Breed History
The Lipizzaner is one of the oldest horse breeds in Europe. Created by the Imperial Court of Austria more than four centuries ago, the breed benefits from a long history. Resulting from the crossing between Arabian horses and Spanish horses, the Lipizzaner was then crossed with Italian horses and Slovenian horses. Eight stallions were finally selected during the 18th and 19th centuries to form the basis of Lipizzaner breeding.
Threatened with extinction during the Second World War, the breed was finally saved thanks to the intervention of an American general called George S. Patton.
Good to know: The Lipizzan takes its name from the Slovenian village “Lipizza,” where a Stud Farm was created in 1850. This region of Slovenia, which was then Austrian, was to supply horses to the Spanish School of Vienna.
