Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Background:
In 1580, horse-loving Habsburg Archduke Charles II wanted to create the
perfectanimal:HeimportedAndalusianhorsesfromhishomelandofSpain,thenbredthem
withalocallineofKarsthorsestocomeupwithanextremelyintelligentandeasilytrainable
breed. Charles' creation, the Lipizzaner stallions—known for their noble gait and Baroque
shape—were made famous by Vienna's Spanish Riding School.
Italian and Arabian bloodlines were later added to tweak various characteristics. These
regalhorseshavechangedshapewiththetenorofthetimes:Theywerebredstrongandstout
during wars, frilly and slender in more cultured eras. But they're always born black, fade
to gray, and turn a distinctive white in adulthood. Until World War I, Lipica bred horses for
Austria's needs. (Each time a horse was sent to Vienna, breeders and trainers here honored
it by planting three linden trees;
lipica
means “small linden.”) Now Austria breeds its own
