The Spanish Riding School – horsemanship at its best

When and how did the Spanish Riding School come to Vienna? Where is the performance venue of the
“Ballets of the white stallions”, called Lipizzaner, and where are the stables located?

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the oldest riding school in the world. It is also the only institution in the world that has been cultivating the classical art of riding in the Renaissance tradition of the “High School” unchanged for more than 450 years . As a result, it has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010.

Winter riding school in baroque style

The term “court riding school” is related to the fact that its visit and use was previously reserved exclusively for the nobility . They needed an appropriate riding hall to learn the high school of horsemanship. The morning training sessions and performances of the Spanish Riding School take place in the baroque Winter Riding School . The white Lipizzaner stallions “practice” to classical music every morning (except Monday). At weekends, they show off their true skills.

Emperor Charles VI commissioned Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach to build the Winter Riding School in 1729. The baroque riding hall is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. The equestrian portrait of the monarch still adorns the entrance area today and is respectfully greeted by the riders.

All gaits of the high art of riding are demonstrated. From levade to capriole to courbette. As this art of riding has been practiced unchanged since the 16th century, the Spanish Riding School has been a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage site since 2010.

The name of the “Spanish” Riding School is linked to the Spanish line of the Habsburgs and can be traced back to the middle of the 16th century: Ferdinand I, the brother of Charles V, grew up in Spain. When the Habsburg empire was divided into a Spanish and Austrian line, Ferdinand came to Vienna and took the magnificent Spanish horses from the Iberian Peninsula with him. Today’s Lipizzaner stallions are their descendants and were crossed with Arabian and Berber horses.

The origin of the Lippizzaner

In the middle of the city – the Stallburg (one of the few Renaissance buildings in Vienna) is home to around 72 white Lipizzaner stallions . The name, probably the most famous stallions in the world, goes back to the village of Lipica in Slovenia . The former court stud farm with Spanish horses was founded in this area in 1580 . Following the collapse of the monarchy, the stud was moved to Piber in western Styria. Lipizzaners are born there black, brown or mouse gray . With each change of coat, the color changes and becomes lighter. They come to Vienna between the ages of four and seven. They spend the summer at Heldenberg, a training center in Lower Austria.

Time Travel Tip: Would you like to see the Lipizzaner horses up close ? Then go to the Stallburg on weekdays (except Mondays) at around 11am. There, the white stallions are brought across the road to the winter riding hall and exchanged for training. If you are lucky, you will be able to see and photograph them at close range. In summer, you can also see and photograph the young foals early in the morning when they are turned out in the castle garden.

More info: Spanish Riding School (srs.at)

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spanische_Hofreitschule_Wien_Vienna_Winter_riding_manege_1.jpg?uselang=de