[1] Their knowledge of the terrain and tracking skill led to their secondary function which was to hunt down Moorish looters who seized travelers on the road in order to obtain plunder are prisoners for ransom.
[2][3] Membership in this group required three basic criteria: good physical condition; knowledge of the terrain; and tracking skill.
On 24 January 1385, their efficiency led King Juan I of Castile, upon request from the Council of Murcia, to stipulate that they were to be exempted from paying taxes.
"[4] Because of the dangerous working conditions and high physical demands, the active life of ballesteros was short, due to either retirement or premature death.
Therefore, a system of generational rotation was employed to ensure new young men could be trained and substituted for the older veterans in a timely fashion.