Lipizzan
The Lipizzan horses, or Lipizzaner, are very closely associated with what is called the Spanish Riding School, which is the oldest riding academy in the world. It dates back to at least as early as 1565, during the Habsburg monarchy. The horses take their name from the fact that the stud farm where they are bred is located in Lipica (Italian: Lipizza), near Trieste in nowadays Slovenia.
The typical horse of this breed measures between fourteen and fifteen hands. They are stockier than, for instance, Arabians. The breed originated with Andalusian mares bred to Arabians or Berber stallions. Only stallions of the Lipizzan breed are used at the Spanish Riding School.
Aside from the rare bay, all Lipizzans are gray. As with all gray horses, they are born dark and slowly lighten as the graying process takes place, resulting in a horse that looks white by the time they reach their teens.
References
Alois Podhajsky, My Horses, My Teachers, Doubleday, 1968, ISBN 1570760918. P. 132f.
The motion picture entitled Florian (1940) depicted the Spanish Riding School and the rescue of its horses from invading Nazi forces. It was
directed by Edwin L. Marin and scripted by Noel Langley and James Kevin McGuinness. It is not currently available.
