2017 Miniature Horse World SUMMER Issue | Page 32

T anja Cremers and Kevin Lathouwers have always been passionate about horses. Tanja’s grandfather worked with big Belgian draft horses in the forests. On the weekends they would visit the race circuits where her uncles were employed as jockeys. It wasn’t long before she asked Santa Claus for her own little pony. She loved going on long trail walks together with her father. K evin started to ride horses when he was 6 years old. His time off from school and holidays were spent at pony camps. Later his family purchased their first Irish Thorough- bred stallion and Kevin fell in love with the charismatic and powerful horses. As wife and husband these two are very grateful that they’ve been able to share the same passion for horses. When the opportu- nity came along to buy a house that included 1 acre of land, owning a horse quickly fol- lowed. A documentary about miniature ani- mals caused the couple to search a bit more about the American Miniature horse and they soon discovered not only the beauty and character of the small equines, but also the opportunity to participate in horse show competitions. They were amazed at the ver- satility of the breed: from the beauty in hal- ter, to the graciousness in driving, from the athletic ability in hunter to the control in re- insmanship. In 2011 they decided to look for three of these wonderful companions to come into their lives and Farm Little Creek was established; the fairytale could start. Farm Little Creek or FLC is also short for Family Lathouwers-Cremers, aptly named for the little creek that meanders in front of their house and reminds them of an- other fairytale story that is near and dear to them. The touching story of “Spirit – Stal- lion of the Cimarron” is a Disney animated 30 Miniature Horse World SUMMER 2017 file that depicts an Indian man (named Little Creek), who has a soul for animals and an understanding of their language, who be- comes best friends with the wild stallion. The similar bond between Miniature horses and humans is the same today, only enhanced in the show ring because of the rapport they have with people. It seems appropriate for this to become the slogan of Little Creek Farm as well. A ranch – a new life “You can’t have just one,” applied to Tanja and Kevin and they were soon looking for a new place for themselves and all the ani- mals. Farm Little Creek moved to a remote oasis of tranquility, northeast of Belgium. On 10 acres they created 15 large pastures where the horses can live outside all year long in the best conditions available. There is room to stable 45 horses in tailor-made barns built just for 34” and 38” horses. Two sand pad- docks and a walker are provided so that train- ing can continue all year long. Following workouts the horses enjoy a hot shower and solarium to let them relax and build muscle after their training sessions. Every horse gets turn out daily to stay in good condition and have a happy mindset. This element of train- ing is very important. Playing with their friends and being part of the herd is the ul- timate goal. And as a bonus is the horses get to also enjoy the juicy, green grass. In 2016 major renovating took place and family and friends helped Tanja and Kevin build everything from scratch. Each element designed to be as horse-friendly as possible and they are very proud of the results so far. The housing for the horses is now totally fin- ished, but the living area for the humans on the other hand is still in ruins. Good thing these two don’t really mind. Both Kevin and Tanja spend the majority of their time out-