As far as farming and agriculture can be considered part of the environment, you might say it's connected to this tradition. It's worth considering the fact that horses are not native to Costa Rica and were introduced to the region by Spanish colonizers in the 16th century. This had a dramatic impact on local traditions and customs at the time. Similarly, ranching and cattle-herding are actually a relatively recent component of the Costa Rican economy. For a long time, bananas, coffee and chocolate were the country's main exports, but around the 1940's, the United States' demand for beef provided an incentive for farmers to shift towards cattle. In fact, in the 1960's, the U.S. contributed millions of dollars to grow Costa Rica's cattle industry. Interesting, huh?
