A blast from the past - 2008 actually - Vienna's Summer Palace
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
Rockingham, Australia
July 10, 2019 3:04am CST
Back in 2008, we spent some time in Vienna. While there, we paid a visit to the Summer Palace or Schonbrunn Palace. A highlight of this visit was exploring the Royal Mews where the royal family’s horse-drawn carriages were kept.
Over sixty historical sledges and state coaches are on display in the former Winter Riding School, together with sedan chairs, harness and court livery.
The richly decorated Imperial Coach was in use from 1745 and was used for coronations and weddings. It was drawn by eight grey horses. The Funerary Coach (pictured) is very imposing and was drawn by eight blacks. The horses would have had black plumes on their bridles. Its last use was in 1989 for the funeral of Empress Zita. This is an impressive vehicle which its awe-inspiring ornamentation of birds with outstretched wings. The black draperies add to its sombreness.
There is a tiny carriage designed to be pulled by a large dog or goat and another that would fit a small pony or donkey. To show off the magnificent harness, several of the coaches have fibreglass models of horses harnessed to the carriages. I found this museum a fascinating place.
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10 responses
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
10 Jul 19
wowzers! that's a purty spooky lookin' coach there! i 'magine such 'tis jest awe 'nspirin'. jest from the pic 'lone one can see so much detail 'n craftsmanship that went 'nto the makin' 'f this. i'm with ya, i prolly could'a drooled there fer days, lol.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
11 Jul 19
@JudyEv massively so! heck, jest one wheel 'tis taller'n yerself. must'a been a fancy steppin' ladder fer such.
oh wow!! i'm thinkin' 'd to be some mighty well muscled horses to carry such weights 'pon their bodies'n those coaches, too. yup, i'd need a droolin' bib 'n prolly several days jest to soak't all'n, lol. thanks much fer sharin' this'un, too, ms. judy! 
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@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Jul 19
@crazyhorseladycx The harnesses would be quite heavy judging on these. I've always loved horse-drawn vehicles, even more so than riding.
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@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jul 19
I wouldn't! I'd be sitting up waving to all and sundry with a great, big smile on my face. 
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
10 Jul 19
sounds like a wonderful trip! love the picture!
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@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
10 Jul 19
@JudyEv I bet it did, sorry to hear that
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@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
10 Jul 19
You're really not helping my yen to travel more extensively in Europe...
Vienna is definitely on my bucket list (and has been ever since we read a children's book titles the White Stallion of Lipizza.
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@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jul 19
Oh, I've read that book. As a child, I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd see the stallions perform but I did! My feet weren't touching the ground that day. A few years later we watched a performance of young stallions but saw the older stallions at their summer holiday place. I took a real 'snap' shot of some young birds that I couldn't even see very well but when you crop it, it's actually 'the three tenors' in concert. 
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@SophiaMorros (5044)
• Belews Creek, North Carolina
10 Jul 19
@JudyEv it IS the three tenors!
Not long after we read Marguerite Henry's book the first time. The Lipizzanners were on tour and did a show in our town at the time there was no way we could afford tickets. 
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@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jul 19
@SophiaMorros If I had to live on bread and butter throughout our travelling, I was still determined to see the horses. It's a shame some of these things are so expensive. There has been a couple of films made about them too. I'm sure you know that the US were instrumental in saving the stud during World War II.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (17242)
• China
10 Jul 19
The visit to the museum was a real eye-opener ! Over there you got an idea of what the Royal style was like.
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@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
10 Jul 19
Did you hop in for a ride?
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@Miss_Leafy (4296)
• Colombia
10 Jul 19
Awesome coach. It's still in good condition.
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