Arriving in their very own semitrailer, complete with a closed-circuit camera so the driver can keep an eye on the 1,200 pound beasts, 13 Lipizzaner stallions will be making their way to Hilton Coliseum Thursday.

It’s a good thing the “World Famous” Lipizzaner Stallions are only traveling from St. Louis for this performance — shipping the horses internationally through Federal Express would cost more than $30,000.

“This is not like a regular horse show — it is a show of horsemanship skills,” says Bryan Reynolds, junior in animal science, who has seen the “World Famous” Lipizzaner Stallions perform before.

“These horses were used to defend their riders during combat by stomping on the ground at approaching foot soldiers. They must go through lots of training to acquire these skills.”

As a living part of history, the Lipizzaner breed has been around for almost 400 years and was originally used as a resource and weapon during ancient wars. Now, these skills have been refined and preserved for entertainment purposes.

Troy Tinker, master of ceremonies for the show, says it takes six to nine years of training before a Lippizan is ready to perform.

“‘Dressage’ is the style used to train the stallions. It is a style in which one watches the play and development of each horse,” Tinker says. “When they do a maneuver naturally, you reward them with a treat. The trick, then, is to get the horses to execute the maneuver on cue. It is very time-consuming, because you can only work with a horse for about 45 minutes a day because of their short attention span.”

The 11 riders who are a part of the show also go through a rigorous amount of training. Most of the riders have been riding since they were 5 or 6 years old and come from all around the world, Tinker says. In order to become a part of the show, they must send in resumes and videos of their riding.

“It is like hiring someone with the equivalent of a black belt in judo. They come together to perform for the passion, to earn a good living and see the world,” Tinker says.

The “World Famous” Lipizzaner Stallions is in its 34th annual tour and is the third-longest-running coliseum show, behind the “Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus” and the Harlem Globetrotters.

Tinker says the show got its start about 40 years ago when producer Gary Lashinsky saw the Spanish Lipizzaner stallions and believed the United States needed a show as well.

After Lashinsky returned home and hired a trainer, it took about six years before the show got on its feet, but it has been a worldwide traveling event ever since, Tinker says.

“The costuming is derived from the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria, and classical music written by Mozart especially for the show can also be heard,” Tinker says. “Horses perform mirror image choreography as well as solo performances and airs, which are the big battle maneuvers or jumps they are famous for.”

Despite the fact that the show has been touring for 34 years, Tinker says it always changes. Different riders, horses, solo acts and choreography are incorporated into the show each year.

“I heard about this show when I was about 10 after reading one of my mom’s horse magazines, and I have wanted to see it ever since,” says Krystal Dingbaum, senior in animal science and president of the ISU Equestrian Club.

“The fact that they can get these horses to jump with all four feet off the ground is pretty amazing.”

The horses and riders do between four to seven shows a week, Tinker says, but training continues daily, from the scheduled first feeding at 5:30 a.m. to the bonding between the riders and horses through daily carouseling or riding.

“On the days of the shows, the horses are led out to the arena floor up to two hours beforehand, and 30 minutes is spent on each horse to warm [it] up,” Tinker says. “They are just like professional athletes in the fact that you wouldn’t ask a sprinter to run cold.”

Dingbaum says she and the other members of the equestrian club are looking forward to going to see these professional athletes of sorts.

“I hope it will give the audience a different perspective on the equestrian world,” Dingbaum says.

“Hopefully, it will make people realize that horses are not just pasture pets.”

“The ‘World Famous’ Lipizzaner Stallions”

Where: Hilton Coliseum

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday

Cost: $24.50, $21.50