Lipizzan
The
Lipizzaner takes it name from the Lipica stud in Slovenia where the breed
originated. The stud was founded in 1580 by Charles II, who important nine
stallions and 24 mares from the Iberian Peninsular, to create a showy,
predominantly white horse for the ducal stables at Graz and the court
stables in Vienna.
The famous Spanish school was founded in 1572 to teach the nobility and was so called because it used Spanish horses. There have also been infusions of Neopolitan blood, Arab, Danish, and German, and some Thoroughbred, although the introduction of Thoroughbred to the breed was not successful.
The Lipizzaner breed is based on six foundation sires, whose lines still exist today. These stallions were Pluto, a gray Spanish stallion, foaled 1765 and brought from the Royal Danish Stud; Conversano, a black Neapolitano, a brown Neopolitan stallion foaled in 1790; Favory, a dun stallion, foaled at the Kladruby stud in 1779; Maestoso, a gray stallion, foaled in 1819 at the Hungarian stud of Mezohegyes; an Siglavy, a gray Arabian, foaled in 1810,. Although the Lipizzaner is assumed to be only gray, there were, until the 18th century, Lipizzaners with various coat colors, including dun, spotted, and bay.
They are now bred to be gray, although there is still the occasional bay, and it is a traditional for there to always be one bay Lipizzaner in residence at the Spanish School at Pider in Austria since 1920, although they are bred in Hungary, Romania, and the former Czechoslovakia and are often used for light draft and farm work. In general those bred for use on the land tend to be larger than those bred for the Spanish School. The Lipizzaner is a long-lived intelligent horse, which matures late and is used into its 20s.
They have attractive heads that can show some Arab influence, but in general maintain typical Spanish characteristics. The neck is short and muscular, with flatish withers, a deep chest, sloping shoulders, which are suitably conformed for riding or harness, a long back, an rounded quarters with a well-set tail. Their legs are short and muscular, and they usually have good bone. They stand between 15.1 hh and 16.2 hh.