The oldest horse breed of Europe is protected by the Spanish Riding School for the past 450 years.
Of course, the earliest instances of the Spanish Riding School are from 1572 giving a long timeline to this haute école and its practices.
Find out about the history of the beautiful Lipizanners and the Spanish Riding School in this article.
The push for the development of haute école riding came from the importance of the cavalry in the military.
With the development of firearms, mounted combat became an important strategy in Europe. Simple charges on the battlefield needed an alternative.
With many hours spent together and the need for subtle commands for better success shaped classical dressage.
The defining point in the relationship between the rider and the horse is the seat on the saddle.
As a result, we have an elegant, centaur-like style of riding with minimal aids. Only the most watchful eyes can detect the aids given by the riders to their companions.
The admiration for agile Andalusian horses grew in this period. Emperor Ferdinand brought them over in 1565, after training with them in his youth.
In 1580, Archduke Charles II established the stud farm in Lipica, Slovenia. Giving the white Lipizzaner horses their name, as they were first born there.
During this period, Vienna was also the capital of the Holy Roman Empire. We see the influence of Italian horsemanship on the Spanish Riding School.
The origins of this style came from the text, ‘On Horsemanship and The Cavalry General’ used by the Romans.
Xenophon, a Greek philosopher wrote this text between 431-354 BC. This work pushes the origins of classical dressage to the ancient period.
Further, Arabic horses were another popular breed of the time. Their crossbreeding with the Spanish horses led to the Iberian-Neapolitan style of riding in the 17th century.
Il Cavallo da Maneggio (The Manége Horse or The Riding Horse) is an instance of written history about the Spanish Riding School.
The court patronized Giovanni Battista Galiberto, the Head rider of the school for this task. In 1650, he wrote about the rise of the different equestrian practices in Vienna.
With this history, we can trace many groundbreaking techniques to the prestigious Spanish Riding School.
It was in 1729, when the Habsburg began building the Hofburg Imperial Palace. Within this palace is where the Spanish Riding School is located.
Under Emperor Charles VI in 1735, the Spanish Riding School was finally inaugurated and has since remained unchanged.
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach did the signature design. You will find white stone balustrades, galleries, and columns in the halls.
His other designs, the Karlskirche church and the Prunksaal of the National Library reflect these motifs as well.
After World War I, the Habsburg Empire came to an end. They lost large parts of their territories, including Lipica, Slovenia.
That is when the Stud Farm was relocated to Piber in Western Austria. Since 1920, around 40 to 50 Lipizzaner foals are born here every year.
In the first four years of their lives, they enjoy the fresh air and vast fields. The higher altitudes are perfect for the lung development of the young fouls.
The Spanish Riding School style opts for a quiet and kind manner for training the horses.
These practices depend on a strong relationship between the horses, riders, and other personnel involved. The institution promotes leisurely practices for a lifelong bond.
Breeders and veterinary surgeons maintain the health of the bloodline and individual horses.
There is a team of saddlers, blacksmiths, hatters, tailors, and shoemakers who prepare 18th Century attire for the horses and their riders.
With these key events, the oldest riding style in Europe developed. Surprisingly, the Austrian tradition of riding is orally preserved.
One generation of riders pass the techniques to the next generation in an unbroken line.
The intangible cultural heritage includes the history and knowledge guarded by everyone involved at the Spanish Riding School.
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