Stud Farm - State Stud Farms

State Stud Farms

A state stud farm (German: Landgestüt, French: Haras) is one that is owned by the government. The first state studs were ordered by Louis XIV of France in 1665. The purpose of the state studs was to make high-quality horses available to local breeders and farmers to accelerate the evolution of local horses. Stud farms which kept a herd of mares in addition to stallions were dubbed "Principal" Studs. State-owned stallions were made accessible with low or no stud fees. Germany is most famous for its Principal and State Studs, which have been instrumental in the shaping of the German riding horses and several breeds of German cold bloods. The Hanoverian is associated with the State Stud of Celle, the Rhinelander and Westphalian with the State Stud of Warendorf, the Brandenburger with the Principal Stud of Neustadt an der Dosse, and so on.

Other European state studs include:

• Lipizza (1580) of Inner Austria (now Lipica, Slovenia), known for the Lipizzaner horse
• Kladrub (1579), another state stud established by Austria at Kladruby nad Labem, in what is now the Czech Republic, which breeds the Kladruber
• Mezőhegyes (1784) of Hungary
• Bábolna (1789) of Hungary, which breeds the Arabian horse, the Shagya Arabian and others
• Radautz (1792) of Austria (present day Romania)
• Piber Federal Stud (1798) of Austria, began as a military depot, since 1920 known for breeding the Lipizzaner horse
• Janów Podlaski (1817) in Poland, best known for breeding purebred Arabians.
• Kisbér (1853) of Hungary
• The Irish National Stud (1946), which breeds Thoroughbreds
• Michałów (1953) of Poland, which breeds Arabians.
• Marbach stud, (1477) also known as Weil-Marbach, Württemberg (present day Germany). Produces Arabians, Black Forest Horses, Haflingers, and warmbloods.
• Yeguada Militar, Spain
• Trakehnen, in East Prussia, now Russia, home of the Trakehner.

The German city of "Stuttgart" gets its name from stud farms.