Spanish Riding School

About

Experience the magic of the famous Lipizzan, or Lipizzaner, horses at Vienna's Spanish Riding School. Watch 450 years of Lipizzan tradition at work as their trainers run them through the _haute école_ or 'high school' of equine dressage in front of a live audience. While you won't see the formal performance at the training session, you'll get to see the horses and trainers conduct several practice routines to perfection, including targeted strength training for each level of experience. Originally bred by the Habsburgs to act as military steeds and royal mounts, these four-legged show-offs were once stabled in the courtyard of every royal household in central Europe. They're groomed to perfection, love to entertain, and know exactly how to enchant an audience.