- Lipizzaner -

The Lipizzaner gets its name from the Lipica stud in Slovenia, where the breed is originally from. The stud was founded in 1580 by Charles II, who imported 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 Neapolitan blood, Arabian, Danish, and German, and even 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 in 1765 and bought from the Royal Danish Stud; Conversano, a black Neopolitan stallion foaled 1767; Neapolitano, a brown Neopolitan stallion, foaled 1790; Favory, a dun stallion, foaled at the Kladruby stud in 1779, Maestoso, a gray stallion, foaled 1819 at the Hungarian stud of Mezohegyes; and Siglavy, a gray Arabian, foaled 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 tradition for there to always be one bay Lipizzaner in residence at the Spanish School. The Lipizzaners have been bred for 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 horses, which matures late and is used into its 20s.

They have attractive heads that can show some Arabian influence, but in general, they maintain typical Spanish characteristics. The neck is short and muscular, with flattish withers, a deep chest, sloping shoulders that are suitably conformed for riding or harness, a  long back, and rounded hindquarters with a well-set tail. Their legs are short and muscular, and they usually have good bone. They stand between 15.1 and 16.2 hh.

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