A rejoneo is a type of bullfight where the main bullfighter performs the bullfight on a horse. The use of horses also occurs in other types of bullfights, such as corridas de toros and the Portuguese-style bullfight (touradas), but the rejoneo itself is different. Rejoneadores - the bullfighters performing in rejoneos - are dressed differently, normally with a short jacket and an Andalusian hat.

The rejoneo is the same as a corrida de toros, but the matador does everything on a horse during rejoneos. He/she also makes the bull run to exhaust him, but this time instead of teasing it with the capote or the muleta he/she does it with the horse (which is specially trained to avoid the charges of the bull, and therefore wears no armour or padding, and is replaced by a 'fresh horse' every few minutes).

Instead of the pica (lance), a special banderilla called rejón de castigo ('dagger of punishment') is stabbed in the bull's back, close to the neck. This is done to produce pain, to cut his muscles, and to produce blood loss. This dagger remains deeply stuck in the bull's back during the rest of the 'fight'.

Then the horse rider stabs several pairs of banderillas (sticks with harpoon-like ends) in the bull's back. Eventually, the bull is killed with the rejón de muerte ('death sword') deeply stabbed in his back (aiming at the heart), again by the horse rider. Often, the bull does not die instantly, and the use of the verdugo or puntilla (dagger) is needed to paralyse the animal before cutting off his ears and/or tail and to remove him from the bullring.

Apart from the clothes of the bullfighter and the country of origin, the main difference between rejoneos and touradas is that during rejoneos, the bull is killed with the sword and the horns of the bull have to stay intact, while during touradas, the bull is not killed in public and the horns of the bull are covered with a leather cap to 'protect' the horses from accidents.

Although the horses in rejoneos have been trained to avoid the bull, accidents do happen and horses are sometimes caught by the bull, which may lead to their death. Besides, because the horse has to react very quickly to the instructions of the rider, horses used for rejoneos also suffer from a severe and painful training regime, and from the continuous and heavy use of the rider’s spurs, which often leave visible bloody marks at the horse's sides after the bullfight.