LIPIZZANS
Alois Podhajsky and Pluto Theodorosta
Young Stallions at Piber Stud Farm
Datana Lipizzan Mare in Texas
The Lipizzan horse represents over 400 years of select breeding. They not only possess beauty and nobility, but also a rare combination of courage, strength, ability, temperament, and intelligence. What the Lipizzans are commemorating this year is the anniversary of World War II. One might think, ?Why would you celebrate that?? Simply put, without it the Lipizzan breed would not exist today. It has been 60 years since these horses were finally saved from the brink of extinction.
The Lipizzan is rare with less than 3000 in existence today. The Lipizzan has had a very rich and dramatic past. It was once a horse reserved exclusively for nobility, but on numerous occasions was faced with the ravages of war. During World War I the horses were moved for their protection to the snowy mountain sides, for fear of their safety, but sadly by the end of the war (1919) there were only 208 Lipizzans known to be left. Italy received 109 horses for its stud farm in Lipizza and Piber stud farm in Austria received 98 horses. The Lipizzans were once again evacuated during World War II to Houstau in 1943. Again they narrowly escaped obliteration.
In 1945, General Patton along with the efforts of the Spanish Riding School?s director, Alois Podhajsky, and the bravery of the United States Army?s 2nd Cavalry executed a daring rescue of the Lipizzans. A band containing 150 mares, foals, and stallions were captured and marched to safety. This dramatic episode is documented in Walt Disney's movie, THE MIRACLE OF THE WHITE STALLIONS. By the end of World War II, the Lipizzan breed numbered less than 200 and it was not until 1955 that the performance stallions were returned to the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Today there are Lipizzan stud farms in Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, as well as South Africa, Australia, France, and Germany.
There are six Stallion lines of the Lipizzan as known today: they are CONVERSANO, FAVORY, MAESTOSO , NEAPOLITANO, PLUTO, SIGLAVY. There are also 23 mare lines. A Lipizzan stallion has a duel name, the line he originates from and the name of his Dam. Lipizzan mares have one name that is usually a feminine name ending in the vowel ?a.? It is strongly suggested fillies are named with the same first letter of their Dam. There are two registries in the United States today that ensure the horses are DNA typed and recorded. The United States Lipizzan Registry and the Lipizzan Association of North America both work to preserve the Classical Lipizzan. America is home to 1500 Lipizzans.
Lipizzans are late maturing and long lived, many times to 35 or more
years of age. They are born black or bay and slowly turn ?white? by the time
they are five to eight years of age. Rarely a Lipizzan stays black or brown. The
Spanish Riding School keeps one of each on the premises at all times for
?luck.? Lipizzan horses are not fully-grown in size until they are seven and
do not reach full maturity until almost ten years of age.
Lipizzans are of sound, heavy bone and lameness is rare. Their powerful
hindquarters allow them to carry themselves with a natural balance.
Training does not begin until the fourth year, but a Lipizzan stallion can
continue to perform well beyond 25 years of age. The training emphasizes praise
rather than punishment and takes many years ? usually with the same trainer.
So I hope you will come celebrate with us on this anniversary year. It would be a great loss to the world if this cherished breed were forever lost. The Lipizzan horses will be performing an ?American Tribute? to the veterans of World War II. We will publicly thank them for the dramatic rescue of our breed. For more information on the Lipizzan breed please visit our website at www.southwestlipizzan.com or contact Rebecca Dabbs at 210-416-2588.