Las Huellas del Fuego Documentary: A One-Handed 400 km Patagonia Ride

What is the Las Huellas del Fuego documentary?

The Las Huellas del Fuego documentary ("The Traces of Fire") is a 52-minute ESPN Films production, made with Uruguay's Neto Films. It follows Uruguayan horsewoman Alfonsina Maldonado as she rides 400 km across Argentine Patagonia with one hand. Directed by Julián Dabien, it arrived on Disney+ in Latin America in mid-September 2026.

Disney Latin America's trailer release gave the premiere as September 14, and its "now available" note is dated September 15. The Hollywood Reporter en Español covered it on September 23, and TotalMedios confirmed it's streaming.

The press materials describe the ride as one of the most demanding equestrian races in South America, but they don't name it. It matches the Pass of Tears, a 400 km, ten-day endurance expedition through Patagonia that Maldonado rode in March 2026. Uruguay XXI, Uruguay's government trade and country-brand agency, reported that she won its first edition. The organizers' official podium, announced March 24, 2026, put her team in first place.

Who is Alfonsina Maldonado?

Maldonado is a Uruguayan rider, agricultural technician and speaker. When she was six months old, an accident left her with serious burns, and she lost her left hand.

Horses became her way forward. She trained in para dressage and represented Uruguay at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, after falling two points short of the minimum qualifying score for London 2012.

A few more facts from the reporting:

• In 2016 she published an autobiography, El desafío de vivir ("The Challenge of Living").
• According to The Hollywood Reporter en Español, in 2024 she set up the Fundación Alfonsina Maldonado to support children and young people with burn injuries in Uruguay.
• In an interview with Uruguay's VTV around the premiere, she said the documentary makes her very proud and that her story has reached many countries.

Where and how to watch Las Huellas del Fuego

Here's what's confirmed and what isn't:

Outside Latin America? Disney's press notes and the trade coverage only mention Latin America. We couldn't confirm availability in the US, Spain or anywhere else. Search "Las Huellas del Fuego" in your own Disney+ app. If it doesn't show up, it isn't licensed in your country yet.

Watch-night checklist:

1. Check that your Disney+ plan is active in a Latin American country.
2. Search the full title, since it may not appear on the home screen.
3. Check the subtitle and audio menu. We couldn't confirm which subtitle tracks are available.
4. Set aside an hour. At 52 minutes, it fits easily after a barn evening.

Why the film matters to riders

Most horse films are about winning. This one, as Disney pitches it, is about finishing: over 400 km, Maldonado relives memories and challenges that shaped her life. The race result is public, but the film is about the journey more than the finish line.

It matters to riders for three reasons:

• Representation. Para riders rarely get a spot on a big streaming platform, especially Spanish-speaking ones.
• Real horsemanship on screen. Multi-day Patagonian riding means cold, wind, rough ground and long hours, which is very different from arena work.
• A reminder about partnership. In a race this long, the horse's condition matters as much as the rider's grit.

If you've had a hard fall or lost confidence, her story connects well with our guide on rebuilding confidence after a fall.

How long-distance endurance races work

According to Uruguay XXI, Maldonado rode the Pass of Tears in a pair. Each rider had two horses and switched horses about every 200 km so both would reach the veterinary checkpoints in good condition. We haven't seen the full rulebook, so here are the general principles used in endurance riding worldwide. The American Endurance Ride Conference sums up the spirit in its motto: "To finish is to win."

Vet checks

The race is split into loops. At the end of each loop, the horse enters a vet check, and the pair can't go on until it passes.

• Heart rate: the horse's pulse has to drop to a set limit, usually around 64 beats per minute, within a time window. At AERC rides that window is 30 minutes.
• Hold time: the mandatory rest clock often starts only once the horse reaches that pulse. A horse that recovers faster gets back on the trail sooner.
• Metabolic check: vets look at hydration, gut sounds and general condition.
• Soundness: the horse trots out in hand so the vet can spot lameness.
• Sores and galls: tack rubs on the back, girth area or legs can end a ride.

Pacing

Fast riders often lose because their horses are slow to recover. Smart pacing looks like this:

• Easing off before each vet check so the pulse is already dropping.
• Letting the horse drink whenever there's water.
• Getting off and walking on steep downhills to spare the horse's legs.
• Riding your own race, not the pace of the group.

Horse welfare

In endurance, a vet can pull a horse at any time, and that decision is final. Good riders see the vet as a teammate. Endurance horses need months of gradual conditioning, well-fitted tack and good hoof care before tackling long distances. For basics, see our care guide and health basics.

How riders with disabilities adapt tack and technique

The FEI's para equestrian guidelines use the term compensating aids: equipment that makes up for a physical limitation, not for a lack of skill. Common options for riders with limited use of one arm include:

• Looped reins or ladder reins, which are easier to grip and shorten.
• A connecting bar that joins both reins so one hand controls both sides.
• Rein guides, where the rein passes through a ring on the saddle.
• Hand holds or a neck strap at the front of the saddle for balance.

Two rules matter most:

1. Never tie the rider to the horse or saddle. The rider must always be able to fall free.
2. Know which aids need approval. In FEI para dressage, standard aids such as a soft hand hold or a breastplate or neck strap are allowed for everyone and aren't recorded on the FEI Classification Master List. Profile-specific aids, such as looped or ladder reins, a connecting rein bar, reins through a ring or a hard hand hold, are granted through classification and listed there. Anything outside the FEI tables needs approval from the FEI Compensating Aids Panel.

One-handed riding is also old news in the Americas. Western and criollo riders often neck-rein, steering with light rein contact on the neck. See our tack and equipment and riding skills pages to learn more.

What to do and watch next

• Watch the film on Disney+ if you're in Latin America, and check your own app if you're elsewhere.
• Keep an eye on Maldonado's path. Uruguay's Telenoche reports she's training to qualify for the 2028 Paralympic Games in dressage. No qualification has been announced.
• Curious about long rides? Start with day trips. Our guide to cabalgatas is a good start, and our safety page covers the basics.
• Compare riding cultures in our piece on natural horsemanship vs traditional training.

More horse stories are in Trends.