Lipizzan Stud Farm

May 31st. A fun visit to the Lipizzan horse stud farm in Lipica, Slovenia. The foals are born black and turn white in five to seven years.
The Lipizzan is a breed that was developed especially by the Hapsburg monarchy to use during times of war and peace.  Four hundred years of selective breeding has made the Lipizzan one of Europe's oldest breeds.

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna has used the Lipizzan horses exclusively and owes its survival to the intervention of General George S. Patton during World War II where he retrieved the mares and returned them to Austrian soil.  (Watch the Disney movie, The Miracle of the White Stallions)

Chris especially enjoyed this visit and pestered the poor tour guide with never-ending questions about the care and breeding of the horses.  The best studs are housed in the finest stable, which was built in 1703.