My Story

My name is Simone Michels. I was born in Amsterdam, but in many ways I have been a citizen of the world for most of my life. From the age of two, I lived abroad with my parents, and animals were always an important part of our family.

From horse-loving girl to Akhal-Teke enthusiast

I inherited my love of horses from my mother. When I was ten years old, I got my first pony, a Welsh-Arabian cross. Together, we had the wildest and most wonderful adventures – memories I still treasure to this day.

But there was another horse that had captured my imagination from a very young age. On my bedroom wall hung a poster of an extraordinary ‘golden horse’. I had no idea where life would take me, but I knew one thing for certain: one day, when I grew up, I would have a golden Akhal-Teke of my own.

Hilly and me during an endurance competition.
Hilly is now enjoying life as the pater familias at our stud.

The Story of STB

After my studies, I bought my first golden Akhal-Teke in Russia, with whom I competed in endurance. He became so much more than my first Akhal-Teke. He became my once-in-a-lifetime horse, my soulmate.

From one golden horse to our own stud farm

Later, the mares Starlette and Akbegul joined us. I also competed in endurance with both of them. Today, they are enjoying a new chapter  as part of our breeding programme.

And with them, another dream gradually began to take shape: breeding Akhal-Tekes ourselves.

Our dream took another big step forward when we found an old farm with seven hectares of land in Meldert (Lummen), in Belgian Limburg. After three years of extensive renovations, this special place became what it is today: Stoeterij Ter Bosschen.

Today, our stud is home to several Akhal-Teke stallions, mares and young horses. For us, breeding is about much more than beauty, pedigree or the famous metallic sheen for which the breed is renowned. Above all, I value character, health and the unique nature of the Akhal-Teke. These are horses with whom you can build an extraordinary bond – something I was fortunate enough to experience with my very first Akhal-Teke.

Alongside our Akhal-Tekes, we also breed American miniature horses, ranging in height from approximately 80 to 94 cm. They are a very different, but equally enjoyable, part of our life with horses