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Brazil (by Jean Llewellyn) West of São Paulo, tucked away in rolling countryside, lies Haras das Mangueiras, founded in 1992 and owned by Geraldo Lefosse. It was his dream to breed high-quality horses, and the Lusitano was chosen for their extreme intelligence, beauty and docility. Today, the stud farm includes some 70 horses, including approved stallions Luar das Videiras and Mel OR and a band of well-bred broodmares producing 10 or 12 foals each year.
... Q What are your goals now?
In my breeding it is really to continue breeding quality. In the past I had a bigger breeding programme but reduced it because, for sure, in everything I do in my life I am always targeting quality. Therefore, my focus is to improve the quality of my horses even more, so I am starting to breed with the mares that have been born at my place because they are the product of my vision. They validate my work, so I will now breed with them.
I am now using Nobre for the daughters of Mel, because it seems that the results are good for the foals born this year, but my goal really is to find absolutely the right stallion to use with Mel’s broodmares, because he is something really special. Always, I am looking to breed a horse that is extremely docile, with a lot of functionality ... but also to find people that are sensitive enough to appreciate and understand the value of theses horses. I should say, not only to buy them, but to adopt them. Alongside the financial means, a lot of love goes into my breeding.
Q What are the economics of breeding in Brazil?
I can tell you very easily, because I have some horses of friends that are boarded at my place. I can also say that I don’t tag them, so they receive the same standard of nutrition and treatment as all my own horses – and they are all under my personal supervision – and it costs between R$1,000 and R$1,200 (US$600 to US$725) per month to provide a high level of care and also for them to be well trained. Some people come every weekend and we become good buddies, having a beer, dinners together and a lot of fun. So economically, it’s not expensive to have a horse in Brazil.