Tercio de Varas Y El Caballo de Picar [Spanish]

By Jose Luis Prieto Garrido

The suerte de varas is one of the most decisive moments in bullfighting and, at the same time, one of the least closely observed. It measures the bull's bravery, defines its subsequent behavior, and tests a technical balance that has been transformed over the centuries. In El tercio de varas y el caballo de picar (The Third Stage and the Horse of the Picador), veterinary specialist José Luis Prieto Garrido traces the history and evolution of this first stage from medieval chivalrous bullfighting to the modern-day corrida, focusing on the role of the picador, the training of the horse, the lance, the breastplate, and the different ways of executing the suerte. The analysis is based on regulations, historical sources, iconography, and a veterinary perspective that provides precision and context. Without resorting to clichés or controversy, this book offers a careful reading of the tercio de varas as an essential structure of bullfighting, key to understanding the development of the festival and the relationship between bull, horse, and bullfighter.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: Spanish
• ISBN: B0GGY3Y7Z7
• ISBN13: 9791370201029
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Almuzara
• Length: 224 Pages