The 2024 foaling season is about to begin! Be sure to check our Facebook daily to catch breaking news of any new arrivals!
Welcome to Tacoma Stud, based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Our breeding program produces sporthorses with a particular focus on temperament- as well as robustness, correctness and athletic ability. Our foals have the very best start in life and we seek the very best homes for them, the goal being that our foal will become your ‘horse of a lifetime.’
Most of our horses have a rare dilution gene called the silver gene ('Z' gene), sometimes called 'silver dapple'. The silver gene is common in small equines (Shetlands, Highlands, Minis) and is extremely common in the the French draught breed (Comtois) and in many gaited breeds. However, it is very rare in most other breeds, and especially rare in sporthorses. The gene only acts on black pigment, and thus hides on chestnut (red) based horses. On black or bay based horses, it often causes a stunning effect of the mane and tail becoming blonde/flaxen/white. Other markers of the gene can include white eyelashes, striped hooves, diluted points (bay silvers) and body coat dapples. Expression of silver can vary, but most of our horses are 'loudly' expressed.
Our foals are given the very best start in life and go to their new homes at weaning having been raised in small herds living out and gradually, socially weaned. They've had all the basics of the education and are happy to load and travel well.
Every year, we aim to have 3-4 foals. Most of our foals from each year's crop are for sale, with all colt foals always being for sale, and only some fillies occasionally retained. We do scan our foals in-utero for gender, so sometimes it is possible to reserve them in-utero.
Zircon is a truly unique stallion. His temperament is exceptional: he is unusually affectionate (always in a respectful way!), has a ‘best friend’ type personality that adores people, he’s sensible, and he has a natural curiosity/absolutely loves his work. He is currently the only sporthorse stallion in the world that is both homozygous for the silver dilution gene and also black based. He will pass his silver gene to 100% of foals, and if used with a mare that is black and genetically EE, will guarantee a foal the same colour as himself. He is a highly versatile height, with an expected height at maturity of 15.3hh-16hh. Zircon has excellent paces, with very correct movement, with an effortless, scopey jump. Finally, he was bred with soundness and robustness in mind, both sides of his pedigree are full of exceptionally sound horses with long careers. This includes his own sire, KWPN stallion Oldlands Vivaldi (Goodtimes x Alme Z), who retired sound at age 19 still jumping the big tracks.
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