Origin
Austria
History
One can hardly think of the famous Lipizzan horses without being reminded of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. This famous school is the oldest riding academy in the world.
The Lipizzan breed takes its name from the village of Lipizza. The stud at Lipizza, then part of the Austrian Empire, was founded in 1580 by the Archduke Charles II to supply a suitably grand stamp of horse to the Ducal stables at Graz and the court stables in Vienna. It is known that Archduke Charles ordered the purchase of both stallions and mares from Spain during the year of the foundation of Lipizza. Spanish horses continued to be bought throughout the 18th century, but as the old sort became more difficult to obtain, crosses were also made with horses from Italy, Germany and Denmark´s Royal Stud at Fredriksborg. Finally, in the 19th century there came the powerful Arabian influence through the white horse Siglavy, who joined the Lipizza stud in 1816.
The Lipizzan breed is based on six dynasties of stallions which date back to the following sires: Pluto, origin Dane, foaled 1765; Conversano, origin Neopolitan, foaled 1767; Neapolitano, origin Neopolitan, foaled 1790; Favory, Lipizzan breeding from Kladrub, foaled 1779; Maestoso, sire origin Lipizzan, dam origin Spaniard, foaled 1819 at Mezöhegyes; and Siglavy origin Arabian, foaled 1810.
It has always been the Lipizza stud´s policy to breed white horses, because these were considered the most suitable to the dignity of the Imperial house. Today, in Austria the state has a monopoly on the breeding of all Lipizzan horses; the only place where they may be bred is at the Bundesgestuet Piber in Styria.
Lipizzan horses are also raised at the state studs of Hungary, Romania, and former Czechoslovakia.
Description
- Head:
long with a straight or slightly convex profile, well-pronounced jaws, small ears, and large, expressive eyes - Conformation:
-muscular and arched neck
-usually low withers
-deep and white chest
-sloping and powerful shoulder
-long and sometimes hollow back
-strong loins
-slightly sloped, short and broad croup
-strong, muscular, hard legs with broad, clean joints and well-defined tendons - Average height:
15 to 16.1 h.h. - Colours:
modern Lipizzaners bred at Piber are white, although foals are born black or brown. There are also occasional bays, but bays are not used for breeding. Traditionally one is kept at the Spanish School. - Temperament:
lively, intelligent and docile - Today:
all Lipizzaners are ridden but many of those bred outside Piber are also used as excellent harness horses
