Lippizaners



Ever since I saw the Disney movie 'Flight of the White Stallions' as a kid, I have had a love for horses and wanted to see these magnificent animals in action. In fact the very first horse I rode was a  white mare, even though I had no horse riding experience at the time. Today not only did I visit the world famous Spanish Riding School with my wife Ann, I got to see these magnificent creatures in a practice session, and get up close with them. The school is in the heart of Vienna and is the world's oldest riding school. It is still using the original arena that was specifically built for these horses in the 1729-35. 



Unfortunately we were not permitted to photograph or video during the training session and we respected their privacy on that. Unfortunately  not everyone listened and we saw a few flashes going off. To be on the side of the arena when they were training was a bit overwhelming for me. It brought back memories of my childhood with mum and dad and also a memory of our much loved horse Gypsy, that we lost to Colic recently. As they practised their moves and exercised the horses with the music, you couldn't help but feel you were a part of it all.

After the training we had a guided tour through the facility. The school has some 69 horses in training and a few hundred at the stud. The horses are rotated between the country training centre and the school so each horse can have a spell in pastures. Riders take between 9 to 14 years to become a fully qualified rider, and each rider can ride between 5 and up to 9 horses. The riders ride the same horses so they form a tight bond with  each other. The also boast what used to be the worlds largest oval horse walker (until a bigger one was built in the UAE)

The tack room is something to be envious of. Each horse has custom fitted saddles, with one for practice, and one for performance. The same applies to their bridles and bits. Seeing a wall of saddles and bridles would be the envy of any horse enthusiast. The indoor stables are climate controlled and once again we were not permitted to photograph inside. The horses are named by their sire and dam and if there is multiple then they are numbered in roman numerals. For example if the sire was Maestero and the Dam was Beja, then the horse would be Maestro Beja I. (the horse I have a close up of) 




The Lippzan breed are particular muscly, and are said to be from cross breeding of Spanish, Barb, Arabian and the now extinct Neapolitan breeds. They stand between 14 and 16 hands, and are said to be a baroque shape. If  you think about baroque and the women of that era they are  ..... well for want of a better term, Chunky! 

Overall this was an equestrian pilgrimage for us and although there were other tours that Travel Marvel had planned for the day, we are so glad we chose to do this. Next time we hope it will be a full on show.

Night 6 Something Special

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