Vienna: Horses, Horses and More Horses

In Vienna, Austria, I went to the Spanish Riding School which has been a Mecca for riders all around the world. For me it was no different, from the time I walked down the street I could immediately pick out the magnificent building that has housed centuries of tradition and passion for horses. It is a spectacular building complete with ornate decoration bursting out at every corner. The building is sectioned off into a series of shops and a restaurant which is for the public to use at any time and then there is the actual arena where spectators are strictly prohibited unless there is a performance or a tour taking place, otherwise it is off limits. Across the street in a Renaissance building, there are the stables for the famous Lipizzaner stallions.

The Spanish Riding School brought together three countries, Spain, France, and Austria. Lipizzaners, the only breed of horses allowed onto the premises are natively Spanish. France was tied into this trio because these horses were taught classical dressage. In French, “dressage” means training and it was primarily used to focus the horses into a military discipline. Obviously, Austria was a part of this union because they are the location for the school.

This performance was spectacular, even if you are not an avid equestrian you can still appreciate some of the technical difficultly that goes along with this performance. The horses demonstrated “piaffe” which is basically a hyper collected trot in place, they also showed off with a few “courbettes” which are where the horse will rear up and show that it is ready to charge the enemy. One of the most outrageous movements was the “capriole” which is a leap into the air and then the horse will thrust its back legs out to hopefully un-mount an enemy’s rider. There was also a “pas de deux” and a “double quadrille” which is where there are two horses or eight horses moving in synchronized movements, it is beyond impressive to watch.

The classical music they played was all Baroque in nature and showed how much Vienna values their history as such a great cultural hotspot. The traditions that The Spanish Riding School still keeps around are the way the riders enter into the arena; single file and then each one removes his hat and salutes Emperor Charles VI. This practice has been going on for centuries, and this shows their dedication to keep this riding school the same as it always has been. They strive to not modernize the facilities or the training; they want to keep it as classical as they can.

The way that military tactics have been transformed into a tourist attraction show that these tactics are outdated and now are considered beautiful but not harmful. The people of Vienna have welcomed this trifecta of riding into their city for centuries and it has proved to be a wonderful addition to the city where many people can enjoy a performance whether they love the horses, the music, the history, or the architecture!