Kees van den Oetelaar is a renowned Dutch stallion owner and horse dealer who has also founded the Anglo European Studbook (AES). While his main interest lies in show jumping, van den Oetelaar is also a respected dressage horse scout. He annually buys 100 - 150 foals from the breeders that use his stallions and tries to sell horses fast. That is where the difficulty lies.
In a fabulous interview with World of Show Jumping, Van den Oetelaar explained the following. Here are a few snippets but we strongly recommend you to read the full article!
On Pushing Young Horses Too Fast
When you have a young horse and you want to show other people how good a horse you have, your horse loses,” Kees says about his views on producing young horses right, with professionals you trust. “I think I have ruined some good horses by rushing them, because when I was young, I cared about what other people were thinking. You should not do things with a five-year-old that a five-year-old can’t do. Now, I know better, and I will never think like that again. Today, I think it is very important to acknowledge that when a horse is nine, it is still a baby. Horses must be allowed to make mistakes and when they are ten, and still sound, only then can you start to consider if you have an international showjumper or not. However, in m opinion, most horses are ruined before they even jump one Grand Prix.”
"Horses are longer old than they are young"
"The young horses today don’t have a chance to make a mistake,” Kees continues. “In the modern world we live in, with phones and videos everywhere, everybody knows in minutes if your horse has a fence down. Sometimes a rider might want to ride too well for the owners, because they want to keep the horse and make sure it jumps clear. However, this kind of mindset is not good for the horse. Unfortunately, most people want to see results – and of course results are also important – but horses are longer old than they are young. This is something I wish people understood better. It is so important to respect their age and school them correctly, with time and patience.”
Breed for Rideability
“I don’t think people understand how rare it is to have a good horse – it is like finding a needle in a haystack,” Kees says. “It is so complicated, and it will not get easier… In the future we will need our horses to be even more rideable because in a few years we probably cannot use spurs, nosebands, or boots – not to mention a whip. So, when breeding today, it is important to keep the future in mind – and first and foremost consider the horses’ rideability and character.”
"People Don't Understand the Prices of Horses Anymore"
“I don’t think people understand how rare it is to have a good horse – it is like finding a needle in a haystack,” Kees says. “It is so complicated, and it will not get easier… In the future we will need our horses to be even more rideable because in a few years we probably cannot use spurs, nosebands, or boots – not to mention a whip. So, when breeding today, it is important to keep the future in mind – and first and foremost consider the horses’ rideability and character.”
Van den Oetelaar hits the nail on the head on many more topics. Read the full interview at World of Show Jumping.