Julie with a B

Friday, December 24, 2004
 
The horse..
Every now and then I talk about my horse. So thought I'd post him here, so you can see. He is a Lipizzan.
"Developed exclusively by the Hapsburg monarchy for its use during times of war and peace, the Lipizzan is the true horse of royalty. Four hundred years of selective breeding have made the Lipizzan one of Europe's oldest breeds of horse. TheLipizzan's historical and cultural development enhances its' mystique. Physically capable of withstanding the demands of the Airs Above the Groud, this baroque mount was bred to perform haute ecole dressage at the Spanish Riding School and owes it's survival to the intervention of American General George S. Patton during World War II."
His official name is "Maestoso II Catrina II". His full brother is "Maestoso II Catrina" and his pictures are here.
Lipizzans are considered a rare breed, since there are only about 4,000 of them in the world. Many were lost with the problems in Bosnia, since one of the main studs was located there. Those who were taking care of the horses tried to maintain them, but the wages of war decimated the horses located there. Lack of feed and the lack of food for the local populace meant that many of the horses were slaughtered.
But to his friends, this bull headed little tank of an equine, is Bandit. I purchased him from White Horse Vale Lipizzans in Goldendale, Washington, when he was 4. Over the last 3 years we have been down some strange roads. He spent 3 months learning how to herd cows with Rex Minton of Redwood Valley and is now at Fairwind Farms.


- posted by JulieB @ 1:23 PM
|

<< Home

Powered by Blogger