Haflinger ponies?

tabithakat64

tabithakat64

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Friend is thinking of buying a 14hh Haflinger for her nervous 14 year old daughter.
Do they make good teenagers ponies? The pony will be used mostly for hacking. The only one I've ever ridden was hugely strong and this would worry the girl.
Also how much weight can they carry? As mum would like to hack the pony during the week, she is a reasonable well balanced rider and the hacks would be mostly walk and trot.
I know it's hard to generalise but want to get a rough idea of what Haflingers are like.
 
The only haflinger I know is a bit nuts
crazy.gif
definitely needs an experienced rider and probably more like a second horse however, she is brilliant at all riding club activities and has a real aptitude to XC. Fun hack but just not so much fun for dressage as she's so speedy
frown.gif
 
I would not think of them as being a child's or nervous rider's pony-
They are a typical ride and drive cobby type-
The Austrian version of a Welsh Cob!
There may be quiet and less opionated ones, but I;d prefer an New Forest or Connemara for a child. Or a mixed breeding family pony.
 
We had a wonderful Haflinger at our RDA, and she was gorgeous, very suitable for a nervous child. Hafliners are like our strong natives and can easily carry 15 stone all day out hunting!!.
 
i have a haflinger she is adorable and will stand hours to be groomed, but she is strong and often think shes in charge so does need a confident rider, for a smaller child id probs go for a connie
 
They have naturally quiet temperaments, which means that people do not always put in enough work to breaking and schooling them correctly.

Think of them a bit like Highlands - can be VERY strong and naughty if not handled correctly, but also can be nice if well schooled.

Extremely strong, there is a stud near here and the owner is quite hefty and they used to do endurance and do well.

Even their biggest fans would admit to them not having the best of feet. I looked into them quite a lot as I had a palomino pony that I wanted to put in foal to a Haffie, but the vet said not too as the stallion looked like a Chesterfield sofa, very long and very stocky.

Very pretty ponies.
 
I rode one for a year and she was VERY hard work

Strong, VERY VERY WIDE, spooky, opinionated, the list goes on......and on! lol

I wouldnt recommend one personally but there must be good ones out there.
 
Majority have bad feet, a lot are awful on the ground, certainly not child friendly, and many are a pain in the ass to ride too. I dont like them, and wouldnt have another if you paid me.

xxx
 
The ones I have known have all been extremely strong minded, very intelligent and tough as nails. They are also inclined to buck.

Nice ponies in their place but wouldn't suit a nervous rider as would walk all over them in seconds. Can carry 15stone easily though, proper work horses, they love to work and the harder the better.

My boss imports them so we see a few of them come through the riding school, I would not think that the majority would be suitable for your friend but you might find an exception
 
Definately not for a rider who would get nervous on a strong horse. My mum is a nervous rider but strength doesn't bother her, and she used to ride my friend's 14hh Haflinger. You'd be hard pushed to actually fall off him but he can be "looky" (not necessarily spooky) and is built like a tank and knows it! He's certainly not nutty, just not for the total beginner/ very nervous. On the lead rein he'd be a total lamb though, I reckon.
 
re: southwestwhippet

I agree with you totally on the bucking i was walking my one through a field and then for no reason whatsoever she bucked spun round dumped me and bu**ered off!!!
 
Have to go against the trend here- admittedly our own little (14.2hh) boy is the only one I know but he's been the BEST horse/pony I've ever known- brilliant temperament, willing but safe and I'm quite a nervous rider. he's only turning 5 now and we got him from his breeder who started him very well. We've had him a year now and I can honestly say he's never put a foot wrong- Hacking, schooling, driving and some little jumps. Also carries my OH easily. ETA No problems with his feet either
 
Mine is fab too - but then she was well handled but firmly by breeder and has had same treatment through backing by me and RI.

Feetwise, well mine is barefoot and has cost me £0.00 in farrier care this winter so I must be lucky, sometimes need boots in summer but thats it.

I think sometimes they are imported in large numbers by dealers and time isnt spent and consistency in discipline which like any cob (esp a forward going one) they need. But I would def say that with the correct upbringing they are less challenging than most Welsh Ds as they are not quite so confident as Ds.

Suitable for a child? Teenager, yes, little kiddywink, no. They tend to get an evil look in their eye when they spot VERY small children and do take advantage of them I think. partly cos often they are the smallest horse at an adult yard, so rarely get anyone to boss.....
 
I had a 14.2 Haffie for a year. He was sold to me as a total plod. Haffies are very long lived, can carry heavy weights with ease, are very good doers, very strong, very fast, totally laid back and afraid of nothing (which is why they can make great RDA ponies) but often don't like to be told what to do and can object violently when you insist! I spent a miserable year with my boy - not his fault, he just WASN'T a plod! In the end, after a spectacular broncing episode, he put me in hospital with a suspected broken neck so we had to part company!
 
woah sounds nasty 'box of frogs'

as for feet my haffy has lovely feet she costs we very little money with the farrier and her feet are perfect. last year so many people had problems with their horses hooves cracking (horses with shoes) and Hs were perfect

they are very strong as others have said and theres no stopping if thy decide to go well that what ive found lol, but when their on your side there FAB

ooo and they are Very spooky in my opinion lol
 
I would go for a NF as they are good weight carriers and have gentle loving personalities. Ones that have lived out in the forest tend to be good in traffic. I have one he's 5 and 14h today we went on a lovely hack on our own he was not phased by anything even a massive double decker coming from behind rather close. I am an adult but I would happily put a small child on him or a nervous person. My sister rode him and said he is better behaved/quieter than most the RDA ponies that she works with. However a NF will prob be more expensive than a Haflinger.
 
Sorry, posting twice on same thread but wanted to echo the 'strong on the ground' people.

I have found that they make appaling lead rein ponies on the riding school as they are very very strong minded to handle - none of the helpers can mange them and we have one that even I can't hold in trot on the lead as she will just run straight through you. They can be very argy bargy when being handled, run through you out the stable door, pull away etc and they are clever enough to wait for the perfect moment to do it!

Would agree with those that say get a Fjord, they are so cute and have lovely tempraments.
 
my friend brought one after years of putting up with a nutter of an arab that maid her lose her convidence she brought that and that was strong too so i would say to get something more in the lines of a ploddy old cob that can carry abit of weight to
 
I have two haffies. My 10 year old daughter rides the 8 yr old 13.2 mare who is gentle natured and the safest hack I have ever seen - never spooky and enjoys going out in all weathers which is no thing in our British weather. My 15.1 boy is also a fab safe hack and loves his work. In my opinion they need consistent and gentle handling. Perhaps I have been lucky as everyone on my yard had an opinion on haflingers - mostly negative! But since I got mine - the mare 18months ago and the gelding 9 months ago they have eaten their words. Beautiful gentle horses with a bit of oomph when you need it who respond well to one to one care. Because they enjoy their work so much may not be suitable for people who ride once a week or complete novices <font color="purple"> </font>
 
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