Lipizzaners are a protected breed in Hungary. They were first established by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy four centuries ago by crossing imported Spanish and Italian stallions with local mares. While the breed today is often associated with the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, few people realize that there were once two Royal Spanish Riding Schools: one in Austria and the other in Hungary. Budapest’s Hungarian training facility operated on an equal footing with Vienna’s institute until 1945. Sadly, the school closed due to World War II.

On March 24, 1945, the Russian army waged a fierce battle against the capital, killing or imprisoning most of the Hungarian riders and grooms. Four of the school’s Lipizzaner stallions were stolen and used to pull heavy munitions into combat, never to be seen again, while another 18 stallions were shot and eaten.

There was one positive result from this horrific episode, however. The advance warning to Colonel Alois Podhajsky in Vienna helped him escape and save most of the Austrian Lipizzaners.

The Szilvásvárad Stud

During the Austro-Hungarian era, horse studs were established all over the empire to improve local breeding practices. Most of these studs closed due to military and social upheavals and agricultural motorization, but a few are still standing thanks to government support. One of the largest (with 300 horses) and most interesting is the Szilvásvárad stud.

The Hungarian government recently funded the complete restoration of the stud facilities, and the new, improved complex has several structures split into four separate zones. There is a central area in the village where horses are trained and competitions take place, a mare and foal stable, a stallion station, and summer pastures and stabling for juvenile stallions.

The restoration was the largest equestrian development project funded by Hungary in decades, costing over 21 million Euro to complete.

Facilities include a floodlit international arena, large permanent stables, two covered arenas, and a world-class cross-country course for marathon driving.

Trail Riding with Lipizzaners

The Bükk Mountains are an ideal trail riding destination, thanks to their well-maintained tracks and lack of fences.

The Bükk National Park contains more than 1,000 ancient caves, thermal springs, waterfalls, and lush beech forests. The area is home to fallow deer, wolves, and Eurasian lynxes.

From the saddle, you can visit churches and historical buildings that reflect the region’s history, and you will be entertained by Attila, the head rider, who is knowledgeable about the local area.

Along the marathon driving tracks used to host the 1984 World Driving Championships, there are frequent opportunities to canter or trot. During my stay, I rode Fátyol, a 12-year-old mare who handled the steep inclines, descents and twisting turns effortlessly.

The most adventurous riders can book an overnight adventure to Csipkéskút, a lodge near Hungary’s northern border with Slovakia, to visit the young stallions.

It’s here that future dressage and driving stars spend their first three years of life, enjoying the mineral-rich soils and hilly terrain of the Bükk Plateau, which contribute significantly to their mental and physical development.

Driving Lessons with Lipizzaners

If trail riding is not your thing, carriage driving lessons are a fantastic alternative or additional activity to add to your trip.

The Szilvásvárad drivers are renowned for their accomplishments all over the world, and if you have ever wanted to pick up the reins and try carriage driving, this is the place to give it a go. Spoiler alert: It’s harder than it looks.

For those who prefer not to ride or drive when on holiday, another way to experience the surroundings is to take a private carriage tour with a guide. During carriage tours, visitors can observe staff working with and training different horses and even watch Hungarian Hussar units practicing drills with their cavalry mounts.

Dressage, jumping and driving competitions are regularly held at the stud, and historians will appreciate the Lipizzaner Museum, which features artifacts, sculptures and saddlery pieces from the past, along with antique carriages.

Accommodation and meals can be booked as part of an all-inclusive package directly with the stud, taking the guesswork out of where to stay and what to do, all while helping contribute to the preservation of the Lipizzaners.

For more information on the stud, visit here.

Further Reading:
◆ Meet the Incredible Lipizzan Horse
◆ The Lipizzaner: A Royal Legacy

This article about riding horses at the Lipizzaner stud in Szilvásvárad, Hungary appeared in the October 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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During Medieval times, a horse’s main job was to carry men into battle during wartime and to pull carriages during times of peace. If you had good horses, you had everything you needed, during both war and peace.

In the mid-1500s, Austrian Archduke Charles II, ruler of Inner Austria, sought to create a special breed of horse. He imported Andalusian horses, Berbers and Barbs from Spain and crossed them with a now-extinct breed called the Karst, a rugged, high-stepping, light gray horse native to Austria. Charles’ brother, Maximilian II, the Holy Roman Emperor, also founded a stud at Kladrub in Austria (which is now part of the Czech Republic) with the same goal, and used Spanish breeds crossed with local horses. The elegant and powerful horses that resulted—eventually called Lipizzans—became heavy carriage horses at the Kladruby stud, and riding and light carriage horses at the Lipizza Stud of the Hapsburg monarchy.

The brothers exchanged breeding stock at times, crossing the lines to create aristocratic animals that were more than just war and work horses; they were partners in what had become the highly revered art of classical riding, which combined maneuvers used in battle with exercises that emphasized the horse’s athletic ability and obedience to the rider.

Charles and Maximilian were members of the Hapsburg family, rulers of the most influential monarchy in European history. Connoisseurs of fine horses, the brothers created the Lipizzan breed for their own use. In response to the growing admiration for classical riding during the Renaissance among the aristocracy, the Hapsburg family established the Spanish Riding School in Vienna to teach horses and riders these fine skills. Over the next two centuries, more Spanish and Arabian blood was infused into the breed to help strengthen the Lipizzan’s foundation breeding.

Six of the stallions used during the 18th and 19th century established the family lines still seen in the Lipizzan today. These stallions—Conversano, Favory, Maestoso, Neopolitano, Pluto and Siglavy—all came from lines that originated outside of Austria. To this day, Lipizzans are marked with an ancestral brand representing their family line.

Modern Breed

Many people think of Lipizzans as an exotic horse of the past, famous for its performances at the Spanish Riding School. The truth is that purebred Lipizzans are alive and well in today’s horse world, with more than 900 registered in the United States. These horses are competing in a variety of sports. In Eastern Europe, they are considered the premier driving horse.

It’s rare to see a Lipizzan in the U.S. because their numbers are small, so to help raise awareness of the breed, the United States Lipizzan Foundation (USLF) is working hard by using a comprehensive social media and advertising campaign meant to get the word out. The organization hopes to show that these horses, while they have a rich and fascinating history, have a place in modern competition.

“We feel these horses have a lot of abilities beyond the noncompetitive classical dressage you see in the Spanish Riding School,” says Sam Martinson, vice president of the USLF. “They have always been very successful in dressage competition. Many amateurs are now looking for an athletic horse of smaller stature who can compete at the top levels of the sport, which Lipizzans can do because the collection is so easy for them.”

She notes in 2020 alone, U.S. Lipizzan riders were at the top of their sports in dressage, driving, working equitation, mounted archery and western dressage.

“This is really something if you consider our population numbers and how few horses we have competing,” says Martinson.

Don’t be surprised if you see a Lipizzan the next time you attend a local dressage, driving or working equitation event.

“In recent years, there’s been a great deal of interest in both breeding these horses and buyers looking to purchase them for sport,” says Martinson. “We are excited to see people recognize the incredible athletic ability, temperament and trainability of a breed that has 500 years of careful breeding behind it.”

This article about the Lipizzan horses appeared in the June 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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In the 60 years since its founding, the work of the Tempel Lipizzans has educated and inspired many generations of Americans on cultural and equine histories and on the art of dressage. Located just 45 miles north of Chicago, Ill., Tempel Farms is a privately owned breeding, training and exhibition center. The picturesque midwestern facility is home to Lipizzan horses in all stages of life and training.

With dedication to maintaining the original standards of the breed, Tempel Lipizzans regards with great respect the European state stud farms that have fostered the breed for hundreds of years, beginning in Slovenia in 1580. This year, eight foals are expected. Considered an endangered domestic breed, each Lipizzan birth is a unique message from the past.

Each summer the farm opens its doors to the public to share the beauty of the Lipizzan horse and the classical dressage training for which they are best known. Behind the scenes, tours throughout the year allow access to life outside the performance stables where broodmares, youngsters and retired horses spend their days.

This photo portfolio featuring images of the Tempel Farms Lipizzans appeared in the March 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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