Brief history
Cavalry tactics started to constitute an art around 402BC, but it was not until the sixteenth century that the idea of classical riding took root throughout civilised Europe. During this era, riding enjoyed an equal status with music, art, architecture, literature, philosophy and sculpture, since similar skills and disciplines were required. In some circumstances, it was said that the acquisition of this art could make a man more honourable as he learned from his stallion's forbearance, courage and physical prowess.
The Imperial Riding School in Vienna was built for teaching and practice of the young nobility and also for the training of the horse in the art of riding and in battle. The work of the School first under royal, then imperial and finally Austrian state patronage then flourished. Today, it is the only riding academy in the world that has been cultivating this art - in its purest form - for over 400 years.
Together with the opera house, the Spanish Riding School became Austria's jewel in the crown, since no other riding school boasted such a structured continuance of purpose and method. It was looked up to worldwide as the mecca of dressage. Only in Vienna could one be sure of finding the correct techniques and structured training methods of the young horse through to the most venerable adult stallions.
Today, male riders are carefully selected from within Austria itself. If they are found to have sufficient talent and dedication, training will start at sixteen and end at sixty. It takes eight years to train a horse; it takes a lifetime to become a highly competent rider.
The Spanish Riding School occupies a number of buildings on the Michaelerplatz and the Josefsplatz by the Hofburg in central Vienna. Performances take place in the Winter Riding School.
Performance dates are listed on www.viennaticket.com website, where you can order tickets online. Since the 80-minute performances are often sold out weeks or even months in advance, you should reserve seats or standing room as early as possible. Other options include a visit to the Lipizzaner Museum next to the stables and/or take a tour of the federal stud farm in Piber where the horses are bred and raised.
Peter Handel-Mazzetti is the owner of ATT Travel Agents, one of the leading ticket agents in Vienna offering a complete range of tickets for concerts, opera, theatre, musicals as well as sightseeing tours.