We crossed goats before crossing sheep, after talking to that shepherd. They herd both in that region.

This was in France, not in Spain (I corrected the "40km south of the Spanish border", it is "north").

I'm in favour of subsidies in whatever field, for instance for people whose job depends on a lot of external factors (such as shepherds). I mention them specifically here because in this case the recipient wants the donor to get off "his" mountain, yet he doesn't own the land ... if he did, it would be a different story. In fact, the State also pours in money to maintain the mountains as they are, to maintain the fauna and flora as they are, to develop B&B's and Guest Houses ... not only for his herd, and I am thus entitled to visit these mountains as much as he his to herd his sheep/goats there.

So repeating this argument and putting it back in context: if security at Airbus holds you back, it's because they own the place, it's their right. But a mountain man has no right to tell me to fuck off to "my country" when I'm walking on public land (which is the same as his, except unlike him I don't vote Front National).

So like I said, I am all in favour of subsidies, as long as people know where they stand. Maybe the government should attribute mountain land to shepherds, it would make it a lot easier for everyone. Then it would be their land and no one would walk over it with dogs. Nor would I then mention subsidies ...