We brought Doutzen over from Friesland when she was just two years old. She is a full sister to Wouter and Berber, both of whom achieved KFPS Ster and Kroon status whilst under our care. Where she differed from her older brother and sister was in her conformation, most notably her back which was particularly weak and as a young horse looked almost swayed. She did however show a huge amount of elasticity and power in her movement despite this.

Doutzen is from a very old Friesian bloodline - Stam 1 which dates back to 1878 and has produced some exceptional sports horses over the years. With her brother having qualified for the BD Young Horse finals as a 4yo & 5yo and her sister Berber achieving 77points in her IBOP test to help her gain Kroon status Doutzen had big shoes to fill.

We waited till Doutzen was 5 years old before backing her to allow her back the best chance to fully develop. When she moves, she naturally hollows her back so it was vitally important to work her in a way that encouraged her to use her core, carry herself and build up the muscles and strength in her topline. Fortunately her conformation and slightly lower set neck than a lot of friesians made it quite easy for her to be able to work 'long and low' and she took to the training very easily. She showed she was a beautiful moving horse - athletic, supple and willing

In 2014 we took Doutzen to the FHAGBI inspections, where she was awarded the title 3rd Premie and entered the studbook. As Doutzen developed she clearly displayed a talent for dressage with her elegant, easy movement so Tracey started working her regularly with her trainer Melanie Turner who had guided her with the training of Wouter a few years beforehand.

In August 2015 Doutzen returned to the inspections and upgraded to the title of 2nd Premie Ster, Champion mare and completed her IBOP test in dressage scoring 79 points, the highest score achieved at a UK IBOP test. This confirmed to us she was a very special mare. Similar to Renske, Doutzen does not have the 'luxury racial type' that some friesians have which is why she would never upgrade to 1st Premie Ster or higher but where she does excel is in her movement.

Due to personal circumstances in 2011 Tracey was unable to continue Doutzen's dressage training so she started to take part in the experience days . For a couple of years she was a much loved ride for many of our visitors - always polite, trustworthy and kind. However due to her natural wish to hollow her back when she works just hacking and working in the way she found easiest did not suit Doutzen in the long run. Her movement became more and more 'floaty' and her back became weaker and weaker which was potentially going to cause health issues.

Although Doutzen is very kind she is not an easy horse to ride correctly and this was not something we could expect our visiting riders to have the ability to do when first meeting her. As soon as the opportunity arose in 2019 Doutzen was taken away from the experience days with a view to rebuilding her strength and developing her schooling work so she could be offered to the more experienced dressage rider to feel what a big moving, athletic friesian feels like to work.

Doutzen competed in low-level dressage in her early years, but competition was never a priority. After losing her brother, Wouter, Tracey vowed never to treat a horse solely as a competition animal again. When Doutzen showed signs of colic similar to Wouter's symptoms before his stomach rupture, her care routine changed signicantly. Vets discovered a small impaction, which was resolved with Pepsi, and emphasized the importance of her keeping active to maintain her gastric health. Doutzen cannot be conned to a stable or small area for long periods as movement is essential to keep food moving through her system. Interestingly, mild stress helps her pass droppings, so she is regularly placed in stimulating situations to ensure everything functions properly. She also follows a special diet to reduce the risk of ulcers and impaction and all her food is well-hydrated for optimal digestion.

Doutzen continues to train with Tracey and Melanie Turner, making her the most advanced ridden horse and the most established in groundwork at the Sanctuary. Her training has signicantly improved her strength, balance, and connection.

Followers of lovely Doutzen can follow her journey on our YouTube channel and social media pages.