Meet the Lipizzaner, the jewel of Slovenia, with a fiery temperament

Slovenia’s jewels undoubtedly include its Lipizzaner, one of the oldest breeds, developed under the Habsburg Empire in the 16th century. White horses with a proud appearance and strong character, which today play a special role in the daily cultural and social life of communities in rural areas and which fascinate horse enthusiasts, ready to spend a lot of money to acquire such animals.

One of the original stud farms, which made their creation possible, still exists today. The more than 400-year-old majestic farm, which is also the oldest European stud farm breeding one breed of horses, is located in the southeast of the country, in the village of Lipica. It was thus declared a “Cultural Monument of Extraordinary Importance” for the Republic of Slovenia. As for traditional cattle farms – including that of Lipica – they have been included in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2022.

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An imperial race with a strong character

It all began in the 1680s During the Renaissance, European high society developed an attraction for the baroque horse, endowed with a strong constitution. The Austrian Habsburg family, which occupies both the throne of the Holy Roman Empire and the throne of Spain, is no exception to this rule. It was therefore decided to develop a new breed for the Imperial Court in Vienna, efficient in driving and driving, in stud farms in various countries of the empire, such as Austria, Italy, but also in Lipica in the territory of today’s Slovenia. .

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On the advice of Trieste bishop Nicolò da Coreto, Archduke Charles II. Habsburg decided to transform the dilapidated episcopal residence in the village of Lipica into a stud farm, which would provide enough space for breeding animals.

Horses were bought in different countries and then brought back, especially to the Lipica Stud, to design this new horse in the image of the nobility. This is how the Lipizzan was born, a mixture of old breeds that have now completely or partially disappeared: they are the Karst horse, the Bard horse, the Arabian horse, the Andalusian horse and the Neapolitan horse, suggests GEO Aaron Uazeua, a guide at the Lipica Stud.

Foals that are born with a chocolate coat only acquire a cream coat, sometimes with a tendency to gray, until adulthood. “The Lipizzaner horses are not the fastest in the world or the best jumpers, but they are probably the most beautiful! They have a broad chest and great strength – a bit like a bulldog if we were to compare them to a dog breed.” “guide details.

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Intelligent, proud and dignified, they also have a very strong character. “When we meet breeders all over the world and tell them we work with this breed, they all say, ‘Wow! Lipizzans!!’. It’s very hard to teach them, but when we do, they’re the best.”

Slovenia takes care of its horses

More than 350 years after its inception, the Second World War almost sounded the death knell for the Lipizzaners. Fortunately, this did not count against the efforts of Slovenia and enthusiasts of this breed to save it from extinction.

In 1996, the “little Switzerland in the Balkans” claimed responsibility for the development and protection of the Lipizzaner. Since then, all breed associations must apply to the Republic of Slovenia for permission to use the name “Lipizzan”. In 1999, it also received breed name protection with a protected geographical indication.

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Slovenia also joined forces with Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Romania and Slovakia to form the International Lipizzaner Federation.

Finally, the Lipizzaner farms have been included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list since 2022. This is especially true for the Lipica stud farm, which currently has 382 horses. “But they’re owned by the government. We’re more like a management company.”points out Aaron Uazeua.

In addition to daily riding courses and riding stays for visitors and selective breeding, the Lipica stud also sells 15 to 20 horses per year. Again under the control of the Republic of Slovenia.

“We create a list of horses we want to sell, which is sent to the government for verification. If we approve, the individuals are entered into our catalog and we open the bidding process. Buyers then have two weeks to visit the horses, bring their own vet, etc. And if everything goes well, we immediately start verifying the buyer: where will the horse live? What will it be used for? etc. The future owner will have to sign a very strict contract, where he undertakes in particular not to sell the animal for meat.guide details.

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But government protection does not end there. It is impossible, for example, to euthanize a Lipizzaner unless it suffers from a very serious illness. Only the Government Veterinarian can decide in this case.

Once all purchase steps have been verified, Lipizzaners can fly away – sometimes literally – to their new life. Enthusiasts from all over the world do not hesitate to spend several tens of thousands of euros to acquire it, sometimes to the United States, Australia, South America or even Japan.

Lipica also has a big place in the cultural and social life of Slovenians. They are thus included in events, celebrations and festivities such as the blessing of horses, carnival parades and processions. They are also used in therapeutic riding and sustainable tourism. And finally, they can participate in competitions, especially successful ones in dressage competitions and especially charioteer competitions.