Coudelaria Nacional, Horse stud farm in Alter do Chão, Portugal.

Coudelaria Nacional is a horse stud farm located on the Alentejo plains, stretching across hundreds of hectares with stables, training areas, and pastures combined in one operation. The facility is organized around the needs of large-scale horse breeding and care.

The stud was founded in 1748 by King John V to improve Portuguese horse breeding and establish a national breeding facility. This founding made it one of the oldest continuously operating institutions of its kind.

The stud farm breeds Alter Real horses, a lineage of the Lusitano breed. The Alter Real name comes from Alter do Chão, where the herd was established in the 18th century. The horses appear in gala processions and in the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, founded in 1979. The equestrian statue of King José I by Machado de Castro (1775) depicts an Alter Real named Gentil.

Visitors should come with sturdy walking shoes and clothing suited to outdoor conditions, as the facility includes many open areas and pastures. Guided walks through stables and training areas are available and offer insight into daily operations.

In 1942 the Alter Real line was nearly extinct; the stud rebuilt it from just 11 pure mares and three stallions, Regedor, Vigilante and Marialva II, and kept breeding from them until 1979. The equestrian statue of King José I by Machado de Castro, cast in 1775, depicts an Alter Real named Gentil.