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Lipizzaner

Equus ferus caballus

White Lipizzaner stallion of the classical dressage schools
Photo: AtjanHop — CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The white stallions of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna — baroque horses of classical 'airs above the ground'.

TypeLight / ridingBest asSport & showOriginEurope / UK

How to spot it

A compact, muscular horse of about 14.2 to 15.2 hands (147 to 157 cm). Foals are born dark brown or black and most lighten to white by six to ten years old — the famous grey of the breed.

Temperament

Intelligent, willing and people-focused, with the calm, trainable mind needed to learn the demanding classical movements.

What it's bred for

Bred from Spanish, Arabian and Italian stock for the Habsburg court, it is the horse of classical high-school dressage, including the leaps and 'airs above the ground' performed in Vienna.

Care & upkeep

Grey coats show dirt and need regular grooming, and pale skin benefits from shade in strong sun. Otherwise a hardy, sound horse.

Health & lifespan

A long-lived breed, often working into its twenties and reaching 30 or more. As with all greys, check regularly for the skin growths (melanomas) that grey horses are prone to.

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