About Us and Our Philosophy

 

Mariposa Sport Horse Farm, owned by Peter and Carol Krauss, is located in Gleichen, Alberta, within an hour from the Calgary International AIrport. Carol has been riding, competing and training horses successfully for over 30 years, as well as breeding warmbloods having worked and trained at a number of European-owned barns. Today, our successful breeding program results from applying things learned from great teachers, combined with a significant amount of research done on each stallion to ensure he matches with the mare. Our philosophy and interest is to promote the breeding of very high quality horses with correct conformation, athleticism, and exceptional mental attributes of intelligence, good character and kind temperament. We strongly believe that the horse must be pleasant to handle and ride, or else the athletic qualities are of little value. We do not always offer foals for sale, but those we do sell quickly as weanlings, as we continue to develop our reputation for producing enjoyable, athletically talented horses for both amateur and professional alike.

Our Training Philosophy: The most important training begins at birth! We deliberately choose to have only two or three foals at a time so each foal receives daily attention. Our foals are correctly and quietly handled at birth, progressively taught to accept a halter and lead rope within a few days of birth, to be led, to be caught and brought in the pasture for grooming and to quietly have their feet picked up daily. Attention is closely paid to with their nutrition, farrier, deworming and vaccination program, and each foal has its own individual health records charted. The mares and foals are kept in moderate sized pastures for socialization and natural exercise, but brought in nightly for feeding and rest in their very large box stall. Foals are progressively exposed to a variety of sounds, sights and places, slowly accustoming them to a life of traveling and showing, starting with their own inspection show while they are still at their mother's side. By the time the foal is weaned, the foal is confident yet respectful to people, polite, friendly, easy to catch, easy to handle, and has travelled in the trailer.

When it comes time to back a youngster for the first time, we hold true to the philosophy that the first few times make a lasting lifelong impression, so we practice precision and patience, with the priority towards ensuring the youngster maintains its confidence at all times. The young horse is prepared progressively in an unrushed manner until the horse is well able to accept a saddle and eventually a rider on its back. Carol has specialized in dressage many years and her training philosophy is "Practice, Patience and Persistence" following the classical dressage training scale of: Rhythm, Looseness, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness and Collection. For interest and to keep things fresh, varied and balanced, small cavaletti and cross poles, and trail rides with experienced, quiet, older horses helps broadens the young horse's experience and life skills.