Equestrian Network Magazine


	New Renaissance for the Ultimate Baroque Horse
	by Nan Meek			Photo by Michael Kirby

	When the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria, toured the United States last fall with a series of breath-taking exhibitions of classical horsemanship, they set off an avalanche of interest that continues to gain momentum.

	Lipizzan breeders are seeing increasing interest in their young stock and stallions at stud. Spanish Riding School riders are being besieged with requests to conduct clinics all over the
	country. Even the casual reader of equestrian publications can't help but notice an increase in the number of articles about Lipizzans.

	What's behind this growing interest? Is it the history of the Spanish Riding School, is it the Lipizzan's unique status as the ultimate classical dressage horse, or is it a natural result of the evolution of horsemanship in the United States?

	When the Western States Lipizzan Association recently hosted a clinic with the Spanish Riding School's Rudolf Rostek in Granite Bay, California, it became clear that "all of the above" answered those questions.

	Spanish Riding School Traditions

	More than 430 years of training have been handed down from one generation of riders to the next at the Spanish Riding School. Boys who enter the School at age 15 or 16 spend approximately 10 years working their way through the training program before they attain the rank of Rider – and they definitely earn that title. Their education begins on the longe line, and progresses from riding trained stallions, to learning how to train a young horse from basic walk/trot/canter through the airs above the ground.

	An equally methodical system for training the Spanish Riding School's Lipizzan stallions has been followed for centuries. Beginning with ground handling to accustom them to saddle, bridle, and rider's weight, the stallions are patiently trained over the course of a decade from basic dressage through the airs above the ground. The systematic nature of their training is demonstrated even at the Spanish Riding School's famous performances in Vienna's Winter Riding School: Every performance includes a segment where the young stallions are ridden in a demonstration of the basic gaits, giving the spectators a glimpse of the early work that is the foundation for the spectacular airs above the ground and intricate quadrilles performed by the older stallions, many still performing well into their 20's.

	Training From Tradition

	The Spanish Riding School's system of equine and equestrian education has been proven over the centuries, and it is as successful today as it was during the Renaissance.

	Rudolf Rostek (Rudi, as he prefers to be called) brought that expertise to his teaching at the WSLA clinic. Clinic organizer Lori Green, of Secret Ravine Lipizzan in Loomis, California, remarked that "riders and auditors alike commented on how kind he was to both the riders and the horses. He constantly reminded riders to pat their horses to reward their efforts, and likewise his encouragement of the riders was constant and ongoing."

	Whether working on basics such as contact, connection, and throughness, or working on upper level movements like tempi changes or piaffe, Rudi's corrections were always about the rider making clear aids so the horse could understand what was being asked of him, and allowing the horse to try, and try again if necessary, until the horse was able to give what was asked of him, and then was rewarded for it.


				Photo by Molly

	With the positive reinforcement of continual praise, and more correct aids from the riders, the horses became more happy to work and increasingly willing to try their best for their rider. Riders received continual positive reinforcement, as well. "Good, good," was often heard, and when things didn't go so well, it was "No problem" and "Try again."

	Jennifer Roth, of Across the Diagonal Farm in Carmel Valley, California, not only breeds, trains, and shows Lipizzans, she is a USEF "S" dressage judge as well. She brought her Lipizzan stallion, Maestoso XLIV-17, imported from Romania just over a year ago, to the WSLA clinic. "The Spanish Riding School riders are the best in the world," she affirmed, "but most people haven't ever seen them. Their training is very clear, very systematic and methodical, it's a very positive approach for horse AND rider. They have a lot of similarities to what you see in a really good competitive trainer: simple, concise, not overwhelming, with horse and rider getting incrementally better." Jennifer speaks from long-term experience: This will be the eight year that the Spanish Riding School's Andreas Hausberger clinics at her farm.

	Not all the horses in the clinic were Lipizzans; almost half of the horses were warmbloods in addition to the preponderance of Lipizzans. Dressage trainer Sandy Savage, who operates her business out of the Pacific Equestrian Center in Wilton, California, brought her imported Hanoverian, Wocelli, and was impressed by Rudi’s quiet and effective teaching style. "He really listened to what the riders told him about their horses, and then gave good tips for engaging the horse in a quiet and relaxed manner. Wocelli is a very sensitive horse, so Rudi’s teaching methods were very effective."

	Ultimate Dressage Horse

	Breeders are seeing more interest in the Lipizzan, as Jennifer Roth can attest. She explains the Lipizzan's appeal:

	"The pinnacle of dressage is collection, yet most people here in the US ride for years not ever getting past Second Level. Lipizzans are built for collection; you can see it when you watch them, you can feel it when you ride them. Lipizzans are the sports cars of the horse world. They are smaller, more handy, and very rideable. Yet their round barrels take up a lot of leg, their high necks make you feel like there's a lot of horse in front of you, and with their powerful hind ends, you do have a lot of horse in a smaller package."

	There's another reason people are looking for Lipizzans: "They want a horse they can have fun with!" Jennifer sees this especially with older riders, who appreciate one of the things about the Lipizzans that she loves – their minds." They are so smart, and have such big hearts, they are truly a pleasure to work with and to have in your life."

	Events like the WSLA clinic bring the Lipizzans up close and personal to charm new audiences. Clinic organizer Lori Green heard comments from some of the auditors such as, "I never knew a regular person could own these horses," and "What wonderful horses; they look like they're enjoying this as much as the riders." With more than 80 auditors on the weekend, and over 200 throughout the clinic, the auditors ranged from long-time dressage trainers and amateur riders to people who had never seen a Lipizzan, from Lipizzan breeders and owners to those who rode Arabians, Paints, and other breeds.

	Evolution of Horsemanship

	As an equestrian journalist for more than 20 years, I've watched the evolution of the natural horsemanship movement with two-fold interest: One, as a philosophy that promotes kindness to the horse, and two, as a method to train the rider to be a better communicator with his horse.

	Likewise, dressage has evolved in that time from something practiced by a handful of people here in the US, to one of our most rapidly-growing equestrian disciplines. In early US dressage shows, Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred crosses predominated. Then the warmbloods took over, first with European imports, then more American-bred warmbloods. Today we're seeing an increasing number of baroque breeds, including the Lipizzan, among the warmbloods at dressage shows.

	At the Western States Lipizzan Association clinic with Rudolf Rostek, Jennifer Roth summed up the value, and the relevance, of the teaching and training traditions of the Spanish Riding School. "You hear the buzzword 'classical' used a lot, but the Spanish Riding School is the real thing – their Riders 'walk the walk.' This is a time-proven institution whose training system works as well for the competitive dressage horse as it does for their own Lipizzan stallions."

	No wonder there's a new renaissance underway.

	For more information: www.srs.at Spanish Riding School and Piber Stud Farm www.westernstateslipizzan.org Western States Lipizzan Assn www.SRLipizzan.com Secret Ravine Lipizzans www.LipizzansAndDressage.com Across the Diagonal Farm www.sandysavage.com Sandy Savage, dressage training


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