The Hapsburg monarch developed required stallions that may portray their royalty and enabled their dominance during war. They developed the Lipizzaner stallions. The stallions were custom made for the monarch as they were used for war and peace. In addition, the prestige of the stallions was significant. This acknowledgement made the breed across the globe. To date, the stallions are celebrated as the oldest breed of horses across the Europe. The stallions have been bred for 400 years (Green, 2009). Regardless of the time frame, the horses are applauded across Europe for the most outstanding breeds of horses. However, the modern day regard of the stallions has shifted from leadership occasions to prestige. Moreover, they are glorified for their elegance and air mobility. The stallions were famed because of their masculinity, balance, strength and concentration. These abilities made the horse an exceptional battle tool. The horses were able to respond efficiently to command on and off the battlefield. Austria the country of origin of the stallions is a massive tourist attraction site as people strive to see the performance by the stallions (Green, 2009). The accolade is also offered on a global platform as riders on Lipizzaner backs tour the world to showcase the talent of the stallions.
The origin of the breed
During the Hapsburg reign in Europe, the classical riding culture was revived in Europe. The dynasty controlled majorly Spain and Austria (Green, 2009). In the period of renaissance, the need to have fast horses for military use was realized. Nations across Europe were in constant warfare. Therefore, there was a need to have the upper hand. Austria produces numerous breed of horses. At the time, the most efficient horse was the Spanish horse. The horse was acknowledged for its beauty, intelligence and sturdiness. It was created from a cross breed of Berber and Arab stallions that had Iberian mares. The horse was transported into Austria in 1562 (Hartley, 1994). Maximilian II created the court stud that housed the stallion. His brother founded another private entity at Lipizza in 1580 (Hartley, 1994). From this location, the horse bred and embraced the title Lipizzaner horses. This breeding later developed into a national event after the abilities of the horses were realized. The breeding of the horses continued as existing stallions sired horses that had the same characteristics. However, the need to develop more horses from the Lipizzaner horses developed as breeders sought to develop more intelligent breeds.
The foundation lines
The Kladrub and Lipizzaner horses were bred with the local Karst horses. The Kladrub breed produced horses that were used for heavy carriage. The horses were strong and masculine as compared to other breeds. On the other hand, the Lipizzaner breed produced horses that were light and fast. They were used for light carriages and riding. The Kladrub stallions also produced the Maestoso and Favory that sired the modern day Lipizzaner. By the 1880s, the original Spanish stallions were no more as they replaced by their cross breed (Green, 2009). The Arabian stallions and the Lipizzaner horses were used to breed new horses. At the time, the Lipizzaner breed was widespread in the Austria Empire. The breed then was accepted in nearby countries mainly in Croatia and Hungary. The Lipizzaner breed developed from six dynasties (Hartley, 1994):
- Maestoso
- Maestoso X
- Favory
- Pluto
- Conversano
- Neapolitano
- Siglavy
The Lipizzaner breed was made more popular after their participation in numerous wars. The horses were used in two World Wars and the War of the First Coalition. However, these activities threatened the existence of the breed as many were lost in the Battlefield. In an argument by Green (2009) the stallions had a remarkable ability to run fast and respond to command. For this reason, countries with the numerous stallions of the breed had an advantage. However, the author points out that the existence of the horses in Lipica was shaky as they were oftenly relocated to avoid instances of war (Green, 2009). Many horses were lost at the time. Constant invasion of Austria required relocation of the horses. For instance, the Napoleon invasion in 1805 the horses were relocated. However, the stallions were later returned permanently in Lipica in 1815 and remained in Austria for the 19th-century period.
The modern breed
In 1983, forty horses were lost due to a viral epidemic. In addition, foal crops used by the stallions were also lost. However, since the period the population of the horses has increased significantly. In 1994, there were 100 stallions. The percentage increase was from 27% to 82%. A study was conducted in 1996 on Lipizzaner horses across Europe to determine their scientific description. 212 horses were found to have 37 out the 39 DNA similarities to the Lipizzaner Breed (Green, 2009). From the study, it was determined that the breed is widespread across Europe but in existence in other breeds.
The modern day perception of the animal also depicts the glamor it deserves. Numerous stud farms have been feted for developing the animals. In addition, the Lipizzaner horse in Slovenia is regarded as a national animal. The animal is mounted on the Slovenia 20-cent coin. The police force in Italy also used the animal symbol as a mount on the Carabineri police force. In 2008, Queen Elizabeth II was presented with a Lipizzaner as a gift at Lipica. She, however, left the horse under the care of the stud farm. These events depict the modern day perception of the stallions.
Characteristics
The Stallions measure between 147 and 157 centimeters. They may also appear taller when bred with carriage horse types. The may reach a length of 165cm. Their heads are long. They have deep jaws and smaller ears. The nostrils are flared and the eyes expressive and large. They have broad and muscular necks and shoulders. The chest is also muscular and deep. Their tails are higher and set. They also have long, straight and muscular legs with small but tough feet (Swinney & Langris, 2006). They tend to mature slowly but live longer than other breeds of horses. Stallions in the Spanish Riding School may live up to 30 years regardless of the numerous exercises. Most Lipizzaners appear in grey color. They have a black skin with dark eyes. As they reach adulthood, they develop a white fur coat. Moreover, even grey horses are born dark. They are either bay or black. They become lighter gradually as the graying process continues. The entire process may reach completion after 6 to ten years. The gray color was preferred by the royal family. For this reason, breeder ensured that the process induced the characteristics. The color has since been developed naturally on the stallions (Swinney & Langris, 2006).
The Classical Dressage
This refers to the traditional training methods used on the Lipizzaners. The principles date back to the Ancient Greek. They were written by Xenophon. The principles comprised of technique that developed the psyche and mentality of horses. These principles are still applicable today. In addition to these methods, the Spanish Riding School used ideas developed by Federico Grisone (Swinney & Langris, 2006). He was the founder of the horse riding academy in Naples. Ides developed in this time were passed on to senior riders in the stud farms. In the 20th century, other instructions used by riders today were developed by Alois Podhajsky (Swinney & Langris, 2006).
In the Spanish Riding School, the principles used are based on the instruction that were used to prepare riders for war. The same principles are used on stallions. At the age of four, young horses may commence the training. The training of the horses is a difficult task that develops both their physical and mental abilities. A stallion is considered to have completed the training if it has acquired the skills to perform the School Quadrille. The success of training is dependable on the time taken for completion. A full training course may take six years.
Three major steps that required in the training of the stallions (Hartley, 1994);
• Forward riding- This takes place in the first year of training. At this stage, they are mastered on how to be bridled and saddled. In addition, basic commands are taught such as being ridden in simple lines and turns and appropriate response to the rider legs and hands. The training simply develops the horse’s ability to move in a forward movement in a natural position.
• Campaign school- this training instills balance during the horse movement in turns and maneuvers. They are also taught to control their strides, move in lateral directions, and perform double bridle. The training is difficult and may take numerous years to perfect the moves.
• High school dressage- a horse develops a more increased use of its hindquarters. It also learns to perfect natural gaits. This period also develops the horse ability to perform complex movements such as counter-canter, piaffe, flying change, and pirouette. In addition, the horse learns the air above the ground technique which requires extreme perfection.
The Spanish Riding School
The school is traditional training school for the Lipizzaner horses. It is located in Vienna Austria. The horses perform at the Winter Riding School. The school is an exceptional center of classical dressage. These qualities and features have made the school a major tourist attraction. It offers public performance and open to public viewing. If also offers training lessons. The school also provides riders with exceptional skills that perform on a global platform.
The name of the school was adapted in 1572 under the Hapsburg Monarch rule (Hartley, 1994). The riding hall used today was commissioned for construction in 1729 by Emperor Charles VI. The name was derived from the Spanish horses that were used to develop the Lipizzaner breed. Before 2008, the school had only male riders as trainers (Hartley, 1994). However, the school did not issue a ban on female riders. In October, two female riders were accepted in the school for the first time in 436 years. The school is the main and oldest center of training Lipizzaner horses.
References
Green, S. (2009). The Lipizzan Horse. New York: Bellwether Media.
Hartley, E. (1994). The Encyclopedia of the Horse. New York: Dorling Kindersley.
Swinney,N & Langris, B. (2006). Horse Breeds of the World. New York: Globe Pequot.
