My family has been breeding horses for three generations in Brosville, a Norman village nestled in the Iton Valley, about a hundred kilometers west of Paris.

My grandfather built the stables and bought our first mares — at that time, French Saddle mares.

Since then, horses have always been part of our lives, around the house, at the foot of the cliffs overlooking the Iton River.

After several trips to Latin America, we decided to start breeding Criollo horses, and from the Écuries des Roches was born the stud farm “Criollos de las Rocas.”

Today, our herd consists of about eight Criollo mares imported from Argentina and the stallion YANCA HALCÓN — Grand Champion of the 2022 Buenos Aires Autumn Show.

We chose to source our mares and stallion directly from Argentina, in order to bring “new blood” to France and thus avoid inbreeding — our breeding line does not descend from any existing French stud (not even partially).

We selected mares with excellent conformation and genetics. It was a major investment, made even greater by the cost of air transport, but we are certain it was worth it — the Criollos de las Rocas are unique in France!

Our horses are born and live in herds, in large pastures, all year round. Young foals are raised not only by their mothers but also by the other mares in the herd during the first months of their lives.

All of them are registered with the Sociedad Rural Argentina, which means they are purebred and fully registered, and therefore eligible for breeding as Criollos.

The starting (breaking-in) process begins at around two and a half years of age and follows natural horsemanship principles. We attach great importance to this learning phase, as it shapes the horse’s future. It’s about building the horse’s foundations by truly educating the young foal.

The work starts on the ground, to establish trust and gain control over the horse’s movements. It’s a process that is both fascinating and essential. Too many horses pay — sometimes dearly — for the mistakes made by their trainers.

If you buy a foal just after weaning, you’ll need to handle and/or get help with its education yourself.

If you purchase a three-year-old or older from our breeding program, its training will already be well advanced.

The Criollo is a late-maturing horse, reaching full development around five years old, giving you plenty of time to refine its education during that period. You’ll then have a wonderful horse for the next 20 years — guaranteed!