Does everyone hate Haflingers?

The one I had here for breaking was a sod to keep in a field-he would walk straight through the electric tape is if it weren't there. He was perfectly behaved when ridden by an experienced rider but a nightmare for a beginner.
He went on to deliberately throw his 60 year old owner (beginnerish) resulting in the owner badly breaking his pelvis.
They're nice to look at but I still wouldn't want one :)
 
I only have proper experience of two, and they were both bargy, opinionated and could be quite nasty. They were also both very very pretty! And both geldings. And both owned by inexperienced people.
 
My first pony was Haffie, she really looked after me. This was decades ago. I bought one for hubby and she was a bit naughty but nothing worse than other horses I've had. I like them.
 
I still come back to the 'history' thing with Haffies. They are cheap to buy on the continent in a big job lot, not given 1:1 consistent handling from a single trainer, then shipped across here and people buy them cos they are cheap for a pretty, fairly weight carrying, advertised as good for novices/children all rounder.

Or, they are carefully bred in UK following the strict Austrian rules and are inspected and looked after by a few specialist enthusiast breeders and sold to good homes who are willing to pay a proper price for a foal with a known background and a good start in life.

You take your pick, but it aint the breed's fault, it's the pile em high sell em cheap market and the greedy dealers and the naive buyers. I could have bought a broken in, going in all gears Haffie for the price I paid for my unbroken filly. And then on top of that I spent a fair amount on RI help as she is BHSAI and Monty Roberts trained to help me back her and bring her on. It was precisely because I wanted a coblet that I chose to get an unbroken one and to invest in making sure they didnt turn into bargy cob nightmare.

Five years later, I know who got the better deal - me! Horses are so expensive to keep that saving money on the purchase price can be a false economy and especially so with a Haffie.
 
I totally agree with you lachlanandmarcus.

I do wonder whether the breeding for colour (as was mentioned earlier, any without a pale enough mane & tail are culled) has had a bit of a negative impact on the general temperament of the breed?
 
I don't know anyone with one but I do like them, never heard anything bad about them either.

I'd certainly have one, if given, I'd love a little golden pony thats hardy and strong enough for an adult to ride...what's not to like!
 
Im sorry it’s no always the case with the imported ones. I have a Belgian Haflinger mare fully registered with good breeding. She had a lot of time spent on her and was professionally schooled when over in Belgium. Yes she was bought cheap as she has mild sweet itch by a dodgy dealer, who I bought her from. She had 5 homes in 7 months due to the fact of being sold with 7 days warranty as a children’s pony. I’m sorry but that would screw up any horse who had been in the same home for 7 years. I have owned her now for 4 years

My friend however has a British bred Haflinger gelding who was stallion potential until he developed severe sweet itch. He is a sweet horse but is stubborn as an ox. Uses his strength to to take advantage and can be very obnoxious, I know which horse I’d rather have. And it’s the first horse
 
Nope I love them :)

I bought one because while I wanted a Highland, my budget didn't stretch to it.
When I arrived on the yard with him my late, great YO exclaimed "Oh look dear, you've got an Austrian Highland" :D
Mine is Austrian bred but imported as a youngster for driving but was sold on after an accident left him with a scar which meant he wasn't what they wanted for their driving teams.

He was in his teens when I got him as a confidence giver and my god he did his job - the most sensible pony I have ever met but also a nice forward going, fun ride. Ok, there were regular 'discussions' about the way to do various things - in his world there are only 2 ways to do anything, his way or the wrong way - I can imagine that they could take the pee very easily but couldn't that be said of any pony? Ride, drive, jump and the safest hack ever...dressage bored him unless there was an audience.
 
burness_21 said:
Im sorry it’s no always the case with the imported ones. I have a Belgian Haflinger mare fully registered with good breeding. She had a lot of time spent on her and was professionally schooled when over in Belgium. Yes she was bought cheap as she has mild sweet itch by a dodgy dealer, who I bought her from. She had 5 homes in 7 months due to the fact of being sold with 7 days warranty as a children’s pony. I’m sorry but that would screw up any horse who had been in the same home for 7 years. I have owned her now for 4 years

My friend however has a British bred Haflinger gelding who was stallion potential until he developed severe sweet itch. He is a sweet horse but is stubborn as an ox. Uses his strength to to take advantage and can be very obnoxious, I know which horse I’d rather have. And it’s the first horse
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I agree not all imported ones are a problem, it's just much more of a gamble. The passing from pillar to post yours experienced and the misdescription as a children's pony is par for the course for lots of them. That's exactly what screws them up! Yours is very lucky in finding you and it all working out; for most imports the pillar to post can continue.

Of course not all British ones are great, it's just that the chances are better if getting a GB registered inspected youngster because of the home it has come from, the lack of trauma if badly handled in shipping and the possibility (just possibility!) with a continental imported one (other than Austria and Tyrol Italy) that the horse is not a 100% pure haffie since some non Haffie blood is still registrable as a full Haffie in many N European countries. Im sure yours is 100% Haffie and excellent bloodlines; the issue is that people who dont have that level of info have no way to know.

Was the stallion prospect cut as a youngster (1 or so) as normally, or was he run on as stallion potential and cut a bit later - that might explain the temperament if he retained some stallion characteristics? Or he might just be a sod
 
My fieldmate has one, pretty much a 'job lot' import type, and yes, he will take the mickey, can be bargy, but stretch his mind and he's up for anything. Wish I could have got a picture of him crawling through the fence (twice!) - standard sheep netting to 3ft 6, then 2 strands of plain wire each 6in apart - he actually put his head through the 6in gap, followed by each front leg in turn, then body, then hinds! I know I should have stopped him, but I was transfixed! Oh, and my 13.2 Connie x has him completely under his hoof!
 
billy2 said:
My fieldmate has one, pretty much a 'job lot' import type, and yes, he will take the mickey, can be bargy, but stretch his mind and he's up for anything. Wish I could have got a picture of him crawling through the fence (twice!) - standard sheep netting to 3ft 6, then 2 strands of plain wire each 6in apart - he actually put his head through the 6in gap, followed by each front leg in turn, then body, then hinds! I know I should have stopped him, but I was transfixed! Oh, and my 13.2 Connie x has him completely under his hoof!
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This is so funny!!! It might explain a couple of unauthorised absences from field in the past I have experienced but could never work out!

And that intelligence/craftiness illustrates the reason why I have never taught my Haffie any 'games' or tricks! Even tho you just know they would be brilliant at jumping onto a box and bowing....next thing you know you will be leaping onto bus shelter seats or bollards without wanting to be there :-))
 
My only experience of Haflingers are those that are trained Western and compete in the all breeds shows; there are large all-breed Western shows particularly in Germany and the ones I have seen on the livestreams have regularly whooped the bigger backsides of many Quarter Horses and Paints, particularly in Trail and Reining, really impressive.
 
I love mine

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:)
 
There used to be a Haflinger stud down the road from here, and I always ate my heart out when I saw a friend of mine riding the Haffie stallion.

I know no bad of them at all, and they were on my short list when I was looking for my present horse 6 years ago. Somehow a little Irish cob wormed her way into my heart instead, but if (God forbid) I was looking again, I'd definitely consider them.
 
We could never understand why the stallions were always out of their stables after our lunch break so we put a cam up to catch the bast.. that were letting them out.
Well me stallion who was 2 at the time was getting out and then going alone the row letting everyone else out. It was hilarious, if I can upload it I will show you.
They sure are the smartest horses I have ever owned.
 
My Haffy is currently on his way back from Spain and has generated quite a fan base! All the grooms and children on the yard came out to wave goodbye to him when he left Spain on Tuesday and said he was such a special pony, and the girls from LOC have said they adore him as he is such a sweetie, and could they take him home lol! I've never met any other Haffys but ours is adorable - very sweet, very willing to please, cuddly, forward going...just adore him :)
 
Never heard anything bad about them. I learnt to ride on one many moons ago, loved that pony! It taught me everything (ie. how to groom, tack up etc.) as a kid. Never remember it being horrid at all.
 
I had never had any experience of haflingers until I went out to work in Italy this summer to work for La Fiaba on here.

The trekking centre where I was has a pure bred haflinger and a half bred haflinger.

The pure bred, Wilma. She was amazing, she was rescued by La Fiaba and nursed back to health from an absolutely appalling state. She had been beaten in the past and bore the scars to prove it.
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However she was our "go to girl" for beginners. (My friends second ever ride! We went for a hack and she wasn't led.)
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Anyone could ride her and have an amazing time! She gave me back all my jumping confidence and I will forever be in her debt! She was never going to go to the highest heights in any competitive discipline, but that dosen't matter, she is PERFECT for what La Fiaba wants her for! And she had competed at some level of the Italian equivalent of the BSJA.

She also jousts... (this girl had only had 4 riding lessons before jousting!)
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She did need grass reins on because she was a greedy little missus and would often try stop for a snack!

Then there is Biondina (little blondie in Italian). She is arab x haffie and THE most comfortable pony I have ever sat on! Her manners left a lot to be desired, however once I learned her history and why she distrusts humans so much I was shocked and a lot more sympathetic! (She was beaten with some kind of bar until they broke her jaw...)

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She is an amazing jumper (so long as it is out of a stable...) and could easily do endurance. She has the spark of the arab without fireworks! I really enjoyed riding her, although it would have helped if she had stood still for me to mount!

Here are the two golden girls of La Fiaba standing together! (Their riders were just visiting the scared shrine of Pietrina halfway round our ride!)
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