About Us

Our goal as a breeder is first and foremost to breed very correct horses with exceptional rideability and sensible temperaments for upper level sport. 

Here at Flying 5B Sporthorses, we want your young horse buying process to be as seamless and easy as possible. Whether you are a professional rider or an amateur looking to purchase their forever horse, our goal is that you leave with a sensible and well adjusted young horse that has the brain and talent to take you up the levels.   

Our philosophy is that while movement is a critically important factor in the success of a competition horse, you have to be able to ride the animal. What good is flashy movement if the horse is too hot to be ridden safely? When choosing our stallions our first consideration is what kind of temperament they are known to throw and we always preference stallions that throw kind, easy-going temperaments in their offspring. Secondly, we look at the success of a stallion in both sport and in his production of upper level horses. Thirdly, we learn about the particular traits that stallion throws (i.e. big movement, tall offspring, refined bodies, etc.) and decide whether he would be a good fit for any of our mares. And lastly, we do a thorough assessment of the lineage of the stallion to make a final decision on his suitability for a mare.   

Our systematic process of making breeding pairings has been highly successful for us and we are proud to say that we have produced many upper level prospects. We have also been pleasantly surprised by the fact that many of our young stock have shown an affinity for both jumping and dressage and are proving themselves highly versatile. We attribute this to their stellar attitudes and are very excited to see how they continue to grow and develop. 

The key to breeding success lies in the mareline and we believe very strongly that if you start with quality mares that it is very difficult to go wrong. Every mare in our program has been carefully selected for their outstanding movement, very correct conformation, and amateur friendly temperaments, so as to assure the best possible quality of offspring. 

However, where Flying 5B Sporthorses is unique is that our mares favor an "old style" type of warmblood. As such, our mares are able to produce a certain amount of substance in their foals that will enable them to compete at the highest levels without concern of them breaking down at a young age. Current breeding trends may favor flashy and highly refined horses, but with a large degree of refinement you begin to sacrifice future soundness. With our mares this is not a concern and we always try our hardest to bridge the gap between horses that will stay sound for many years and horses that are adequately refined and beautiful. 

Nestled in the beginning of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Flying 5B Sporthorses offers a tranquil setting with beautiful pastures and expansive riding trails. Our facility is a part of the Flying 5B Ranch which was founded in 2005 by the Barber family. Our ranch offers nearly 2,600 acres of rugged terrain, rolling hills, prairies, lakes and ponds which are all perfect for the development of young horses.

The owner and operator of Flying 5B Sporthorses, Madison Barber, has grown up with horses her entire life and has enjoyed riding for over 15 years. In 2015, Madison decided to use her knowledge of the equestrian sport to begin a boutique warmblood breeding operation. Construction began on our equine facility in 2013 and since then our horses have enjoyed very large turnout spaces, a meticulously kept barn space, and access to a wonderful team of caretakers. 

At the Flying 5B Ranch, we are proud to be a fully operating, working ranch with Black Angus cattle herds, whitetail deer, and many breeds of exotic deer in addition to our warmblood herd. The team that stands behind Flying 5B Sporthorses is made up of well educated and tireless individuals who above all else have a strong commitment to animal well-being. Our ranch manager, Jose Aponte is a wildlife engineer from Leon, Mexico. Jose helps run all of our day to day operations at the Flying 5B Ranch and helps with the overall management of our equine herd. From feeding, to doctoring injured animals, to managing animal behavior, Jose is an enormous resource here at F5B.

The  owner/operator of F5B Sporthorses is Madison Barber. Madison is very hands on in the breeding program and in addition to running all sales and making breeding decisions, she plays a very active role in the training of our young horses. From being the primary foaling attendant to starting young horses, Madison helps with it all. Her true passion is raising and handling young horses, so she always tries to be as involved as possible! Madison is a graduate of Texas A&M University with her degree in Biomedical Science and is married to Samuel Couch. Sam is also a valuable part of the F5B team and helps with day to day activities like feeding and handling. Sam is also a graduate of Texas A&M University with his B.S in Animal Science.