"Doing" the Spanish Riding School

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Ziggy

Jane&Sid these days!
Apr 30, 2010
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My best friend and I really want to go to Vienna to visit the Spanish Riding School. She is not horsey, but she loves watching these types of things.

I know I'd like the backstage tour, including a visit to the stables. I'm torn, though, between watching the Morning Training and going to a proper performance. I'm inclining towards the training because it would be really interesting to see young horses as well as the finished article.

Has anyone been? Any tips for getting the most from a visit? And am I right to go to the SRS rather than, for example, the French Cadre Noir or the (actually) Spanish Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, which I believe includes driving as well as riding?
 
We have been to the French National Stud Haras national du Pin with a friend but did not see a demo there. Never seen Saumur riders.

For Vienna, I would visit the stables and see a teaching session because when the Spanish School travel and come to UK they put on their displays. I was studying Charles Harris and Podhajsky so did once buy a ticket to watch them at Wembley. But I cant say I care for that sort of thing and we didnt visit (I dont think) when we went to Vienna. Too many palaces, and too much art and architecture. Plus tourist shrines to famous people like Berg and Freud.
 
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I went with uni and really enjoyed it. It was a few (!) years ago now (I can't believe I'm in my thirties now 🤣 ) but definitely worth visiting if you can.

We saw the training and an evening performance. It might have changed now but I preferred the performance as they didn't explain the training in any detail so you're non-horsey friend might not get much from it.

I was disappointed photography wasn't allowed - perhaps that's changed now though.

The stables tour was great from memory.

We went to the stud too, but I don't remember that being particularly close to the SRS itself.

There was loads to do in Vienna though so you'll have a great time whatever do :)
 
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Just a note. I get the impression that riding with a lot of other people in a large indoor school with music provided by a pianist was part of the German equestrian culture. Not just for the military. Burkner took his wife and children along - the whole family riding.
 
Skib said:
Just a note. I get the impression that riding with a lot of other people in a large indoor school with music provided by a pianist was part of the German equestrian culture. Not just for the military. Burkner took his wife and children along - the whole family riding.
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Like ice skating these days!
 
PePo said:
I loved Vienna & much preferred it to Paris too :)
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There's a really elegant feel to it, and just surrounded by beautiful buildings and statues. Our hotel was near where the horses and carriages came into the centre in the morning, so I'd sit on the windowsill with my coffee and just watch carriage after beautiful carriage with the best cared for glossy horses pass by. Ooh I want to go again - can I carry your cases, Jane?
 
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My daughter found us a lovely hotel in Italy using trip adviser and we used trip adviser travelling slowly down through France on a Vichy regime research trip just before Covid started. In cities I have to say we usually stay in modest hotels but not too far from the centre as we are out all day being tourists.
 
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I've been to the Cadre Noir in Saumur (a while ago!) and I've seen the Spanish Riding School in the UK. Given the choice, I would see the Spanish Riding school as they were an order of magnitude better. I've also been to the Lipizzana stud in what was Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) - that was fun :)
 
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GaryB said:
I've been to the Cadre Noir in Saumur (a while ago!) and I've seen the Spanish Riding School in the UK. Given the choice, I would see the Spanish Riding school as they were an order of magnitude better. I've also been to the Lipizzana stud in what was Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) - that was fun :)
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Have you read Brother Mendels Pefect Horse? Highly recommended.
 
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Jane&Ziggy said:
My best friend and I really want to go to Vienna to visit the Spanish Riding School. She is not horsey, but she loves watching these types of things.

I know I'd like the backstage tour, including a visit to the stables. I'm torn, though, between watching the Morning Training and going to a proper performance. I'm inclining towards the training because it would be really interesting to see young horses as well as the finished article.

Has anyone been? Any tips for getting the most from a visit? And am I right to go to the SRS rather than, for example, the French Cadre Noir or the (actually) Spanish Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, which I believe includes driving as well as riding?
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I've never seen any of them but curious to know about these. Plz share your experiences after the visit :)
 
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I have seen the Cadre Noir and they were lovely to watch. I saw the Spanish Riding School in Spain and hated it, horses coming out of the arena with blood from spurs and bleeding mouths, very macho, the riders swaggering around. The horses looked forced and metronome like, very miserable. This was years, they may have improved hugely since then, but at the time i rode in Andalucia they were still using nosebands with spikes and there was a lot of horrible things done to horses in the white villages at fiesta time.
 
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diplomaticandtactful said:
but at the time i rode in Andalucia they were still using nosebands with spikes a
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In this thread the word "Spanish" refers to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Vienna was once part of the Spanish Empire, hence the "Spanish School".
I seem to remember that it is now a commercial business.
But for details of the horsemanship and training see

Workbooks from the Spanish School: Amazon.co.uk: Charles Harris: 9780851318455: Books

Buy Workbooks from the Spanish School Limited Ed by Charles Harris (ISBN: 9780851318455) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
www.amazon.co.uk
 
diplomaticandtactful said:
Spanish Riding School in Spain and hated it
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Thanks very much for this @D&T, looking at their Internet presence I suspect they may have changed somewhat but it still does look very macho. I think I'll stick to Vienna.

@Skib I did ask about the Royal Andalucian school of Equestrian Art in the original post, as well as the Spanish school in Vienna.
 
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