Tempel Lippizans closing, all horses to be sold

[Old_Mac_Donald]

Public letter posted on their website:

Dear Esther,

It is with pride and sorrow that the family of Esther and Tempel Smith announce the closing of the Tempel Lipizzans program. For a variety of reasons, our ownership family is moving in different directions. For 65 years and 3 generations, promoting and preserving the Lipizzan breed and classical horsemanship has been a passion for our family, those who have worked closely with the horses and community members near and far.

Over the course of the coming 1-2 years we will carefully place each horse and, as always, provide quality care for our horses. We will cease our public programming including performances and tours, educational programs like lessons and rider training and boarding operations for horses outside of TLC ownership.

On a personal note, this decision did not come lightly for me. These changes will make space for me to grow in new directions and to have more time with my family. The Lipizzan horse remains close to my heart and I’m certain I’ll find meaningful ways to support the breed in the future. I intend to update you here in the coming months on our progress and with gems from our remarkable history.

If you are interested in purchasing a horse or want to confirm you are still in our sales contacts please send your contact information to us and we will distribute sales information when it comes available.

Yours,

Esther Buonanno

Program Director
—

Now is the time if you wanted your own Lipi. End of an era.

[BrownDerby]

I had to read that twice to make sure it was real. May all the Lipps find perfect homes. I would love one. They are incredibly intelligent. Best wishes to Esther.

[SpicyPRE]

Are they ever close to 16h? They are amazing horses but shockingly short.

[Silverbridge]

The Lipizzan mare I bought from Tempel measured 16.0 at the croup and 15.3 at the withers, and def was among the taller examples of the breed as well as of their program. She had a full brother who reached 16.2 and participated in their productions. He may be among those coming available.

The Vienna SRS standard for the performance stallions is just under 15.2. The Tempel horses blend many lines from Austria as well as Slovenia and other studs, so there’s a lot of variation from taller than the SRS horses to much shorter as well.

[pluvinel]

@SpicyPRE

Are they ever close to 16h? They are amazing horses but shockingly short.

After riding a 15hh Lusitano stallion I will not buy anything close to 16 hh. Cat-like, athletic, responsive to the rider’s thoughts.

You haven’t ridden until you have ridden the equine equivalent of a Formula 1 car. My problem is I can’t find breeders who are still breeding for the traditional working Lusitano and are now breeding for 17hh giants.

And…before anyone disses me, I owned a 17’3" hh Hanoverian. Won’t go back to big.

[Mersidoats]

When I was a working student there in the early 2000s, they had a few horses that were taller - Favory Brenna was at least 16.1, Bellana was 16h. They also had some that were quite small…Alma was maybe 15h. Quite a range of sizes. They had some mares and geldings for sale that were quite small. I remember the gelding I rode was massive - over 16h, round, huge neck, huge hindquarters - just a massive individual.

[clanter]

Over the course of the coming 1-2 years we will carefully place each horse and, as always, provide quality care for our horses

would be interesting to know just how many head they have now,

I had a freind who had a small chain if department stores in rural west Texas, He decided to close the chain, it took him six years to finally close as he made so much money with the going out of business sales that he kept restocking the stores

the state subsequently imposed a time limit for a going out of business sale

[tobruk]

I remember going to Tempel in the mid 60s or so when Pops Konyot was there. What a thrill to see them.

[2tempe]

My Lusi is 15.3. I would go smaller but no bigger. And yes, it seems that the Iberians are being bred bigger. Too bad…If I were younger and in “need” of another horse, this dispersal would be interesting to me…

[Old_Mac_Donald]

I have a 15.1 Lip x, a 16.1 OTTB, and a 16.3 OTTB.

Guess who takes up the most leg, has the most power, the biggest jump, and the longest girth. She’d be scary if she was bigger.

Edit. I put a 16hh PRE over her. I bet the foal is a husky 14.2 at maturity

[MadTrotter]

@SpicyPRE

Are they ever close to 16h? They are amazing horses but shockingly short.

This comment makes me sad, on an already bittersweet thread. We have all become so used to the aesthetic of the stilt-limbed 17h monsters that comprise the “pinnacle” of dressage conformation, that a solid 15ish hand baroque horse, of deep girth and substantial bone, is considered abnormally small.

I’ve seen leggy men well north of 6’ look perfectly well mounted on such horses.

More’s the pity, since these horses are eminently more rideable and comfortable for the vast majority of people.

[iberianfan]

And have a “go” button and are sound. Sound. Because of the substantial bone and “smaller” stature. “Smaller” in quotes due to their substance.

[chancellor2]

I am 6 feet tall and a 36" inseam. I rode several different lippizans and all of them took up my leg nicely. It’s hard when you are as tall as I am to think that a 15.2 horse will take up your leg! And with so many people inflating the height of the horse when you are buying…

[goodhors]

You should call and ask about bigger horses. We visited Frank Kinsella years ago, who drove big Lippazans! Not sure of heights now, just remember them being massive and agile as mountain goats!! He called them in from “pasture” in Conn. We saw heads appear over the cliff top behind the barn. He called again and horses flowed over the cliff, dropping down the ledges to the flat ground and came over to be haltered!! We stood there with our mouths hanging open watching! An amazing (Terrifying, what if he slips?!) performance, with lots of sparks flying from their shoes! We asked about their size, close to 17h, and we have 17h horses to compare them to, not just an imagined 17h. He said they were Hungarian Lippizans, not little Austrian Lippizans.

Somehow it came out that he got them from Tempel Farms “Where they breed very good Lippizans!” I am sure they would remember him, even after all these years. Ask what lines his horses were from, to perhaps find bigger horses. They were very handsome, lovely driving horses, obedient to light hands. They probably were ridden as well, just did not see it happen. Perhaps Tempel Farms sold them because they got too big for how they used their horses.

The cliff jumping Lippizans sure made an impression on us!! Like something out of a movie, calm, deliberate descent of a pretty tall cliff face. Sparks flying from shoes added to the show! It was several horses, not just one or two. Pretty amazing for flatland Michigan horse owners to see!!

[downen]

I went to that last performance on Sunday. It was very emotional for Esther, who made a speech before the performance.

I am so sad to see the end to this almost magical place. I first went up there when I was about 12, and have loved going ever since. I had brought my daughter since she was a child, too.

Farewell, Tempel Farms. I very much hope they can sell the facility to someone who will keep at least the buildings and some land intact.