Lipizzaner Facts

One of the most recognizable and majestic horse breeds in the world, the Lipizzaner captures the imagination of horse lovers everywhere. Touted by White Stallion Productions as a "Horse of Battle, Horse of Ballet," the breed stands the test of time, reaching into a long history that includes delighting people of all ages, as well as proudly carrying soldiers onto the field of battle.

  1. History

    • The Lipizzaner originates from a number of different Spanish breeds, which primarily includes Andalusian, also known as the Purebred Spanish horse. Arab bloodlines also dot the breed's history, as well as origins linking it to the ancient Karst horse, which is thought to be where the Lipizzaner inherited its high-stepping gate. At various points during its long and exceptional history, the Lipizzaner has faced extinction due in part to its dangerous role as a military horse. Its most recent brush with obscurity occurred just after World War II, but the breed was famously saved by the director of the Spanish Riding School, a well-known equestrian landmark with a long tradition of training Lipizzaners.

    Geography

    • Though it originated in Spain, the Lipizzaner breed now exists in the four corners of the world. Lipizzaner registries stretch from Australia to North America and nearly everywhere in between. According to the United States Lipizzan Registry (USLR), only about 4,000 purebred Lipizzaners still exist in the world and the breed is now considered rare.

    Features

    • Few horse breeds appear quite as distinguishable and distinct as the Lipizzaner. Undeniably, its gray coat adds to the familiarity, as well as to the majesty and beauty, of the Lipizzaner breed. Although most Lipizzaners are gray, some are born bay or black and retain their coloring into adulthood. The breed standard, as established by the USLR, includes the following characteristics: a "noble, generous and ardent" temperament, a rectangular body structure and a well-proportioned head.

    Functions

    • The Lipizzaner played many roles during its history as a breed. First introduced to serve as both a riding and a carriage horse, the breed maintains those two primary functions today; however, the Lipizzaner remains most famous for its role as a parade or performing horse with the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria. The acts that the horses perform at the Spanish Riding School are known as "Airs Above the Ground" and include movements which defy gravity and stun the senses.

    Training

    • True to the title "Horse of Ballet," the Lipizzaner seems to almost dance in the famous performances that make this breed so recognizable. Years of training go into the complicated movements which form the Airs Above the Ground performances. Appropriately, the Lipizzaner proves to be easily trained for such feats. Their athletic and graceful bodies lend well to the gravity-defying movements of the Airs performances as well as to the more subtle art of dressage, which is described by White Stallion Productions as "a law of nature, perfecting the natural." Highly intelligent and always willing to please, the Lipizzaner takes its job of pursuing perfection very seriously.