SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL OF VIENNA

also called Imperial Spanish Riding School, German Spanische Reitschule Wien, or Spanische Hofreitschule, school of classical horsemanship in Vienna, probably founded in the late 16th century. It is the only remaining institution where haute cole (high school) riding and training methods are exclusively practiced, much as they were in the 18th century. The school is particularly noted for its white Lipizzaner (q.v.) horses, bred especially for haute cole performance. The horses were originally imported from Spain, giving the school its name.