I’m pretty sure you have seen and listened about the Lipizzaner breed. This radiant horse is known for its amazing pale coat and elegance at performing spectacular dressage. If you have been a horse lover since you were a child, you must have heard about them for the first time from Disney’s classic film Miracle Of The White Stallions. But the Lipizzaner breed is way older than that, in fact, his history begins in the 16th century, where they were initially developed as the mounts of the Hapsburg monarchy. Most people think that the Lipizzaners are white, but they are actually white. Furthermore, they are first born dark and gradually lighten with age, not achieving the “white” coat for which they have become well-known all over the world until about 6 to 10 years of age. Below we are going to show you some of the most amazing facts about the Lipizzaner horse, that all the lovers of this breed should know. If you are not familiar with this elegant horse, I’m pretty sure that these facts will be very interesting to read!
1. Lipizzaners have nearly decimated in the 1980s due to an epidemic
A viral disease caught one of the principal breeders of Lipizzaners in 1983. The Piper Stud missed 40 total horses and 8% of their awaited foals. In the following 10 years, the Stud grows over 100 mares and by 1994, pregnancy and birth rates increased to over 80% due to the upgraded veterinary care accessible in the area.
2. The biggest Lipizzaner breed registry only has 11,000 horses.
The Lipizzan International Federation is known as the largest breed member organization for the Lipizzan horses in the world nowadays. It includes horses that are in 19 nations and covers 9 state studs that stay in Europe. The majority of Lipizzaner horses live in Europe, even though you can also find them on other continents. There are actually around 1,700 horses that are listed by the Federation in North and South America whilst Australia and African have around 100 horses listed.
3. The Lipizzan horse is the national animal of Slovenia
The Lipizzans are recognized to be the only horse that was bred in Slovenia. You will notice these horses on their official euro coins and mounted armies of law enforcement typically use this breed. This is even though the Slovenian Lipizzaner Breeding Association was not founded until 1991. Nowadays, if you go to Slovenia, one of the most frequented tourist attractions is the stud farm in Lipica. It is one of the oldest stud farms that is still running in the world and guided tours are usually open for visitors to be able to get to know this elegant breed.
4. Lipizzaner horses have been nearly extinct many times throughout history.
Throughout numerous wars that have been happened in Europe for more than 500 years, there have been many situations when the Lipizzaner breed was nearly entirely endangered. One of the main explanations, why it still exists today, is because of rescue attempts taken by US delegations during World War II to preserve the breed.
5. The history of the Lipizzaner genealogy begins in the 600s.
Lipizzaner horses arise from the identical stock of other Iberian breeds, including the Andalusian horse. This implies that the Lipizzaners’ origin dates back to when Barb horses were taken to Spain and mixed with local stock.
6. Their training methods are thousands of years old.
The principal training that is applied by the Spanish Riding School and all the other riding schools that concentrate on the Lipizzaner breed originates from Xenophon of Athens. He was a writer in Ancient Greece who studied the emotions and character of horses even in the tiniest details. Much of his work was first lost, but it was rediscovered in the 1500s and the majority of it is very relevant even today.
7. Lipizzaner horses live a long life.
The common lifespan for a good Lipizzaner is about 30-35 years. This is about 5-10 years longer than the normal horse breed. They are usually mild-tempered, even though they are not considered to be a cold-blooded horse.
8. The Lipizzaner is considered to be an affordable horse.
You can find Lipizzaner horses for about $5,000. This makes this horse one of the less expensive breeds that are recognized to be “rare” in the world nowadays. Several breeding plans everywhere in the world make it possible for practically everyone who wants a Lipizzaner horse to own one.
