It’s fascinating to find out that the horses are all born black and only become their characteristic snowy white (or grey in equine terminology) at the age of seven to 10. A few never change colour and one ‘lucky’ black stallion is always kept at the riding school.
It takes around six years to train the stallions, who are rewarded with a treat after completing the morning exercise sessions.
Riders generally enrol at the school as teenagers, first working in the stables before embarking on their training programme which can take up to 10 years, with the chosen few going on to become chief riders. In 2008 women were allowed to join the Spanish Riding School for the first time.
Tickets for the morning session and afternoon stable tour can be bought separately or at a discounted price for both. In between, visitors can eat at the school’s café, which has an outdoor terrace, or head to one of the many restaurants or Viennese coffee shops nearby.
During the stable tour, the guide explains how the horses are fed and cared for, which includes a well-deserved summer holiday in the lush pastures of a farm outside Vienna along with several other breaks during the year.