Rick and Liz Schatz are the proud owners of Flying Oaks Ranch and are Marchador enthusiasts. They specialize in raising and training Marchadors with a passion for excellence in each individual. Their ranch, nestled in the Tall Grass Prairies of Northern Oklahoma, features top of the line ranch, performance, and pleasure horses. The first thing Rick looks for in his horses is "a fine head and good conformation" with quality movement being a close second!
Mangalarga Marchadors first came into the picture when Rick and Liz were living in the small town of Macae, Brazil. Liz began riding Marchadors at a farm called Campo Real and, with much persistence, introduced Rick to the breed. He instantly fell in love. Their first Marchadors were bought as personal mounts which later led them to purchasing breeding stock and leasing a farm, Fazenda Zouga, in Brazil. Some of the foundation bloodlines that can be found at Flying Oaks Ranch are Abaiba, Herdade, and Tabatinga. Rick and Liz helped to introduce the Mangalarga Marchador breed to the United States by importing horses from their farm Fazenda Zouga when they returned to Oklahoma from Brazil. Foundation Marchadors (Aliane Fazenda Zouga, Bara Fazenda Zouga and Brava Fazenda Zouga) from their original breeding farm can be found at other Marchador breeders in Montana and in Tennessee. Rick and Liz retained their imported Brazilian stallion, also of their breeding, Ator Fazenda Zouga and two imported mares Crystal Rainha and Gavea do Campo Real.
Back in Oklahoma, Rick and Liz decided to center their breeding program on Ator. His sire, Netuno A.J. is of pure Abaiba bloodline and his dam, 1635 Marengo da Tosana, is a mix of Abaiba and Herdade.
Ator Fazenda Zouga is one top MM stallions in the country with over 20 Mangalarga Marchador foals.
Flying Oaks Ranch offers a different way of raising horses: in their natural environment. Our Stallion Ator runs free in the pastures with the mares, which allows for pasture breeding and pasture foaling. The mares and foal are usually brought into smaller areas to bond with the foals until the mare is ready for breeding at which time they are returned to the pasture. In the fall all horses are brought in for vaccinations, worming, farrier work, and to wean the foals. The weaned foals are moved to a barn and paddock with daily feeding and handling through the winter months. In the barn area we have a loading area with a standard livestock trailer, this trailer is open at all times giving the weaned foals a chance to have daily play time in the trailer getting them acquainted to trailers at same time. I have horses that will load into the trailer out in the pastures on their own if you open the gate. In the spring the weaned foals are turned loose into the pastures and are only handled two times a year for worming and vaccinations until two/three years of age. We believe this gives the young horses a chance to grow in a natural habitat, learning the horse society in a natural way along with absorbing the experience needed to protect themselves. All of this contributes to a more confident and well-rounded horse as training is started and that confidence will remain all through its adult life.
If you are interested in learning more about Mangalarga Marchador’s, please give us a call or you are always welcome to visit our Flying Oaks Ranch near Kaw City, Oklahoma to see all of our fabulous horses and experience one of the smoothest rides possible on horseback.
Article that appeared in Equus Magazine.