How (not) to get bitten by a horse

If you are running out of ideas what to do in Slovenia, whether you live here or intend to do a prolonged visit, I think Stud Farm Lipica is one of those interesting yet undemanding destinations, suitable for people of all ages. Only a 45 minute drive from Ljubljana (I know not all of you will be based in Ljubljana, but it’s still useful as a reference point), it can make for a nice half-day trip (I list some additional activities to do in the area below, in case you want to make it a whole day trip).

Tip #1

Don’t try to take pictures next to uncastrated males. Ouch!

Don’t let the smile on my face mislead you – this horse was biting my arm (or was about to do so).

A guided tour last about 1.25 hours and is filled with fascinating facts about horses. Available in Slovenian or English, upon reservation also in Italian, German and French. Our guide was also very open to any questions, even funding and financial situation of the stud farm. The tour comprised the visit to the stables, museum Lipikum, a stroll through the estate and a museum of old-time carriages. I will not summarize everything, but I can assure you the information is extremely varied and I also think each tour can be a bit different and in line with the specific interests of the group members.

This is one of the most interesting things I learned about horses – their fascinating vision. Black area behind the horse and a small triangle just between their eyes: they see nothing, so tip #2: do not approach a horse from behind or at least make some noise so he knows you’re there. The lightest grey triangle in front of the horse: this is where he sees you twice your size. So, if you you are normally about as tall as the horse, this is where your groin is about the height of his eyes. Pretty scary, wouldn’t you agree? So, the best way to approach the horse is sideways (I once heard the same thing is true for dogs?). (tip #3)

Thirsty for more?

Additional ideas for activities nearby:

Slovenian movie actors museum in Divača (http://www.muzejdivaca.si/)

Trieste (see my post here: http://marusabarle.weebly.com/blog/shopping-in-trieste)

Military museum: Vojaški muzej Tabor

Botanical park Sežana (http://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Se%C5%BEanski_botani%C4%8Dni_park)

Last but not least, I would like to inform you that I recently activated my Instagram account, so you are more than welcome to follow me @mauritiusblog: https://instagram.com/mauritiusblog/

Enjoy your weekend!

Maruša

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