The home of the Lipizzaner horses

When wars end and a peace treaty is written up, usually it is land and important resources that are divided up. When World War I finished and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was being shared in 1918, a group of horses became part of the negotiations.

These were not any old horses, though. They were the famed Lipizzaner horses – so important that everyone wanted a share. And, although they were indeed distributed between several countries in the final treaty, it was Austria who kept the most significant of them all – the main stallions.

It is the descendants of these stallions who still make up the famous white horses of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, whose classical dressage performances are a highlight of the Austrian capital.

Performances in the palatial white riding school built in 1735 were once only for guests of the court, but another consequence of the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 was that the school had to open to the public to help pay the bills.

While many tourists who visit Vienna will go to one of the school’s performances or take a guided tour of the facilities, there’s another way to get up close to the Lipizzaner horses – here in the southeast of Austria near Graz, at the Piber Stud Farm where they are all born and raised.

The Piber Stud Farm

Only the best of the best end up at Vienna’s Spanish Riding School, but they all start here at the Piber Stud Farm (officially called the Piber Federal Stud).

It’s about 45 45-minute drive west of Graz and, although you’re never far from nature in the city, you’ll definitely feel the countryside in the air when you arrive. Rolling green hills surround the farm, with pockets of forests and charming villages spotted in the distance.

At the entrance to the farm stands the imposing Piber Castle, which was originally built as a baroque abbey at the start of the 1700s, almost a century before the stud was opened here in 1798. Next to it is St Andrews Church, founded on the site in 1066 (although it has been rebuilt several times since).

But you’ve come for the horses, right? So, although you can visit these historic buildings, let’s head through to the stables to see the animals.

Life of a Lipizzaner

The Piber Stud Farm is a woman’s world.

The stallions are transferred to Heldenberg when they are about four years old to start their training, which takes about six years, and then they’re off to the big league in Vienna. Only the best will come back to Piber for a short time for breeding.

The mares, on the other hand, stay here and are at the heart of the Lipizzaner story. Although the horses all have a name that includes one of the six original stallion bloodlines, it is the health of the mares that guarantees the success of the offspring and, as such they’re treated with great care at the Piber Stud Farm.

It takes about three years to rear a horse here, under the watchful eye of the experienced staff. After the mares have gotten used to their surroundings, they are introduced to bridles, long lines, and harnesses. It’s not until they’re about five years old that they start to use a saddle.

Visiting the Piber Stud Farm

When you visit the Piber Stud Farm from Graz, you’ll see many of these stages of the life of the Lipizzaners.

In one section are the young foals that have been born this season, nuzzling up to their mothers, both friendly enough to come up and say hi to me, but not interested enough to stick around for pats when they realise I have no food.

Interestingly, you’ll notice that most of the foals are actually dark-coloured – brown or even black. It’s only as they get older that they start to turn the grey colour that they are famous for across the world. (Although they’re often described as white, they’re technically grey.)

Through one of the stables is an open-air ring where training sessions take part with the horses, which visitors can watch if they are there at the right time (normally between 13:45 and 14:15, Tuesday to Friday). When I visit, there are a couple of mares relaxing and it’s interesting just to watch the way they move naturally.

In other areas, you’re able to see the horses in the stables, there’s a live blacksmith at work sometimes, and there’s an exhibition of historic carriages.

A recently redeveloped museum called ‘Mythical Horse’ has excellent modern exhibitions about the history of the Lipizzaners and the Piber Federal Stud, including video footage and interactive games.

Visiting the museum before you explore the rest of the site is a good way to get an overview of the importance of the Piber Stud Farm.

Lipizzaner carriage ride

Seeing the Lipizzaner horses train and even having a chance to pat them around the stables will be exciting enough for horse lovers – but there’s one more thing that is a highlight here at the Piber Stud Farm.

For an additional fee, you can arrange to take a carriage ride with the Lipizzaner horses, with two of the beautiful animals pulling the historic open-air carriage through the nearby roads and farm tracks for about 30 minutes.

It’s not just a pleasant way to see the surrounding countryside, it also gets you up close to see why these horses are considered so special, and are one of the most famous breeds in the world. Prices start at €116 for six people for a 30-minute ride.

I’ve written before about how much I love Graz and how there are so many things to do in Graz for visitors. It’s easy to spend a few days in the city itself – exploring the historic centre, the cool art galleries, interesting museums, and just hanging with the locals who love to eat and drink.

But this is also a region where there’s lots to see outside the city, and some of the best experiences are a short drive from the centre. The Piber Stud Farm is one of them and an excellent example of what you can discover when you travel a bit deeper.

Time Travel Turtle was supported by Visit Graz in partnership with Captivate but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.