As a family business we are passionate about quality and naturalness: Our horse stables employ the HIT Active Stable® system, which was awar- ded 5 LAG stars. This system provides horses with everything they need in a natural environment. It is a horse management system that specifically and uniquely meets the horses' requirements. We sell our horses exclusively to leisure riders, western riders, and distance riders. Only organic mare's milk is the basis for our natural products that are refined with biological herbs, oils, and natural scents. Our formulas are based on centuries-old experiences, the newest dermatological knowledge, and is tailored to the needs of our customers.

1991: From dream to reality.
The idea for our horse ranch was born during my one-year stay in South America. Back then, I worked with Gauchos and their horses on several Estancias (ranches) in Argentina and Paraguay. I have come to appreciate and cherish Criollo horses that I worked with – a very robust and strong breed of horse – that is particularly suitable for milk production. Leasing the Schlüchtseehof in Grafenhausen, a traditional farm with 26 dairy cows located in Germany's Black Forest, was the beginning of CRIOLLA Mare's Milk Natural Cosmetics. Our goal was to establish a mare's milk farm within the next five years. A lot of challenges had to be tackled: Creative concepts, recent technologies, and the re-conversion to ecological and organic farming were successfully implemented.

1991: Two award-winning Criollo mares from South America.
In the summer of 1992, we asked Paraguayan friends to purchase two award- winning broodmares by auction in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. We hired a professional transport agency so that the strenuous flight to Euro- pe would be as easy on our horses as possible. For the time being, we have employed these extremely calm-minded horses as leisure horses and for cattle driving.

1993: First experiences with mare's milk production.
We found congenial partners for our first experiment with mare's milk: Two pregnant Haflinger horses that had already gained some “experience“ in this area. Aside from that, they are ideal for cross-breeding with Criollos. These so-called “Criofinger“ are popular for trail riding and as western horses. In the very same year we started with mare's milk production.

1994: Bonito del Este and the beginning of the breeding season.
Success came quickly: Our mare's milk customer base grew steadily. One day we sat down over a glass of Rothaus beer and decided to sell our cows. The very same winter we flew to Uruguay and bought famous stallion “Bonito del Este“ and three more broodmares from the money we got for the cows. “Bonito del Este“ had been awarded Grand-Campeon of Uruguay several times. This time the horses “flew“ with Lufthansa which was an all new experience for this airline. Criollos and crew safely landed in Frankfurt from where they were brought to their new home in the Black Forest.

Today: Schlüchtseehof – A horse's paradise with 5-star active keeping.
The 34 hectare (84 acres) pastures and grasslands of the Schlüchtseehof -- located in the Black Forest's higher altitudes at 950 m (3,116 ft.) above sea level-- are cultivated and run according to strict “Naturland“ standards and principles. Naturland farmers work to the highest organic standards. They produce high-quality products with recourse to genetic engineering – safeguarding both the environment and the consumer. By now, our herd comprises 37 animals: 10 broodmares with their foals are joined by 9 livery horses of all breeds. We have created ideal conditions for the well-being of all our animals.

Horses want to live together with their fellows permanently, they constantly want to graze small amounts and want to be able to move around freely. Our Active Stable offers all this and more: life within a herd, individual feeding on demand combined with lots of fresh air and exercise. In this way, horses are far more relaxed, balanced, fit, and much more calm-minded and compa- nionable when working with humans. Since 2000, Schlüchtseehof is regularly awarded 5 stars by “Laufstall Arbeitsgemeinschaft“ (LAG) for keeping horses in a natural environment. Therefore we are the highest awarded mare's milk farm in Europe! We also attach great importance to a natural and undisturbed development of our foals. The foals spend their childhood together with their mothers on select pastures. When the little Criollos and Criofinger are about 4 weeks old we can gradually begin with feeding solid foods. This is when we start to milk the dams.

Bernhard Rudolf