About Us

Kareela Hill is a family owned stud, situated near Kojonup, 260km south of Perth, Western Australia, just off the Albany Highway. It is a 1400 acre working farm producing sheep for wool and crops of canola, oats, wheat and barley. The reliable rainfall, cool temperatures, heavy soil and improved pastures make this an ideal location for the health and development of broodmares and young horses.

Our Breeding Philosophy.

Our aim with horse breeding is to produce an attractive, athletic, strong boned performance horse with an excellent calm temperament and super movement which will suit both dressage and jumping.

                                                  Above: Quarter horse mare Zipped in Three with her new born foal, Zipped In Mystery in 2007.

 Left: Our first frozen semen baby by Weltmeyer, Weltanna.

This quest has led us to focus on the Hanoverian Warmblood breed and specialise in using imported frozen semen (IFS) from Germany. Pregnancies can therefore be difficult to achieve. However, the opportunity to breed to the "best of the best" and have foals by super sires such as Weltmeyer and other world class stallions is too exciting to ignore.

Our other love is the famed Quarter Horse. These horses are such a delight to work with due to their unflappable temperament, high intelligence, athleticism and all round usefulness. They can do Pony Club one day, move sheep the next, be turned out for weeks and come back in to work without any fuss. We started breeding Quarter Horses in 1986 in order to produce athletic polocrosse horses with strong bone and temperament. Crossed with thoroughbred mares, these horses have served the family well over the years in all kinds of disciplines. Giselle is the last mare we have kept from this program.

All our foals are imprinted and well handled from birth. We can walk up to any of them in the paddock and they will come to us for a scratch and a cuddle. Attention is given to their correct nutritional requirements as correct nutrition is essential to develop strong bones and joints. We also do not believe in bringing our foals and yearlings on too quickly with an over-rich forced diet as this can lead to problems with chronic diseases in the joints later in life (OCD's).  Our foals also get to enjoy the wide open spaces necessary to best develop their musculo-skeletal frame and also become well socialised by growing up in a herd. Picture right: Friendly Quarter Horse colt 'Rex" enjoying a cuddle from a guest.

We believe that the best time to wean foals is between six and eight months of age in as natural a way as possible. The benefits to the foal's social, emotional and physical well-being is best served by not rushing this important time in a foal's life. By the time the foal has reached seven months of age, he or she can be weaned onto lush green feed and without any emotional trauma to either the foal or the mare. These holistic and natural approaches will help to ensure that our foals will reach their full potential, be self confident and stay sound throughout their life. Picture right: Mares and foals enjoying the lush winter pasture of perennials, oats and lucerne under a stormy sky.

 Breeding History and Progeny 1987 - 1995

Below are pictured the original broodmares of Kareela Hill Stud during the 1980's with their foals. The Principal broodmare, Nellie, is pictured below with foal Giselle (left), a first cross Quarter horse sired by Sundance King (Hill King Pistol). Pepper (right), is a first cross Friesian sired by Maurits Friso and is now a brood mare in Queensland.

Nellie with foal Giselle  1988                Nellie with Friesian foal Pepper 1990  

Below is pictured Nellie with Flashdance sired by Sundance King (Q), and Ida with Buster, also by Sundance King.

Nellie with foal Flashdance (AQHA) and Ida with foal Buster (ASH)1987

Chocolate Obsession (DOB 15th November, 1990)

Chocolate Obsession (Reg EFAWA), or 'Domino' as he was known as a foal, is a first cross Friesian sired by Maurits Friso out of Butterfly, a black thoroughbred mare. He was a stunning black foal (pictured below left at 5 weeks) and blossomed into a very quiet and friendly horse with soft elastic movement. He is pictured below right at the age of 2 years, during his early training. 'Domino' left us after being broken to saddle, moving into an eventing and dressage home where he has since excelled and is now officially graded Medium in dressage and a member of the Young Riders Dressage Squad . "Chocky", as he is now known, led the young riders display doing a freestyle to music parade at the Isobel Werth evening at the State Equestrian Centre in Perth in December, 2005.

'Domino' at 5 weeks                            'Domino at 2 years old with our 8 year old daughter. A gentle giant.     

Kareela Escapade

'Ernie' was born here on Christmas Eve 1995. By "Otto" (Sue Goodwin's stallion) who is by Lutz (dec'd) out of the thoroughbred mare "Pillow Talk". Ernie has been competing for many years in ODE's, dressage and showjumping and is now also a Level 2 Parelli student. He enjoys a relaxed life-style on the farm, being ridden by various members of the family and the occasional house-guest.

Competing at Mt Barker Show, 2004

Competing On Kareela Escapade (Trakehner x Thoroughbred) at Upper Blackwood Show, 2005, in the Show Horse and Halter Arabian Derivative Classes.

Kareela Sundance

Sunny

Foaled Jan 1988. So quiet, we broken him in ourselves with no problem and sold him on for pleasure riding, stock work and, later, he was a reliable children's mount at Pony Club. He is a very attractive chocolate chestnut with flaxen mane and tail. Photo taken at his second ride under saddle.