Spanish Riding School: morning exercise, guided tour, or both?

I've gone on the guided tour and seen a performance. I haven't seen the morning exercise, but you don't have to come right at the start and you don't have to stay the entire time so if you are interested in horses, it might be worth seeing the morning exercise.

The guided tour is very good. You see the arenas and stables (everything is compact in the city) and you get to go up close to the horses. The guides were very good and happy to answer questions. I highly recommend it.

Thanks Lola for posting this & reminding me too add to my list. We will be in Vienna in Sept too!

We are leaving Aug 25 for Venice, then picking up the Trail of the Lippizaners Tour. (If anyone is interested, it's still open. Website is http://www.austriatraveldirect.com/tours.php?D=198 or http://www.mythicworldtours.com/trail-of-the-lipizzaners-2017 [call Therese]). We will be visiting the breeding farms in Lipica, Slovenia and Piber, Austria, before going to Vienna for the SRS performance and tour.

As a dressage rider I am very excited about all of it, except sadly no riding is included (but I did find a place to trail ride in Bled Slovenia). So to answer your question, think of the morning exercises as the warm-up ring at a horse show. You will learn so much more about the horses and riders than at the performance. If you're a rider, it's a great way to glean training trips.

This recent PBS documentary goes into great detail about the Lippizaners , going back to their origins in Moorish Spain - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/legendary-white-stallions-video-the-world-famous-lipizzaner-stallions/8286/

Thanks, everyone. I will ask "the group" what they want to do. I am inclined to do both, and I see there is a combined ticket that I can book online. Does anyone know if we must do both on the same day? Only the guided tour can be reserved in advance, so I am thinking the morning exercise must be "first come first served."

Lola, my understanding from our tour director is that the morning schooling session is first come, first in. I think she said the tickets are 10€, available at the door. We'll be in Vienna Sept 9-11.

Lola,

I went to the morning exercise last December and was enchanted! I spent a little over an hour there - arriving after it started and leaving before they finished. It took me about 10 mins before a vacant seat became available, but it's no problem to stand - although the view is better if you're sitting. Just a heads up - there are no photographs allowed. The horses are amazing!

I wish we had gone on the guided tour; that is our plan when we return to Vienna someday. I would think that if you love horses and the history of the Lippizaners, a guided tour would be wonderful & worth your time.

We loved the exercise session. Seeing both the riders and horses get trained was fascinating. In the 2 hour period, you can see 4 different groups that train in 30 minute sessions. After 2 groups of training, you might be satiated! You can arrive and leave at any time within that period. I would advise arriving 15-20 minutes early and have more choices as to where you want to sit. It will be upstairs.

If your "group" doesn't want to go, I hope you aren't glued to them and perhaps you can make the time to go and meet the others a little later.

I too have done in the morning exercise session and would just add that you should not be put off by a line at the door before it starts. The standing room only is just fine and people come and go making spots available close to the rail.