In Guatemala, as in other parts of Central America, the horse has been a powerful symbol of pride and the forces of history. The original Spanish conquistadores, beginning with Cortez and ending with his lieutenant, Pedro de Alvarado, used their horses and their armor to devastate the Aztecs and the Mayas.
As part of their ensemble of armor, breastplates and swords, spurs were the most potent but subtle symbol of all. Deriving from the knightly traditions of centuries earlier, only gentlemen were allowed to wear spurs, indicating status and the prestige of being a mounted caballero.
When the Spanish came to Central America, the term 'gachupines' came into being, meaning either a pure-bred Spaniard or someone who came from the mainland of the mother country. The word is thought to have referred to the large spurs with the big rowels worn by the conquerors and then later, diminished to 'chapinas', referring to native Ladinos or Gautemaltecos of class other than natives(i.e., Mayas).
Today, the culture of the horse is slowly disappearing: only the rich can afford to maintain the lifestyle and keep up appearances. The annual August parade, the Hipico Desfile, in Granada, Nicaragua is perhaps the leading display of this tradition for all of Central America. The balcony of the Spanish Embassy serves still as the judges' viewpoint and the horseflesh is the best that money can buy.
In Antigua, the riding stables are slowly fading away, and as the economy suffers from other factors, those with an extra horse or two are faced with a difficult choice.
Source: Guatemala News-El
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