Special Sub-Topic: The Lipizzaner Stallions Click Here To Play: The Lipizzaner Stallions

The stallions name comes from Lipizza, which is located in which present day country?

Slovenia. Although located in the Austrian-Hungarian empire when the horses resided there, after the dissolution of the empire in 1917 the town reverted to Italy, and the horses were divided between the Italian, Czechoslovakian, and Austrian governments. Currently the town is in Slovenia, near the Italian border.

Who saved the Lipizzaners from extinction near the end of World War II?

General George Patton. In the Lipizzaner stud farm museum, there is a bronze bust of George Patton in appreciation of his efforts.

Most Lipizzaners are born which color?

black. The horses gradually turn white over a period of 6-10 years. The horses are sturdy and long-lived, generally surviving up to 30-35 years.

The Lipizzaner stud farm became an Austrian government farm in 1858, and is still located in which Austrian village?

Piber. Located west of Graz in the southeastern province of Styria, the beautiful village is a wonderful setting for the breed, and tours of the stud farm and museum are possible (in German), as well as performances in the summer.

Rarely, a Lipizzaner is born white. What was the fate of these horses in olden days?

They were used to pull the royal carriages.. Really, you didn't think they would kill them, did you?

Which horse breed was instrumental in the breeding and development of the Lipizzaner line?

Andalusian. The prize horse of the Spanish moors was instrumental in the development of the breed, and is the origin of the name "Spanish Riding School".

What place is where the Lipizzaner stallions engage in their formal performances, and is also the home of the Spanish Riding School?

The Hofburg palace in Vienna. The Hofburg imperial palace has a baroque hall built for the Spanish Riding School, constructed in 1729, and the performances have been open to the public since 1920.

What was the name of the Disney movie about the rescue of the Lipizzaners at the end of World War II?

The Miracle of the White Stallions. The 1963 movie starred Robert Taylor and Lilli Palmer.

The Austrian government has set strict standards preventing the export of Lipizzaners to other countries.

f. Anyone can own a Lipizzaner, and they can be purchased in the United States.

The Lipizzaner performances include a maneuver in which the horses are completely in the air.

t. Two such maneuvers are called the courbette and the capriole, the latter of which is fabulous to watch, when, on command, the horse kicks out violently with hind legs while high above the ground.