Yardah Tosco in advanced dressage.

Raising Funds to Secure the Future of a Unique Classical Horsemanship Project

For the last 25 years, Yardah Equeste Stud (YES), pioneered by Marjorie Armstrong, has been developing a new breed of horses: the Spanish Warmblood. They are now looking for supporters to bring this project to life by launching a crowd funding campaign on Monday 23 of June at Indiegogo.com. Join the YES team.

Why a new breed?

“Hybrid vigour of a crossbreeding becomes lost after the first generation, unless the genetics are set with line breeding.”

As a result of Marji’s years of training horses and riders around the world in the art of classical horsemanship, YES wanted to create an alternative breed suitable for dressage, jumping and classical equestrian art. In other words, a horse showing outstanding balance between physical build, movement, soundness, sensitivity, generosity and willingness. The first progeny produced the template for a horse able to achieve the characteristics above.

How was this achieved?

Inspired by the developing of the Australian Merino & Corriedale sheep, Yardah’s ambitious genetic research programme has been skilfully crafting a new pure breed of horses. The answer lay in merging Andalusian and Thoroughbred genetics through line breeding. This allowed setting a genetic pattern for the Spanish Warmblood. Thanks to these efforts, the Spanish Warmblood is now classified and registered as a distinct new pure breed, an initiative that has not been undertaken for over 100 years.

The results:

On May 9th 2013, the Horse & Hound weekly magazine (U.K.) observed that “the ultimate dressage breed would be an Iberian X Warmblood”, but that “with today’s economics, few can afford to experiment.” The editors were surprised to discover “that the Spanish Warmblood breed already exists as a distinct new pure breed as compared to a crossbreed program.” Yardah Stud has pioneered this new pure breed.

The next level:

With the Spanish Warmblood breed now ready to be launched, YES wants to involve supporters to propel this unique initiative to an international level through a solid ten year plan. Raising funds through the upcoming crowd funding campaign will assist:

• Continuing the genetic development of the breed.
• Marketing and distributing sales of the breed, in the form of both semen and livestock.
• Creating the first semen collection facility in Western Australia that fulfils the Artificial Insemination protocols of North America and Europe.
• Putting 200 horses around the world through frozen semen within the first year, to increase the biological critical mass of the breed to ensure genetic diversity by widening the gene pool.
• Promoting the breed as horses of the highest calibre for all levels of competition for the future.
• Keeping Yardah as a cultural classical equestrian centre of international dimension.
• Publishing Marji’s horse training most awaited works: “Demystifying Classical Horsemanship” and “Gymnastic Exercises for the Athletic Equine”.
• Releasing the first four DVDs of a series covering instructional In-hand and Lungeing exercises.

The campaign:

On Monday 23 of June, Yardah Stud is proud to announce the launch of a crowd funding campaign at Indiegogo.com. Anyone can participate, from one dollar to all the way to the top. Each pledge will be thanked and rewarded with awesome goodies, outstanding stays in Yardah’s cottage and private training sessions with Marji.

Explore the campaign at Indiegogo.com. Join the YES team and seize this incredible opportunity to become a team mate of this unique adventure!

About Yardah Equestrian Centre: Situated in Cranbrook, Western Australia, Yardah Stud has been a pioneering centre of horse genetic research and a world class reference centre for classical horsemanship for over 25 years. Through its activities and unique culture, YES is also a powerful economical asset to the area. People coming from all over Australia and overseas to the Stud are a testimony of its international standing. More info about:

The centre: www.yardah.com
The horses: www.yardahstudshorses.blogspot.com.au
The training: www.classicalhorsemastershipinternational.com

About Marjorie Armstrong: In addition to the breeding program, Marji is one of the pioneers of the classical philosophy of horsemanship in Australia (achieving results in harmony and cooperation with the horse rather than by domination). She has trained in Europe with acknowledged masters including Luis Valenca Rodrigues, Nuno Oliveira and Le Cadre Noir at Saumur, France. With over 45 world tours since 1992, she has trained thousands of horses and riders in Africa, UK, Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Asia and Australia. More info at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marji_Armstrong.