We raise horses in Brosville, a Norman village nestled in the Iton Valley, about 100 kilometers west of Paris.

My grandfather built the stables and bought our first mares, back when they were “Selle Français” (French saddle-breed).

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

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

Today, the herd consists of about eight Criollo mares imported from Argentina and the stallion YANCA HALCON – Grand Champion of the 2022 Buenos Aires Autumn Show. We made the decision to source mares and a prize-winning stallion from Argentina, aiming to bring “new blood” to France and thus avoid inbreeding – our breeding program is not descended from another (lesser) French breeding program.

Genetically, our breeding program is unique in France.

Our horses are born and live in a herd, in large pastures, summer and winter. In the first months of their lives, the young foals are raised by their mothers, of course, but also by the mares of the herd, and then we take over.

Our offspring are all registered with the Sociedad Rural Argentina (Argentine Rural Society). They are therefore “purebred” and “fully registered,” and thus eligible to breed in turn as Criollo horses.

The “breaking in” of the foals begins at two and a half years of age and is done using “ethological” methods. We attach great importance to this learning phase for foals, which shapes their future. It’s about building the foundations of the future horse, teaching it how to learn, thus preparing it for whatever life may hold.

If you buy a weaned foal, you will need to provide this training yourself (and/or with assistance). By age 3 and older, its training will already be well underway. Since the Criollo is a late-maturing breed, you will have plenty of time to refine its training during the final stages of its development. You will then have a wonderful horse for the next 20 years, guaranteed!