The Lipizzaner horses are most famous for performances at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. The origin of their name is somewhat less well-known. It refers to the Lipica Stud Farm in present-day Slovenia. This stud farm is open for visits. [German]
Lipica Stud Farm in Slovenia
On my first visit, I was thrilled by the opportunity to see the noble animals in free nature. Whereas the horses at the Piber Stud Farm in Styria or the Stallburg in Vienna tend to stay well-behaved in their paddocks or stables, I saw the Slovenian ones frolicking around in the wild.
Are there black Lipizzaners?
We are almost always talking about white Lipizzaners. At a paddock in Lipica, I came across a group of black ones peacefully grazing. What’s going on? Well, the young animals are still dark. Their coat colour only turns white over time. In short, the grazing Lipizzaners were a kindergarten group.