Not far from the hotel we passed a sign with the emblem of Lipiza which informed us we had entered into the horse area. Portable souvenir shops made an arc around the entrance area, but only one of them was open because it was off season. I found the portable souvenir shop structures fascinating. And even though the things they had for sale were meager (postcards, pins, white tee shirts with a tiny Lipiza emblem, and resin statues of Lipizzaner horses, the crowd around the counter was heavy, and people were definitely buying. Inside the grounds carriages were pulled by the Lippizzaner horses and one could take a carriage ride. Some friendly horses were in a fenced area visiting with the tourists. Since there was no food for sale to feed the horses, and no food was allowed into the area, I had to determine that the horses must have been very friendly because they allowed the people to pet them and oo and ah over them..
The first stop on our trip through the area was the stables which date back four centuries. The horses there seemed to be conversing with each other. They hardly noticed us. And there was one that was definitely a stallion. Under no circumstances could he have been mistaken for a mare.
Inside the gates of the complex we saw this water well, a remnant of the past that is still in use.
There was achurch inside the Lipiza stud farm and I couldn't get anyone to explain why.
Here and there among the white horse you could see some dark foals. When I first saw the black ponies, I thought they were misfits only to learn that they all Lippizzaners are born black and change color over a period of four to ten years.
Carlos took a picture there that I think it is a masterpiece. Check out the composition, the colors, the background, the shadows, the pregnant horse subject herself. I love it!
After a leisurely walk around the grounds, we went into an auditorium to see a show. The horses are being trained, so we didn't see a finished show, just one in progress.
I learned what the expression "Airs Above the Ground" meant. Horses would stand on their hind legs and jump into the air. For a moment they were actually above the ground, and a black stallion we watched was able to perform it spectacularly.
Click a picture to see a larger view.