Monday 4 July 2016

Lipizzaner Horses


If you have never seen the Spanish Riding School with their Lipizzaner horses then I can thoroughly recommend it.  They are beautiful.
 

 History

The  Lipizzaners of today can be traced back to the founding of a stud in a place called Lipizza in 1580.  At the time it was part of Austria but now is part of Slovenia.  The breed originates from Andalusian horses from Spain although other breeds were introduced to the bloodline, such as Barb and Arabian. 

The Lipizzaners have survived several wars.  In 1797 they were evacuated from the stud at Lipizza due to war and again in 1805 and several more times in the years that followed.  World War I then threatened the stud again.  World War II brought more danger but the horses were saved by the US Army.

There are now only 8 foundation stallions recognised (6 of which originate from the Lipizza stud). 


Characteristics

Height: 14.3hh - 16hh

Colour:  Usually grey, foals are black or brown.  Some Lipizzaners are bay.

Conformation:  The head is well shaped but they have relatively small ears.  The neck is strong and the chest deep.  The body is compact and muscular and they have a deep girth.  The hindquarters are again powerful and strong, the tail is usually carried high. The legs are also strong and the feet well shaped.   

Temperament: Docile and placid horses that can be trained to a very high level as can be seen with the movements they achieve!

They are good riding and driving horses.


 


The Lipizzaner Society of Great Britain:   http://www.lipizzaner.co.uk/

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Until next time!
Jo

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