The Lipizzaner horses live and breed in Slovenia, and have since1580. Estates not far from Trieste were established by Archduke Charles, son of Hapsburg Emperor Ferdinand I for the sole purpose of breeding horses for dressage and parades. Indigenous horses from the Slovenian Kras were cross bred with Neapolitan, Danish, Spanish and Arabic breeds creating the magnificent long bodied brilliantly white horses that are so famous for dancing and prancing. The colts are always born dark brown or gray and have documented lineage for generations. Between their sixth and tenth year the color of their coats lightens and becomes an unblemished satiny white. They are rigorously trained in Piber, Austria and then returned to Slovenia for stud services.
Once a year the stud farm in Lipica has an open house with free tours and exhibits and we took Sarah and Larry Reed visiting from Mt. Vernon, Ohio. It was a gloriously warm colorful fall day and we sat and reveled for two hours in the beauty of the show of dancing and racing Lipizzaner horses. 
The Lipizzaner horses live and breed in Slovenia, and have since1580. Estates not far from Trieste were established by Archduke Charles, son of Hapsburg Emperor Ferdinand I for the sole purpose of breeding horses for dressage and parades. Indigenous horses from the Slovenian Kras were cross bred with Neapolitan, Danish, Spanish and Arabic breeds creating the magnificent long bodied brilliantly white horses that are so famous for dancing and prancing. The colts are always born dark brown or gray and have documented lineage for generations. Between their sixth and tenth year the color of their coats lightens and becomes an unblemished satiny white. They are rigorously trained in Piber, Austria and then returned to Slovenia for stud services. 
