REARING AND KEEPING
Horse sense –
the reason for the success of our PRE breeding.
Breeding horses means taking responsibility for them. It is the obligation to provide animal-friendly keeping, feeding and medical care. In addition, the horses’ predispositions must be recognised and worked out in accordance with the breed characteristics. We do all this with the necessary horse sense in our PRE breeding centre Yeguada Wiesca near Cologne.
REARING
Close from the start
Sensitivity and experience are the basic prerequisites for rearing and keeping foals, which is essential for their later development. After just a few days, the foals from our PRE breeding programme are allowed to enjoy hours of exercise in the pasture. This allows them to familiarise themselves with natural boundaries and strengthens their immune system. Regular contact from birth is essential to avoid conflicts between humans and animals later on.
First steps in training –
the foal ABC
From an early age, our foals learn the first steps of the foal ABCs without pressure or coercion. This includes hoofing, tying up and leading. This is followed later by ground work, loading training, vet training and familiarisation with traffic, machines and everyday objects.
From foal to young horse
After around 10 months, the foal is weaned and the mother mare and foal are separated from each other. After weaning, our fillies are placed in a smaller herd where they can continue to have contact with their mothers. The young stallions are kept in a mixed-age open stable with ample access to pasture.
KEEPING
Species-appropriate keeping with plenty of free space
Our main focus is on species-appropriate keeping. The mares grow up in a herd in an active stable with different floor coverings such as sand, concrete, paving and plastic grids. The horses have hay ad libitum all year round. The grazing season begins in spring with gentle grazing. In summer, they have constant access to pasture. This form of husbandry ensures that our horses have healthy hooves, optimal bone, tendon and muscle development, a very strong immune system and particularly good social behaviour.
