolution itself links to employment and the stabilization of the population in rural areas: the breeding and training of saddle horses supports riders, sports technicians, transporters, saddlers, and veterinarians, and allows for the sale of a finished and proven product in equestrian competitions.

Source: Official Gazette of Extremadura, No. 207, of October 27, 2026, section III (official reference: 2026062621).