| ipizzan, or Lipizzaner, is a unique breed of horse which | | | | given to Opera singer Countess Maria Jeritza by the |
| has been selectively bred since the 16th Century. As a | | | | Austrian government and imported in 1937. Eight years |
| ceremonial horse, the breed has nobility, brilliance, | | | | later, in 1945, the U.S. Army Remount Service imported |
| balanced agility, and style. With the Lipizzan, interest in | | | | 9 Lipizzans (3 stallions and 6 mares, 1 in foal). But it |
| the art of classical riding was revived during the | | | | was not until the late 1950's that Lipizzan horses were |
| Renaissance. In 1970, producer Gary Lashinsky | | | | imported from Austria to the U.S. in any great numbers. |
| created the "World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions" arena | | | | Between 1958 and 1973, two breeders imported 4 |
| attraction that over twenty-three million people have | | | | Lipizzan stallions and 21 mares (6 in foal) and other |
| enjoyed throughout the world. The Walt Disney movie | | | | importations have been taking place during the last 35 |
| "The Miracle of the White Stallions" created an even | | | | years to add to the American Lipizzan gene pool. |
| greater world-wide interest in the extremely rare | | | | The breed is still extremely rare; only about 3,000 |
| Lipizzan breed. | | | | Lipizzan horses exist worldwide and most of them are |
| The Lipizzan traces its history back to the early 1560's | | | | in Europe with the majority in Austria that are bred at |
| when the finest Arab and Berber blood was | | | | stud farms around Austria. Extreme care is being |
| introduced into the local athletic Spanish Andalusians | | | | taken by those involved in breeding Lipizzan horses to |
| that were created during the Moorish occupation of | | | | insure that the purity of the breed is preserved. If it had |
| Spain in the 7th Century. King Maximillian II brought | | | | not been for General Patton, the Lipizzans might not |
| these Spanish horses to his native Austria around 1562 | | | | be in existence at all today. |
| and founded the court stud at Kladrub. His brother, the | | | | In 1992, the Lipizzan Association of America joined the |
| Archduke Charles, established a similar stud farm in | | | | Lipizzan Society of North America to form the |
| 1580 in the town of Lipizzaner, Slovenia, and from the | | | | Lipizzan Association of North America (LANA). LANA |
| Lipizza stud farm came the breed's name of Lipizzan. | | | | is the American representative to the Lipizzan |
| Both of these studs flourished, but in slightly different | | | | International Federation (LIF) and is committed to |
| directions. The Kladrub stud was known for heavy | | | | perpetuating and preserving the Lipizzan breed in the |
| carriage horses, and the Lipizza stud was known for | | | | United States. LANA follows the LIF criteria that |
| riding horses and light carriage horses although | | | | defines a purebred Lipizzan, which is a horse that can |
| breeding stock was exchanged between the studs. | | | | trace back, without interruption, to the recognized lines |
| The Kladrub and Lipizza stock were bred to the native | | | | and families of the official European stud farms and |
| Karst horses with successive generations crossed | | | | their approved breeding stock. DNA technology is used |
| with the old Neapolitan breed. During the 1700's, horses | | | | to identify equine parentage and provide information |
| of Spanish and Italian origin included sires from | | | | for future genetic traits and disease diagnosis and no |
| Denmark, Spain and Holstein, but were of pure Spanish | | | | horse will be registered unless the DNA results are |
| descent. To strengthen the original Spanish-Arab strain, | | | | filed with LANA. LANA has also formed a separate |
| several of these stallions were purchased during the | | | | division for registering Lipizzan Partbreds where the |
| 18th and 19th centuries for use at Lipizza and Kladrub | | | | Lipizzan portion of the pedigree must trace, without |
| but only six were accepted as the foundation lines of | | | | interruption, to the recognized male lines and female |
| the Lipizzan known today. Maestoso and Favory, two | | | | families of official European stud farms and their |
| of the foundation sires of today's Lipizzan were | | | | approved breeding stock. Partbred horses or foals do |
| produced at the Kladrub stud. | | | | not have to be DNA’d but the purebred |
| In addition to the 6 ancestral stallion lines, there are 18 | | | | Lipizzan parent must have its DNA on record. |
| mare family lines. By tradition, every stallion has a | | | | The Lipizzan is a small horse that stands between 14.3 |
| double name, with the first being the lineage name of | | | | and 15.3 hands. The influence of the Arabian is seen in |
| his sire and the second name being that of his dam. | | | | the usually straight or slightly convex head, the small |
| However, there does not appear to be a provision that | | | | alert ears and the large, appealing eyes. The neck is |
| could prevent multiple stallions from the same parents | | | | short, crested and powerful, the back is broad and the |
| from having the same name. As for mares, names | | | | overall picture is of strength with well-rounded quarters, |
| should be complementary to the traditional Lipizzan line | | | | heavy shoulders and short, strong legs with brilliant |
| names and must also end in the letter | | | | action. The mane and tail are thick and long and the tail |
| “a”. | | | | is carried high. |
| An integral part of Lipizzan history is the Spanish Riding | | | | Gray dominates the Lipizzan breed today because |
| School of Vienna that was founded in 1572 and which | | | | white horses were preferred by the royal Habsburg |
| the Hapsburg monarchy rebuilt in 1735 in the Imperial | | | | family. Grays are born dark, black-brown, brown or |
| Palace in Vienna under the auspice of Charles VI. For | | | | mouse-gray and then the coat gradually lightens until |
| over 430 years, the school's purpose has been to | | | | the white coat they are noted for appears between |
| perpetuate the art of classical horsemanship and to | | | | the ages of 6 and 10 years old. But as late as 200 |
| the breed and train the Lipizzan horses. Only the best | | | | years ago, many other colors existed; black, chestnut, |
| are kept to continue the line and so promising stallions | | | | dun, and even piebald and skewbald. These non-white |
| are sent to the Spanish Riding School to begin training | | | | Lipizzans are a rarity today and only in rare cases will |
| at the age of four where they go through six years of | | | | the horse stay the same dark color it was born. |
| rigorous dressage school. These Lipizzaner stallions | | | | But even with their small size, the breed tends to |
| then perform their art for the rest of their lives on | | | | present a very powerful image with compact, |
| tours throughout the world to benefit the work of the | | | | rectangular and highly muscular bodies that are ideal |
| Spanish Riding School. The Lipizzan horses can | | | | for performing haute ecole dressage and the |
| perform through their 20's and some have been | | | | physically demanding "Airs Above the Ground" such as |
| known to perform up to age 30. | | | | the levade and the capriole. These maneuvers have |
| At first, the Lipizzan horses were bred for the | | | | now preserved as an equestrian art dating back over |
| Hapsburg royalty, which controlled the horses and their | | | | 400 years. The art of dressage is combined with the |
| training until World War I. But after the assassination of | | | | close order military drills of the ancient warriors and |
| Archduke Ferdinand, the Austrian branch of the | | | | these spectacular leaps and maneuvers were once |
| Hapsburgs dissolved, and then the Lipizzan breed | | | | used by riders in saddle to protect and defend |
| almost died out during World War II. | | | | themselves on the battlefield and can be quite |
| Traditionally, the Lipizzan horses from the Spanish | | | | intimidating even from a small horse. The Lipizzan has |
| Riding School had been relocated around Austria to | | | | an aptitude for dressage which is rather uncanny and |
| avoid war and during World War II, the horses were | | | | is an unusually talented equestrian athlete. A Lipizzan is |
| moved by the German High Command several times. | | | | distinctive for being extraordinarily gentle, willing, and |
| Unfortunately, the horses were frequently stabled in | | | | talented and intelligent. |
| areas where desperate refugees considered the | | | | Few people who watch the Lipizzan show realize |
| horses as a potential food source. The director of the | | | | how difficult it is to work with stallions side by side or |
| Spanish Riding School was determined to save the | | | | that are very few breeds of horses in the world that |
| breed and with the assistance of General Patton of | | | | are capable of performing in this way. It is their |
| the United States Army, 250 Lipizzan horses survived | | | | amazing disposition that allows it, however, the riders |
| the war to serve as a founding stock so that the | | | | must be on their guard at all times because, after all, |
| breed could be preserved. | | | | they are still stallions and potentially volatile. |
| The first Lipizzan horses in the United States were | | | | |