The Royal Stables

The Royal Stables' Horses

The Royal Stables horses are trained to lead cortèges and carriages on occasions such as state visits and formal audiences.

Extremely high demands are placed on the horses, equipment and staff, in order to ensure that ceremonial transportation is provided in a safe and stylish manner.

The horses are bay in colour, typical of their breed and tall, with an attractive gait and a height of around 170 cm. However, just as important as the physical appearance are a steady temperament, sound training and a high standard of fitness.

The horses are bought at between five and seven years of age. Two years of training are then required so that they can learn to walk two-, four- or six-in-hand, and to work in a noisy and often stressful city environment.

Training and care, The Royal Stables

Riding Master, Head Groom and coachmen are responsible for the horses' training, feeding and care.

The harnesses and coaches for everyday and ceremonial use also require daily inspections. A safe and reliable cortège horse needs thousands of hours of training. Younger horses and those whose training is not yet complete can, however, be placed with older and more experienced horses, and can therefore gradually be used during their training.

The horses are given daily training on Djurgården or in the riding hall, and using the modern horse walker.

The training is governed by forthcoming duties. For example this could involve training two-in-hand when ,the horses are put to the carriages in pairs or four-in-hand. Carriages are also postilion-driven, with riders on the or à la d'aumont, where the coachman is replaced with jockeys who ride each of the left-hand horses.

Horses in traffic

City traffic, with its buses, traffic lights, road works, crowds and loud noises, is a particular challenge for the horses. The horses are also trained together with the Life Guards' Dragoons and the mounted police so that they can cope with loud music, crowds of people, barking dogs and waving flags. The horses need to be able to remain calm and concentrate on their work, regardless of what is happening around them.

More about the horses

Get to know Royal Stables horses. Click on the names in the list below.

Skriv tabellbeskrivning här

Brunsif
Cardinal

Consens

Conversano
Favorit

Galant

Hastings
Hero
Jago
Lord
Luxor
Othello


Top image: Training at Royal Stables courtyard. Photo: Sanna Argus Tirén/Royalpalaces.se 

The horses are brown, typical of their breed, and their height (at the withers) is around 170 cm.

State visit from Finland in May 2022. In waiting for the cortège to the Royal Palace. Photo: Felicia Murkes

Cortège to the Royal Palace together with the Life Guards' Dragoons and the mounted police. Photo: Felicia Murkes

Daily training at the nearby National City Park, Royal Djurgården. Photo: Charlotte Gawell

Click on the image to join the training tour at Royal Djurgården, and learn more about the park.

The horses on summer holiday. Click on the image to see the film on Youtube. Photo: Muzappar Dilxat

Visit us

The Royal Stables are open for prebooked group visits year round. The staff will show the buildings with stable, harness room and carriag...

Read more

The Royal Stables are located at Väpnargatan 1 in central Stockholm.

Read more

Events

This year's Christmas market is held at the Royal Stables on the second weekend of Advent. Exhibitors from across Sweden will be selling ...

Read more

Discover more at The Royal Stables

The Royal Stables horses are trained to lead cortèges and carriages on occasions such as state visits and formal audiences.

Read more

Among the oldest cars in the Royal Stables is a Daimler DE27: Limousine from 1950. It can seat up to eight people and is still in use . ...

Read more

The current Royal Stables buildings were completed in 1894. The architect was the palace official Ernst Jacobsson, assisted by Fritz Ecke...

Read more

See the Royal Stables coach sheds, which are home to around forty carriages and sleighs for various occasions. Most of them date back to ...

Read more

The history of the Royal Stables dates back many hundreds of years, to 1535 when King Gustav Vasa had stables built for the royal horses....

Read more

Articles and movies

Take a ride in the Royal Stables' Daimler DE27 Limousine, and listen to driver Martin Forsén as he talks about the Royal Stables' oldest ...

Read more

Join us on a digital horse-drawn carriage tour through beautiful Royal Djurgården. The Royal Stables' coachman guides us along the way.

Read more

The Royal Stables are located at Väpnargatan 1, right at the beginning of Stockholm's Strandvägen. The Royal Stables have existed since t...

Read more

Customer service

Opening hours: Closed