The Magnificent Lipizzaners

Since I was little I have loved animals and that definitely includes horses. I took lessons and have always liked the history behind horses and how much that they have to do with war and hunting and entertainment. When I discovered that there was a riding school in Vienna that was the most famous riding school in the world I knew that I wanted to go. Not only is it the oldest riding school it is also the only one where the High School of Classical Horsemanship has been cherished and maintained for over 430 years. The Spanish Riding School was one of the most magnificent places I have ever been. The sheer architecture alone is breath taking, let alone the performance done by the horses and riders. The School takes the “Spanish” part of its name from the horses, which originated from the Iberian Peninsula during the 16th century the horses were considered to be very elegant and could perform the intricate horsemanship. Since Katie rides horses and knows a lot more of the specifics then I do about the horsemanship she was able to educate me throughout the show and this made me appreciate the performance that much more. Something else that is special about these horses is that they are bread in Piber and left to roam the hills until they are around the age of four and that is when they are brought to Vienna to begin there training. Then when it comes to the rider it is very rigid process to become a rider that can perform. The rider has to overcome many challenges on his long journey from inexperienced cadet to fully qualified rider, perhaps even to chief rider. Depending on each cadet’s individual talent and personal commitment it takes approx. 4 to 6 years to leave the supervision of the Stable Master and achieve the career position of an assistant rider. An interesting fact is that up until two years ago there were no women riders and now there are two who have started the process of becoming an assistant rider. On top of the strict training the riders have to go through they also have to do all the care taking of the horses. This is the reason that many do not make it.

It was an amazing experience to feel as though I was a part of something so famous and important to the people of Vienna. Everything about the show and the different parts is sacred even so far as the chorography and the music that they choose to ride to. As I began to understand that the skills the riders and horses takes years to learn I began to appreciate the history and honor behind this great show and location. As I was doing more research on where the horses came from and the story behind it I discovered that “At the beginning of 2001 the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the Federal Stud Piber in Styria were separated from the federal administration and made legally independent whereby the establishment is still wholly owned by the Austrian Federation. The two entities were merged into one legal company and a special Spanish Riding School Act charged the establishment with fulfilling certain duties for the public benefit. These include above all the continuation of the traditional breeding of Lipizzaners, the rearing and provision of prime stallions for the Spanish Riding School and the pursuance and preservation of the High School of Classical Horsemanship.” http://www.srs.at/ This is the way that the school is able to keep the history and honor of the school alive, to make sure that they will continue to have the honorable horses that they need. The history goes on and on and will continue to astonish viewers for years to come.