Horse Breeds: Lipizzan

Some breeds have a more aristocratic beginning than others. The Lipizzan is one of them. Sometimes called the Lipizzaner, this elegant breed has its roots in the time when Spanish-bred horses were considered perfect cavalry mount, especially in Austria. Because just about any Spanish-bred horse was prized, several came together to form the Lipizzan as the breed emerged. Let us not forget, however, that there is certainly some Arabian blood in this brilliant mount.

In 1562, Maximillian II brought several Spanish horses to the Austrian court and founded a stud at Kladrub. All were lovely. His brother, Archduke Charles II, created a similar studfarm at Lipizza in 1580. It was at Lipizza, which lies near the Adriatic Sea, where the breed finally started to flourish, mostly because of the introduction of the native Karst horses to the Lipizza and Kladrub bloodlines. So it should come as no surprise that the Lipizzan was named after this picturesque location.

Though the Lipizzan was named after Lipizza, Kladrub produced two of the foundation sires for the Lipizzan breed. Maestoso and Favory were Kladrub horses, while Conversano, Neapolitano, Pluto, and Siglavy all came from Lipizza. Today, these six horses are considered the foundation for the entire Lipizzaner breed.

If there is one horse that was bred for grace and power, it is the Lipizzan. They are the very picture of the perfect dressage horse because they were specifically bred for it. This may seem odd, especially since the Lipizzan was originally a cavalry horse, but consider the history of dressage for a moment. Dressage began as a way to train cavalry mounts in the finer points of high movements and collection. Since this is what the Lipizzans were bred for, they are naturally better at it than most other breeds.

Standing from 14.3 to 15.3 hands high, the Lipizzan is not actually white. Instead they are genetically grey. They are all born a brown or dark grey, but this gradually lightens until they reach have their 'white' coat at between 5 and 10 years of age. The 'white' horse is the most common color in the breed, mostly because the Austrian nobility preferred white horses and so selectively bred for that color, but the occasional bay or black adult does appear. Two hundred years ago there were Lipizzans of all colors, but this is almost unheard of now.

An ancient but relatively rare breed, The Lipizzaner is agile, lovely, and sweet. Registries around the world, such as Lipizzan Association of North America, are engaged in protecting and promoting this elegant breed so that future generations will get to enjoy them.