Lippazan Stallions

Here are only a few photos of the Lipizzan stallions that we saw yesterday. They are beautiful horses that are well trained. From the demise of the great war horses of the pre-Napoleonic era to the threat of extinction near the end of WWII, they miraculously survived.


Lipizzan stallions of Austria were first bred in Lipizza, a town now located in Yugoslavia. The horses were Spanish horses but later named for the town in which they were brought.



Gabriella Herrmann maintains the horse farm in Myakka City, Florida, where we spent yesterday afternoon enjoying their practice show. Gabriella is the daughter of the late Colonel Ottomar Hermman, the original trainer.










The Lipizzan Stallions are among the oldest breeds of horses in the world.












It is amazing to see them perform the Capriole, a move when the stallion lifts himself into the air and strikes out with a deadly kick from behind. This maneuver was used to kill enemy foot soldiers while keeping the officer safe.













The ballotade occurred when the stallion rose to his hind legs and struck out repeatedly whith his forelegs. This maneuver protected the rider also.































Beautiful!!



























If you are ever in the area of South Florida near Arcadia, I highly recommend a side trip to see these stallions perform.