Developed exclusively by the Hapsburg monarchy for its use during times of war and peace, the Lipizzaner is the true horse of royalty. Four hundred years of selective breeding have made the Lipizzaner one of Europe’s oldest breeds of horse. It was also bred for the military & of course the famous Spanish Riding School of Vienna.
 
Lipizzaners are predominantly grey, with the occasional bay, brown, black or chestnut turning up – traditionally the SRS always retains a black or brown coloured horse for performances. The old superstition says that one dark coloured horse should be kept to ward off disaster.
 
Perhaps the best kept secret is - even though they are grey, the breed has very little to no melanoma what so ever. There is a strict breeding regime which insures the soundness of this breed. They have excellent bone, legs & feet, very sound of wind & long lived being used well into their late 20s & early 30s. Mares are even bred with up to 28 years of age. Averaging heights are 155 cm – 160 cm for stallions & 150 cm – 156 cm for mares.
 
The breed has regular rigorous accreditation or classification for breeding stock which include the morphology (gaits & conformation). There is also a classification for ridden & harness which also tests the temperament.

There are 3 more or less distinct types within the breed
 
      The Baroque type - a compact well balanced & well rounded horse with even proportions & very expressive movement, generally a shorter back & shorter legs (they can appear as though in a rectangle due to the optical illusion from the shorter cannons) a more medium length of rein, they can also be smaller in height & quite solid in stature
 
      The Hungarian type – which are generally used for driving, are usually of longer proportions in the back, leg & neck however remain in proportion & can reach heights of over 16hh.

      The Modern type – is generally a more lighter framed horse although still retaining excellent bone substance. The generally have a bit more length to the legs & length of rein, good height, compact bodies & very expressive movement.
  
The genetic makeup of the Lipizzaner compromises of
52% Italian & Spanish, 23% Arabian (2% of which is Shagya Arabain),the rest is a mix of the original Lipizzan breed, Fredrickborger, Kladruber & T Bred
 
There are six established sire lines. These 6 are what is known as the original ‘Classical Lines’

    Conversano, black, a Neapolitan
    Favory, a dun Kladruber
    Maestoso, a  grey crossbred by a Neapolitan sire and out of a Spanish dam
    Neapolitano, bay or brown, from another Neapolitan sire
    Pluto, grey, of Spanish origin
    Siglavy, grey Arabian owned by Prince Schwarzenberg
With two additional lines which are internationally recognised which are known as ‘Hungarian or non ‘Classical Lines’
Tulipan, originating from Croatia in 1850 -  the current Pluto line carries Tulipan blood      
    Incitato, named after the founding Transylvanian/Hungarian stallion from1810
   
In addition to the sire lines, 35 mares established dominant families which are recognized today. Each country established traditions in naming, branding, and otherwise identifying Lipizzaner’s.            
The Kladrub and Lipizzaner stock were bred to the native Karst horses, and succeeding generations were crossed with  the old Neapolitan breed and horses of Spanish descent obtained from Spain, Germany, and Denmark. The Kladrub stud produced heavy carriage horses. Riding horses and light carriage horses came from the Lipizzaner stud although breeding stock was exchanged between the studs.

The 1st Lipizzaner horses to be imported to Australia were brought in by Mr Geoff Adcock from Ravenswood stud in SA in 1973 these horses were the Lipizzaner stallion Siglavy Flora 1.75 & 4 mares - 502 Trompeta X, 528 Monteaura III, 491 Gaeta VIII & 536 Steaka IX. Siglavy Flora 1.75. was the mount of the then director of the SRS Crnl Hans Handler.

Others followed in 1976-1977 – With the Maryanne & Bent Christensian from Bibaringa stud in  the ACT  bringing out Pluto Plutona -14 & 3 Hungarian mares Conversano XX-17, Incitato IX-10 (bay) & Neapolitano XIX-2 along with an Arabian/Lipizzaner mare Electra, the Arabian stallion Kazmir & the Warmblood stallion Waszu.

The Lipizzaner/Arabian mare Electra features in current Warmblood breeding out here. An example is the lovely Belcam Cadel through his Lipizzaner cross dam, Jocks Girl – who is now owned by Brockhurst Stud SA (& was laid to rest in May 2010). Belcam Cadel won the 2009 young horse dressage Champion at DWTS.
 
There was also another stallion brought out in 1977 (he only had one purebred foal) the next imports were not until 2002 (a stallion & mare – Merlins parents)  & the last , a stallion in 2005.

It is hoped that frozen semen from Slovenia will also be made available & therefore open the genetic pool within Australia.