| Brief history | | | | world that has been cultivating this art - in its purest |
| Cavalry tactics started to constitute an art around | | | | form - for over 400 years. |
| 402BC, but it was not until the sixteenth century | | | | Together with the opera house, the Spanish Riding |
| that the idea of classical riding took root throughout | | | | School became Austria's jewel in the crown, since no |
| civilised Europe. During this era, riding enjoyed an | | | | other riding school boasted such a structured |
| equal status with music, art, architecture, literature, | | | | continuance of purpose and method. It was looked |
| philosophy and sculpture, since similar skills and | | | | up to worldwide as the mecca of dressage. Only in |
| disciplines were required. In some circumstances, it | | | | Vienna could one be sure of finding the correct |
| was said that the acquisition of this art could make a | | | | techniques and structured training methods of the |
| man more honourable as he learned from his stallion's | | | | young horse through to the most venerable adult |
| forbearance, courage and physical prowess. | | | | stallions. |
| The Imperial Riding School in Vienna was built for | | | | Today, male riders are carefully selected from within |
| teaching and practice of the young nobility and also | | | | Austria itself. If they are found to have sufficient |
| for the training of the horse in the art of riding and in | | | | talent and dedication, training will start at sixteen and |
| battle. The work of the School first under royal, then | | | | end at sixty. It takes eight years to train a horse; it |
| imperial and finally Austrian state patronage then | | | | takes a lifetime to become a highly competent rider. |
| flourished. Today, it is the only riding academy in the | | | | |