The Spanish Riding School must now pay tribute to climate change and the associated summer heat waves. For the first time, the historical institute in Vienna will be closed for almost two months during the high tourist season – for the benefit of the horses.
Peaks of 45 degrees and more: this is how hot it must be this summer in probably the most famous stables in the world. Alfred Hudler, head of Vienna’s traditional tourist highlight, reacts to this and cancels performances in the peak tourist season, when visitors from all over the world storm the riding school. Often there are more than a thousand a day. As the “Krone” found out, a summer ban is coming for the noble descendants of the “personal horses” of the Habsburgs.
“The animals need a holiday”
“In July and until August 19 or August 20 there are no performances and the morning training will not start again until August 8,” confirms Caroline Stöger, spokeswoman for the riding school. During the break, only guided tours of the 16th-century building on Vienna’s Michaelerplatz are scheduled. “The animals need a holiday,” says Stöger.
The approximately one hundred school stallions at the riding school have already had six weeks of summer vacation, during which they can enjoy exercise and the fresh air on the Heldenberg near Kleinwetzdorf in Lower Austria. At that time the young stallions took over the program, but that too is over now. The young horses can’t stand the heat in the nearly 400-year-old building and could collapse.
An obvious solution to the problem would be to install air conditioning, but the equestrian center also takes animal welfare into account here, as the splashing dust can pose a risk of asthma to the horses. In addition, a large-scale installation in a national monument would not only be very expensive, but also involve complex preconditions.
Conversations with air conditioning professionals
“We are working intensively on solutions,” emphasizes Stöger. According to reports, talks are already underway with top international air conditioners who have reportedly already found solutions for new metros or horse stables in Dubai. But in Vienna the problem is particularly complex.
Experts even fear that the historical structure may not be resolved at all and that the demonstrations would have to be moved to the countryside, for example to the Piber Lipizzaner Stud Farm in Köflach in Styria.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
