Import and Sales of PRE / Andalusian Dressage Horses
At Kensington Ridge PRE’s we spend countless hours looking at hundreds of mares to try and find that special one that jumps out at us. By the time our entire team looks at the horse and we go through the pre purchase exam, x-rays and ultrasound we may look at almost 200 horses before a purchase decision is made.
If she is staying in Spain she will go to the trainers facility to begin her training. (This is a program that we are only just setting up. It is not operational at this time)
If she is coming to the US, she will quarantine in Spain for 4 weeks. Fly to the United States and quarantine for 3 days with the USDA then she will be transported to Kensington Ridge PRE’s located at Kensington Ridge Farms in Wellington, Florida.
Unless you are participating in our concierge service which caters to importing PRE Dressage Stallions and Gelding for private buyers, our sales horses will typically stay with Kensington Ridge Farms longer than most sales farms. Why is this? There are several reasons for this.
1.) We must get to know the horse. KRF will not put our name behind a horse we do not know. We must be able to tell our clients everything we can about the horses habits, personality, likes and dislikes.
2.) We need time to work on formal training.
3.) We need to work on environmental training. For example I want the horses to be as desensitized as possible in order to hack out on trails, ride around your neighborhood, even go to state parks. You must enjoy your horse outside of training and showing.
4.) We do not make the assumption that when the horses arrive from Spain that they will be accustomed to cross tying, fly spraying, even rinsing and bathing using a spray nozzles. We recognize that it will take time for the PRE Dressage Horses to acclimate to our way of doing things. Not to mention acclimating to our climate.
5.) Some have never seen a dressage mirror. That can be a small hiccup with a stallion, which is resolved within a day or two.
6.) We want to make sure they load on trailers, stand for the farrier, work well with the vet etc.
These are just a few examples of why we prefer the Spanish Dressage Horses to stay with Kensington Ridge Farms for a little longer than most.
It is very import to Kensington Ridge Farms that we identify with our clients. KRF is a happy, laid back farm with a tranquil environment. However when it comes to training and interacting with our horses we are very serious. We put a lot of thought into our training program and are always staying up to date on new and improved methods of training. To build on that occasionally, KRF will bring in qualified clinicians to assist in the development of our sales horses. Our goal is to provide you with the dressage partner of a lifetime. This is why we insist on quality over quantity when it comes to our sales horses and why we only have a few in the United States at one time.
When our horses first arrive from Spain we do not have a set time that we put them into our training program. We listen to the horses and spend a lot of time watching them to determine their personality which gives us a good indication on when, how and were we should begin with their training. Then we are able to tailor our KRF training program to each one individually. We recognize that every PRE / Andalusian learns, retains and advances at a different pace and we as trainers/riders must adapt to them in that area. Kensington Ridge Farms is not on a deadline to sell our horses. Therefore there is no pressure to turn horses around quickly. We are able to take our time training. If we feel we need to back off of a horse for a little while then we do. When the horses work in a relaxed stress free environment we find they are much more egger to please their rider/trainer. With that being said we must be very careful how we train and when we advance their training.
Our trainers and riders are always mindful that PRE / Andalusian horses develop quite late (6-8 yo for a complete growth, this is an estimate I have been told by other professionals that they can continue to grown until 10) our horses are young and we are very careful. The horses do not understand that they have limitations. We must set their limitations.
In addition KRF’s riders and trainers know that PRE / Andalusians have very active minds and love to please their owners, riders & trainers (their people) PRE / Andalusians will try even when they are not physically ready. They could over exert themselves which could possibly lead to an injury. We are gentle and never ask for new exercise if we feel they are not ready for it.
PRE / Andalusian (Pura Raza Española) Concierge Sales Services
Kensington Ridge Farms will occasionally important stallions and geldings from time to time however it is usually by request only. If you are interested in purchasing a PRE Dressage Stallion or Gelding we do provide a concierge service for our clients. You may be as specific or as vague as you like with your request. We will do everything we can to find your dream PRE Dressage Stallion or Gelding. When using our concierge service we handle all aspects of the purchase process from pre-purchase exams, quarantine in Spain (proving stallion is a virgin)(does not apply to geldings) to air travel to the United States. We will also handle coordinating the US import process and transportation to your farm. Our goal is to match up riders with their dream Spanish Dressage Horse. Please contact us for more information. For more detailed information select the tab “concierge service” in the above menu.
Future Client and Business Associate based equestrian events
Kensington Ridge Farms is in its start up phase we have so many wonderful ideas. As we hope to grown in doing so we envision a multitude of events that the our clients and community can participate in regardless of what type of horse you have. We do not discriminate. Kensington Ridge also believes that it is extremely important to support the community and local vendors. We hope you will do so as well. I will update the website as much as I can with anything that may be of interest. I look forward to sharing my journey with you.
Client Portal
We care that it is going well with your Kensington Ridge PRE. KRF hopes all clients will participate in our after purchase program called “Client Portal”. KRF, wants to keep in touch with all of our clients. We want to know how your doing with your Kensington Ridge PRE. We want to know if your showing, enjoying your rides or just loving your new companion. We would love photos, emails or even for you to post something to our blog. Please let us know if it is alright to post your updates and photos.
