haras national du Pin

In 1665, under Louis XIV, Colbert created the royal studs administration in order to overcome

the lack of horses which then prevailed in the entire kingdom; he also wished to improve French equine breeds. The army was then in dire need of horses, and the kingdom was forced to import them from abroad. As soon as the administration was created, royal stallions were selected and sent out to various areas; they were the only ones allowed to breed. Starting from 1668, the army still lacking in horses, private stallions were also allowed to breed after having been approved of by the State.

The area on which to build the first royal stud was chosen in 1714. The quality of the pastures and the easy access to water made Buisson d'Exmes, near Argentan, the perfect spot. The area was bought from Louis de Béchameil de Nointel, State Counsellor, in exchange for other lands in Picardy. On the 2nd of April 1715, order was given to transfer the haras royal de Saint-Léger to Buisson d'Exmes.

The estate today covers over 2,471 acres. The first stables were built starting in 1715 and the first stallions arrived in 1717. The architectural style is equivalent to the École de Versailles, and Pierre Le Mousseux oversaw the works, following plans which had been drawn by Robert de Cotte, first architect to the Crown and the successor of Jules Hardouin-Mansart. The current buildings (stables and castle) were built under the reign of Louis XV, between 1715 and 1730. The writer Jean de La Varende nicknamed it "the Equestrian Versailles". The terraces were designed by André Le Nôtre in the tradition of French formal gardens.

On 27 January 1790, the destruction and removal of the "Haras" were voted, but it narrowly escaped this fate, the National Assembly at the very last moment deciding to establish there a "depot of the best stallions in the Kingdom". Nevertheless, the functions of the Haras were re-established only under the First French Empire, in 1810. The "École des Haras" was founded in 1840, and on 29 May 1874, a law decreed one should have studied there to occupy any function as an officer of the "Haras".

The stud was occupied by the Prussians in 1871, then by the Germans (June 1940-June 1941). It found itself at the heart of the site of bataille de Normandie, close to Falaise, though without sustaining any damages.

The Haras du Pin today

The change within the Haras nationaux (national studs) took place at the end of 2013, when breeding as such, the core of their function, was transferred to the private sector. However, the Haras national du Pin maintained its breeding activities thanks to a private cooperative of breeders, the SCIC (Cooperative Company of Collective Interest), which brings together various private breeders. The SCIC set their stallions in the 2nd stable. Some National stud stallions were also rented, in order to pursue their breeding career.

The decree of 2 July 2015 created the "Établissement Public Administratif" (a public administrative establishment) named the "Haras national du Pin": the National Stud was detaching itself from the authority of the IFCE (French Institute for Horses and Riding), in order to be jointly managed by the Orne department, the Basse-Normandie region and the State. The Executive Board is presided by Laurent Beauvais, also Chairman of the Lower Normandy Regional Council.