The stallions at work rather than on show, in the Winter Riding School, for about $20.
- Duration1 hour
The morning training session is the cheapest way into the Winter Riding School and the one locals point visitors towards. The stallions and riders work through their exercises in the same baroque hall used for performances, without the choreography or the music. It costs about $20 against roughly $46 for the full performance, runs about an hour, and rates 3.9 from 10,194 reviews — the largest review count of any listing at this address, and a rating worth understanding before you book. Checked 18 September 2026.
Book Hofburg TicketsKey facts
morning-exercise- Duration
- 1 hour
- Meeting point
- Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.
- Price
- $20 per person
- Entry ticket included
- Yes
- Cancellation
- Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Included
- ✓ Ticket for the training at the Spanish Riding School
Not included
- ✗ Hotel pickup and drop-off
What actually happens
Training, in public. Riders bring the stallions through the movements of classical dressage at their own pace, over about an hour, and people come and go rather than sitting through a programme. There is no commentary in the way a performance has commentary, and no finale. What you get is the working life of a 450-year-old school.
Why the rating is lower than the performance's
3.9 from 10,194 reviews is the lowest rating of any listing here, and the reason is expectation rather than quality: visitors who book expecting the Ballet of the White Stallions find horses being schooled. Read as what it is — an hour watching training for less than half the performance price — it is the best value in the complex. Read as a show, it disappoints. The number is the honest signal, and it is why this page leads with what the session is not.
Price against the alternatives
About $20 here, roughly $38 for the 45-minute short performance, and about $46 for the full performance. The school's own box office quotes performances from EUR 26 and guided tours from EUR 24, so if the hall rather than the horses is your interest, the guided tour is the better buy at 4.7 from 7,788 reviews.
Practicalities
Sessions run on training mornings rather than daily, so the date decides this booking more than the price does. Seating is not allocated, and the Winter Riding School is a protected monument with no lift. Free cancellation runs to 24 hours before.
| What | Price | Rating | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning training | About $20 | 3.9 (10,194 reviews) | An hour of schooling, come and go |
| Guided tour of the school | About $28 | 4.7 (7,788 reviews) | The hall and the stables, with a guide |
| 45-minute short performance | About $38 | 3.9 (813 reviews) | A shortened programme |
| Full performance | About $46 | 4.4 (4,723 reviews) | The complete programme |
Who should not book this
- Anyone expecting a performance: this is training, and the reviews that complain say exactly that.
- Visitors who need a lift or step-free seating.
- Travellers on a fixed date: sessions run on training mornings, not daily.
How to book
Check which mornings have sessions before you pick a date, because that constraint is tighter than availability. Book, and arrive early enough to choose where you sit. This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
This site may earn a commission on bookings at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the morning exercise at the Spanish Riding School?
A public training session: the Lipizzan stallions and their riders work through their exercises in the Winter Riding School, for about an hour, without the programme or music of a performance.
Is the morning exercise worth it?
At about $20 against $46 for the performance, yes, if you want to see the horses work. Its 3.9 rating comes mostly from visitors who expected a show.
Can you take photographs?
Check the current house rules with the school when you collect tickets; the performance and the training are governed separately.
Sources