Lipizzaner: History, Haute École & Prices — the white horses of the Spanish Riding School Vienna

There are horses you will never forget. The Lipizzaner is one of them. White as snow, of aristocratic bearing and a master of classical riding — it is the living symbol of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, an institution that has preserved and cultivated the highest art of riding for over 450 years.

Overview hide

History: From the imperial stud to world fame

The secret of the white coat

Characteristics of the Lipizzaner

The Haute École: Lessons That Cost Years

Breeding and Availability

Purchase Prices for Lipizzaners

Common questions about the Lipizzaner

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History: From the imperial stud to world fame

The Lipizzaner was born in 1580, when Archduke Karl II of Austria founded a stud in Lipica (today Slovenia) and crossbred Spanish, Arab and Neapolitan stallions. The goal was a horse that would meet the requirements of the imperial court in Vienna: elegant, obedient, representative.

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna, founded in 1572, is the oldest riding academy in the world and is still exclusively dedicated to Lipizzaners and their Haute École. The Piber Stud in Styria is the imperial breeding stud, from which all school stallions descend.

The secret of the white coat

Lipizzaners are born dark — brown, dark gray, or even black — and become grayer with age, eventually turning white. This process is genetically determined (gray gene) and usually takes until the horse is eight years old. A true Lipizzaner is actually not a “white horse,” but a gray.

The rare dark Lipizzaners that remain brown or black their entire lives (so-called Mascottipferde) are traditionally considered lucky charms in classical riding.

Characteristics of the Lipizzaner

Body structure: Compact, muscular, short back, strong croup, well-arched neck
Head: Noble, Roman nose profile or straight, large calm eyes
Movement: Elastic, expansive, with a lot of knee and shoulder action
Height: 148 to 160 cm — more compact than most warmbloods
Lifespan: Up to 35 years, often working well into old age

The Haute École: Lessons That Cost Years

The Spanish Riding School distinguishes between schools on earth and the legendary schools above earth:

Piaffe: Trotting in place — trained for years
Passage: Very collected, floating trot
Levade: The horse lifts its front and balances on the bent hind legs (45°)
Courbette: From the levade, the horse jumps on its hind legs
Kapriole: The highest of all jumps — the horse jumps high and powerfully steps out with both hind legs at the same time

A Lipizzaner needs up to seven years of training before it can perform a complete kapriole.

Breeding and Availability

Lipizzaners outside the Spanish Riding School exist, but they are rare. Breeders in Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, and the Slovak Republic maintain the breed. In Germany, the community is small. However, for lovers of classical riding, the Lipizzaner is the absolute crown.

Purchase Prices for Lipizzaners

Young foal from a private stud: from 8,000 Euro
Trained riding horse: 20,000 – 60,000 Euro
Lipizzaner from Hofreitschule lineage: 50,000 – 150,000 Euro and more

Common questions about the Lipizzaner

Can you buy a Lipizzaner? Yes, there are private breeders. The stallions of the Spanish Riding School itself are not for sale.
Are Lipizzaners and Andalusians related? Yes — Spanish horses (Andalusian ancestors) formed the basis of Lipizzaner breeding in the 16th century.
Why does the Riding School use the word “Spanish”? Because the founding stallions came from Spain — and the riding art is named after the Spanish court style of the 16th century.