The Lipizzan horse, one of the oldest cultural horse breeds in Europe and the world, has been developed at the Lipica Stud Farm since its foundation in 1580. Exceptional and extremely important in terms of breeding, history, and culture, this breed underwent development on the basis of comprehensive testing at the Spanish court riding school in Vienna, and over the last century, also at individual state stud farms in the traditional horse breeding countries – Austria, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia.

Three studs were bought in Spain in the first year, and 24 broodmares and six studs in the following year for crossbreeding with the Karst horses, which were famous in antiquity and the Middle Ages for their beauty, endurance, and strong constitution. The breeding of the “Karst horses”, as the horses bred in Lipica were called, was later supplemented by purchasing studs mostly of the Spanish, Neapolitan, Danish, and Kladruber breeds, and also the Arab breed from the second half of the 19th century.

The classical lines of stallions and classical families of mares developed at the Lipica Stud Farm at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century:

Classical lines of stallions:

• Pluto (Pluto senior, 1765)
• Conversano (Conversano senior, 1767)
• Neapolitano (Neapolitano senior, 1770)
• Maestoso (Maestoso senior, 1773)
• Favory (Favory senior, 1779)
• Siglavy (or. a. Siglavy senior, 1810)

Classical families of mares:

Name of the family and its name in Lipica

• Sardinia  (Betalka)
• Spadiglia (Monteaura)
• Argentina (Slava)
• Africa (Batosta)
• Almerina (Samira / Slavina)
• Presciana / Bradamante (Bonadea / Boneta)
• Englanderia (Allegra)
• Europa (Trompeta)
• Stornella / Fistula (Steaka)
• Ivanka / Famosa (Navarra)
• Deflorata (Canissa / Capriola)
• Gidrane (Gaetana)
• Djebrin (Dubovina / Dalmatia)
• Mercurio (Gratia / Gratiosa)
• Theodorista (Wera / Torysa)
• Rebecca – Thais (Thais)
• Munja (Famosa / Strana)