KVS Sport Horses is founded and run by Arie Koppe, the principal of Koppe Veterinary Services. Our farm is located two hours south of Calgary, Alberta, on a 100-acre farm surrounded by coulees and the prairies. Sara Hudgins is our trainer and barn manager.
Breeding program
The KVS breeding program uses artificial insemination to produce authentic Dutch sport horses from KWPN-approved stallions and registered mares. Dutch sport horses are respected internationally as elite show jumpers.
Breeding goals
Our program reflects KWPN’s general breeding goals: that is, breeding a competition horse that can perform at Grand Prix level, with:
a constitution that enables long usefulness,
a character that supports the will to perform as well as being friendly to people,
functional conformation and correct movement that enables good performance, and
correct conformation.
World class stallions
KVS foundation stallions are breeding greats Nimmerdor, Heartbreaker, Contender and Berlin.
Our second generation stallions are Cavalier, Phin Phin and Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve.
More recently, Arie uses modern and exciting young jumpers such as Cosmos Z, Comthago VDL, New Pleasure VDL and Sambucci de Muze, as well as proven champions Zirocco Blue, Glascow van’t Merelsnest, Carrera VDL, Hardrock Z and Douglas VDL.
Quality dam lines
Stallions are only half the story in any breeding program. Arie has selected his foundation mares for conformation and temperament, as well as dam lines that have achieved in sport and breeding. Please see our brood mares page for more about these exciting mare lines.
Equine care
Our horses are raised according to contemporary best practices. Here’s a bit about what we do and why. If you want to know more, please contact us.
Summers in pasture
Our foals spend their first days with their dam in a big birthing stall. From there, mom and foal move out to gradually bigger pastures and groups, until by mid-summer, all our dams and foals are together. Over a few more weeks, we introduce our yearlings, two years olds and older horses into the big group. This allows the foals to gain independence and confidence over time, and lets all our horses enjoy several months per year in a rich, natural herd environment.
Group housing
Before Alberta’s first killing frost raises sugar content of our pasture hay, we bring our horses into their winter housing. This means smaller groups: one of mares, foals and a nanny mare, one of young horses, and then some older groups (horses in training, broodmares without foals, and retirees). In group housing, horses live together, and can move freely between indoors and outdoor paddocks. This provides continued social support and allows the free movement that builds healthy bodies, all under cover of some serious winter coats.
Gentle weaning
We wean our foals at about eight months. At this age, the foals drink much less milk and eat much more hay than they do in their first months, so the loss of milk is not a big diet change. Also, the foals are bonded with their peers and the nanny mare, so have little or no reaction when a dam is led away once every few days or weeks. And likewise, for the dams, it’s easy to go back with the mares they already know well. Trauma-free, simple and smooth: this “disappearing mare” or “pasturing weaning” technique is an approach we believe in.
Balanced diets
We test the protein, carbohydrate, fibre and mineral content of our hay (grown and purchased) and supplement with mineral mixes to ensure that all our horses in all life stages are getting the nutrients they need.