Winter Perils

Toronto is getting a real blast of winter weather today: 10cm (4 inches) of snow, wind producing a frigid day to go out in: -18C (windchill) /0F. (Though this is balmy considering the frigid weather currently on the prairies. Winnipeg two nights ago had an overnight low of -38C. (-40C = -40F) Instead of venturing out I’ve decided to do some baking and listen to seasonal music.

Update 11:30pm: snowfall reported at 15cm to 20cm.

Outside my window the school bus driver got stuck trying to turn around. Spinning the back wheels like crazy. It will be interesting when he returns to find his parking spot drifted in with snow.

Every year drivers get stuck on the side street bordering my place. Most don’t have proper winter tires, or chains, or carry emergency items in the car trunk: shovel, spare gloves, thermal blanket, bags of cat litter (for ice), beeswax candle, packages of mixed nuts/trail mix, chocolate, candy; despite knowing every year there is snow, sometimes record amounts of it. They think winter radials are all they need and it’s just a short drive to the store.

Getting unstuck with horse power:



The notation with the video: “Some Floridians came by the Ski Farm for some cross country skiing but wound up in the ditch. Fortunately Max and his team of Percherons was there to save the day, and unblock the driveway. Western Maryland Backbone Ski Farm.”


Here’s slightly different version of Winter Wonderland with snow covered landscapes that I expect winter to have.



Time for hot cocoa.

Vienna Hofburg Imperial Palace

My previous post was a book review on The Memorist by MJ Rose, with a Vienna connection.

"Merisi's Vienna for Beginners" honoured me with a dedicated post on the courtyard of the royal stables at the Hofburg Palace where the Spanish Riding School is located (a click on the title of this post will take you there).

I first visited Vienna in 1970 and was fortunate enough to be able to tour the facilities at the Spanish Riding School before the stallions were taken to their summer residence.

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna was founded in 1572, where classical dressage is practiced in its purest form. The original horses were of Spanish origin. The Winter Riding School in the Vienna Hofburg (Imperial Palace) is the location where the riders of the Spanish Riding School train the horses and where they perform. A portrait of Emperor Charles VI hangs above the royal box, which the riders salute when entering the arena.

The video below is an appealing advertisement for Vienna.




The “haute ecole” movements and those leading up to these exercises are those used in training and strengthening the military horse for battle. War horses through the ages were taught to attack. The work-in-hand with the short reins and long reins is for obedience and producing suppleness.



There are five strains in the bloodlines of the Lippizan horses, if my memory serves me correctly after forty years: Pluto, Conversano, Maestoso, Neapolitano and Favory. The Favory line is slightly smaller and more refined than the previous four due to its Arabian influence. The Lippizans are known as the White Lippizans, although they are foaled black or dark brown and through the years turn to a dapple gray and then to white. Due to tradition of the Spanish Riding School there is always one bay stallion trained to be presented with the other stallions (in the following video).




My intention for this post was to provide a brief overview. There is a fascinating history surrounding these wonderful horses, not the least of which is General George Patton in May 1945 assisting Colonel Podhasky in removing the stallions from Vienna and mares and foals to other locations to save them from the advancing Russian army.



The above is an excerpt from a 1945 film with General Patton being given a riding demonstration by the officers of the Spanish Riding School.

Dressage Pairs With a Mini

For years in the equestrian sports, riding dressage has a certain elegance to it. Horse and rider moving effortlessly through their paces.

Europe came up with slightly different demonstrations of dressage executed in pairs; and the Spanish Riding School in Vienna had their horses doing quadrilles.

The following video shows a demonstration of dressage in pairs of a slightly different type.