Created 20-Aug-09
Modified 20-Aug-09
In 1580, Archduke Karl, son of the Austro-Hungarian Emperor, Ferdinand I, founded the Lipica Stud Farm to breed horses for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the Royal Court stables.
As The Rough Guide to Slovenia recounts, "That the Lipizzaner has survived at all is remarkable, having been evacuated to southern Hungary during Napoleon's occupation in the late 18th century, divided by the Italians and Austrians during World War I, and then seized by the Germans during World War II."
Despite the odds, the farm persisted in Austro-Hungarian hands until World War II, after which it became part of Yugoslavia. For the past ten years this national treasure of Slovenia has been state-owned, located just two kilometers from the Italian border in the southwest corner of this diminutive country.
Horses and riders perform dressage skills in outdoor and indoor arenas, depending on the weather. Today there are about 400 horses roaming the estate, divided between show, competition and riding horses. Of course, there are plenty of young ones that are just having fun growing up in this beautiful setting. Their carefree lives in the herd last for three years, training begins at four years old, and they are only ready for performance at age seven.
Lipizzaners live for 25 to 30 years on average, usually performing into their early 20s
© Alice Coyl