The main courtyard of the Haras National du Pin around which the various buildings of the stud are arranged pays homage to Colbert. It was indeed Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683) who, in 1665, initiated the Royal Studs when he was Louis XIV's Intendant of Finance. Its objective was to limit the acquisition of foreign horses and fundamentally reorganize French breeding by standardizing breeds, producing horses for very specific purposes, stationing stallions with private individuals, and distributing the breeding stock of mares and stallions over the whole territory. In 1676, Colbert appointed another Colbert, his son Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Seignelay, to head the administration of the Royal Studs.