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The Lipizzan is a horse breed that was selectively bred for royalty about 400 years ago. Fast, light horses were needed for riding schools and for military purposes, and were produced by crossing Berber and Arab stallions with Iberian mares.
Several horses were imported to Austria in 1562 by Maxmillian II, who used them to found a court stud at Kladrub. In 1580, Archduke Charles, Maxmillian’s brother, used the horses to create a private imperial studfarm at Lippiza (spelled Lipizza today). The resulting breed was called “Lippizaner.” The name is still used for the horses in Europe, but in the United States, the breed is known as Lipizzan.
Over the years, the stock of the family studs was crossed with native horses as well as horses of Spanish descent. The Lipizza group was bred for riding and light carriage use. Arabians were added in the 1800s to strengthen the lines.
The Lipizzans first came to the United States in 1937. They were sent as a gift from the Austrian government to Austrian-born opera singer Countess Maria Jeritza. In 1945, the U.S. Army Remount Service imported nine Lipizzans, some of which were auctioned when the Army disbanded the calvary in 1949. At that time, some were bought by circuses.
The American Lipizzan population grew further in 1955 when Tempel Smith (of Tempel Steel fame) imported 20 horses from Austria, 11 from Hungary and six from Yugoslavia. Smith continued to import horses and breed them for the next 15 years until his death. At that time, there were over 400. A small number of Lipizzans are still bred yearly at Tempel Farms.
There are less than 3,000 purebred Lipizzans in the world today, making them a rare breed. Until 1981, it was difficult to purchase one, but they are more plentiful throughout the United States today.
In Austria, Lipizzans are the only breed used at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. In the United States, they are part of the Marine Corps Color Guard and provide regular shows at parks such as Disneyland and Seaworld.
Lipizzans are relatively small horses, averaging between 14.2 and 15.2 hands. However, they have a much larger presence because of the way they carry their muscular bodies. They are a good choice for shows because of their proud carriage, expressive heads, large eyes, elegant hooves and thick manes and tails. They also have a high knee action when they walk, which combines with a springy gait.
The horses often look lethargic when they are in a paddock, but according to the International Museum of the Horse, “There is an unforgettable display of fiery animation, with head held high, neck arched, nostrils flared and an inborn ability to leave the ground with incredible power and grace. Then, when approached by a person with a kind word, there is yet another transformation, almost instantaneously, to a docile, gentle horse. He displays obedience and a desire to understand and please, yet without losing his proud bearing and superior presence.”
Lipizzans are categorized as a type of grey. They are born with dark coats that gradually lighten to reach the mature color of a white coat covering dark skin. This process is completed between the ages of 6 and 10.
As a breed, Lipizzans generally mature late, not reaching full size for about 7 years. They are fully mature at age 10, and often live to be at least 35.
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