This is actually against the grain in the current market, where continued breeding specialization has led to horses that can jump the moon but are barely rideable, or horses that can piaffe beautifully but spook at a shadow. There is nothing wrong with this; we believe there is room in the market for many types of horses, and champion horses at the global level aren’t usually laid-back or easy to handle, but that’s what makes them champions. For us, breeding begins with rideability—based on the strong connection to their humans—and hardiness. That’s why cavalry breeds were a natural starting point. We wish to breed horses like Lapis, who carried his rider in the aftermath of World War II from central Russia to Germany braving the perils of the Russian winter and surviving on whatever forage or thatch they found on their way. Read his story here, it’s quite something.
Our selection of stallions followed a different direction. Where we expected the mare to bring temperament, athleticism, endurance, and an affinity to humans, we selected stallions that would add the jump without detracting from any of the mare’s qualities. Because jump is highly hereditary, we were confident that if the mare already had a decent jump, we could breed solid jumpers in F1, and then reinforce it in F2 and F3 without sacrificing the core qualities passed on by our foundation mares. Ultimately, our goal was to produce horses that would be beloved by their owners, with whom they would enjoy a long and successful career in any ring—jumping, cross country, dressage, endurance, trail, indeed any and all disciplines. Not Olympic jumpers or Grand Prix dressage stars, but companions willing and able to do whatever their owners ask of them.
