#lipica

LIPICA STUD FARM, Slovenia - autumn is a great season to visit the oldest stud farm in Europe which gives home to more than 350 Lipizzan horses. (photo: Dean Dubokovic)

Today was a good day.

Lipica stud farm is bigger and more beautiful than I imagined. You could seriously spend the whole day here, the property is HUGE. The horses are beyond adorable and well-mannered and most of the stallions are cuddly and just simply beautiful ❤

I didn’t have more time to take more photos simply because I was all over the place and I forgot to come back and retake some pics.

They just keep the studs close-by, a few mares with foals in an open stall/paddock, and a few driving plus riding lipizzaners that perform that day in the stables for the visitors to see up close, the rest are miles away in the pastures. AND THE PASTURES ARE INSANELY HUGE. One herd with old mares (that are too old for breeding), young mares (under 5yo) and mares that are out of work for that year (no riding or breeding) were just a small speck up on a small hill and just… yessssssss goooood roam!!!

1st pic. Admission is 16€ + 7€ if you stay for the show.

2nd and 3rd pic are the three mares they keep in the open stall/paddock area at one of their oldest stables just for show for the visitors. They rotates the mares+foals daily so it’s a new group every day and everyoen gets to enjoy the pastures.

4th pic is one of the three non-grey lipizzaners they keep here. Apparently as long as Lipica has a non-grey stud at their farm the Spanish riding school in Vienna will flourish. This is why 'black' lipizzaners are considered to bring luck. They have another younger stallion waiting to see if he’ll give grey offspring or not, but they’re waiting for him to mature first.

5th pic is the stud they gifted to Queen Elizabeth when she visited Slovenia a few years ago. He’s a looker with a charming personality, but he’s slowly nearing his retirement years.

6th pic. Monocle guy. Nuf said.

7th pic. The whore of the young stallion bunch. Seriously this guy was just so cuddly and begging for pets it was beyond adorable C:

8th pic of one of many tree avenues between the pastures. Have I mentioned how gorgeous it’s here???????

9th pic is me collecting compressed coins like a tourist tool that I am.