Monastic stud farms During the
Middle Ages, stud farms were often managed as part of a
monastery. At the time, few people apart from monks could read and write, and so they were charged with the responsibility of recording
pedigrees. The
Carthusian monks are famous for their role in breeding the
Andalusian horse in
Spain, while monasteries in
Bavaria were responsible for the original
Rottaler horse. The oldest stud farm in Europe still in existence today is the Mews of
Einsiedeln Abbey (1064) in Switzerland where
Einsiedler horses are bred.
State stud farms , Žabnik at Sveti Martin na Muri, in Croatia, is owned by the Međimurje nature'' public institution A state stud farm (, ) is one 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: •
Haras national du Pin, the first state stud created in
France •
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 Stud Farm (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 •
Trakehnen, in East Prussia, now Russia, home of the
Trakehner •
Yeguada Militar, Spain • Coudelaria de Alter Real, in Central Portugal, which breeds Lusitano (
Lusitano) Horses The German city of "
Stuttgart" gets its name from stud farms.
Private stud farms ,
Poland Around the world, private individuals have farms dedicated to animal breeding, usually of
purebred livestock. Some of the largest and most impressive are those dedicated to
Thoroughbred horse breeding, such as the historic
Claiborne Farm in
Kentucky or the
Darley Stud, owned by Dubai
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which stands over fifty stallions at stud in facilities located in seven countries. ==Stud service==