The Lovely Lipizzaner Horse

The Lipizzaner horse descends from the Iberian horse, which is thought to be the world's oldest horse breed. They were originally used as war horses thousands of years ago. The official breed was created in 1590 in Austria by the Archduke. The Spanish Riding School in Vienna was established in 1735 and is the world's oldest riding school. The school got its name for the predominately Spanish horses that were found there. This school also worked to record this breed's bloodlines, which began with an original nine studs. Six of these were used for horses at the school only.

This breed measures between 14 and 16 hands on average. While they are compact, they are very muscular. This allows them to do the High School dressage they are so famous for. Their neck is gracefully arched and their head is neither too big or too small. The eyes are large and expressive, with a gently Roman profile. The mane and tail are abundant yet silky and fine. Foals are born bay or black but develop their distinctive gray color over the years. These horses are slow growers and do not achieve their adult coat color until they are between four and ten years of age. The coat can lighten all the way to white as the horse reaches full maturity. Speaking of maturity, these horses can live as long as 35 years.

These horses perform what is called the Airs Above the Ground which is a very complicated form of dressage. These horses are the dancers of the equine world and can do a variety of difficult tricks. Stallions that come to the Spanish Riding School must be around four years of age. Full training takes six years at the school. Horses are trained with patience and much gentleness. The end result is a magnificent horse who can perform such movements as the levade, courbette, capriole and croupade.

As you can imagine, the Lipizzaner horse is rare and expensive. There are only several thousand in the world. There are various breeders around the world that offer stallions, brood mares, colts, fillies and even geldings for sale. Whether you want to show your horse, breed horses or simply have a beautiful and intelligent companion horse, you cannot go wrong with this breed. As an owner of one of these horses, you should consider joining an organization devoted to the breed such as Lipizzan Association of North America.



Horse Breeding News:
Email this to a friend Print this story (Nodaway News Leader)
In October of 2008, Wayne Drydale, Bolckow, was awarded for his 50 years of horse raising by the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). From hardships and hard times to world class horses and hot rod palominos, Drydale has seen it all in his years of raising horses...


The flow of history Feng shui permeates historic homes (Reading Eagle)
Monica Hess said she thinks she knows why Mount Vernon and Monticello gave us charismatic leaders, why Calumet Farm, Lexington, Ky.'s historic horse breeding stable, went into decline, why the sun didn't always shine bright on My Old Kentucky Home: feng shui...


Racing industry big winner from Louisiana casinos (The Shreveport Times)
Horsemen are enjoying record purses and the state's breeding industry is getting a major boost from slot casinos at the tracks themselves. State figures show that as of June 30, slot proceeds had produced $330.6 million for the industry, which has about 8,900 direct employees, according to the American Horse Council...


Historic homes not immune from feng shui (Macon Telegraph)
LEXINGTON, Ky. EUR” Monica Hess thinks she knows why Mount Vernon and Monticello gave us charismatic leaders, why Calumet Farm, Lexington, Ky.s historic horse breeding stable, went into decline, why the sun didnt always shine bright on My Old Kentucky Home: feng shui...


Rare bird, spooked by fireworks, thrashes itself to death (The News-Press)
LOXAHATCHEE GROVES EUR” Fireworks used to ring in the New Year instead led to a horrific scene at a local wildlife conservation center, officials said...


C-J horse injury series wins Eclipse Award (Louisville Courier-Journal)
"Tragedy on the Track," a three-day series examining injuries to thoroughbred race horses, has won an Eclipse Award...


Look back at 2008: NM mare and coaching changes (Silver City Sun-News)
ALBUQUERQUE EUR” The 2008 sports year in New Mexico will be remembered for two college football coaching changes. And don't overlook a determined mare's historic run to an impressive horse racing record...


Raw hide (The Advocate)
Maybe it was the likeness to a languid Christ in a Renaissance painting, or perhaps it was the strategically coy positioning of the Bobby's helmet, but the decision by Australian Michael O'Brien to streak at an English rugby game in 1974 led to a photograph that launched a thousand buttocks...

Draft horse team aids wildlife viewing (Idaho Press-Tribune)
HAINES, Ore. EUR” If you are up to a unique experience, one that takes you back in time and slows the pace of life, check out the elk viewing at the Anthony Creek feed site. T&T Wildlife Tours are in their 18th season of carrying visitors via horse-drawn wagon down the hill and across the meadow into a herd of 250 Rocky Mountain Elk.  [read more]..


2008 Thoroughbred year saw tragic finish, historic failure (USA Today)
Although the 2008 Thoroughbred racing season provided its share of memorable victories, the year will be remembered more for circumstances surrounding defeats. USA TODAY horse racing writer Tom Pedulla looks at events that reminded everyone of the sport's uncanny ability to produce the highest of highs and the lowest of lows...




Train Your Horse & Cure Bad Habits


Technorati Tags: , ,