iAMASHOWJUMPER
Well-Known Member
as title really, opinions on the breed?
feel free to include any pictures
feel free to include any pictures
haflingers?
- Thread starter iAMASHOWJUMPER
- Start date
Clava
Well-Known Member
They are beautiful, intelligent, fast learners and affectionate
and have a stonking trot.
and have a stonking trot.
Devonshire dumpling
Well-Known Member
you have to ask them, NOT tell them!!!!! You learn this and you will get along swimmingly!
Clava
Well-Known Member
Niddlynoo
Well-Known Member
I love mine, he is very vocal and affectionate. Bit of a mud monster, hates wearing rugs and being mollycoddled! I got him as a 4 yr old , he has been a star with my daughters going out hacking on his own etc. Not a nasty bone in is body, but quite cheeky
caberston
Well-Known Member
cheeky being the operative word
i think once you get them 'on side', as it were, they can be brilliant.1Lucie
Well-Known Member
Ok i feel fairly well qualified to comment... my best friend has one and i rode her for 3 months when i was horseless. We regualarly ride together. She is 12yr old papered Halfliner mare...
Positives
A safe, well educated ride. She appears intelligent and schools lovely! She really is a good all rounder and can turn her hand to anything dressage to showjumper to happy hack. They are gorgeous colour and vvv hardy (my friends is seriously cheap to keep and lives out all year long). Easy to catch and always keen to be ridden. Completely non spooky too.
Negatives
She can be ill manered (barges, nips in winter for treats particulaly when in season, paws ground). I find her a very strong ride, even in manage and more of an adults pony. The farrier has told us Halfingers feet are generally poor but at moment she is unshod but due to have shoes in summer.
If u have any questions i'll do my best to answer!
Positives
A safe, well educated ride. She appears intelligent and schools lovely! She really is a good all rounder and can turn her hand to anything dressage to showjumper to happy hack. They are gorgeous colour and vvv hardy (my friends is seriously cheap to keep and lives out all year long). Easy to catch and always keen to be ridden. Completely non spooky too.
Negatives
She can be ill manered (barges, nips in winter for treats particulaly when in season, paws ground). I find her a very strong ride, even in manage and more of an adults pony. The farrier has told us Halfingers feet are generally poor but at moment she is unshod but due to have shoes in summer.
If u have any questions i'll do my best to answer!
Clava
Well-Known Member
My two haflingers are not bargy at all, but I can easily imagine that they could learn bad habits very quickly (as they learn everything quickly), nipping and barging are totally unacceptable and rude behaviour so not allowed (in any of my horses),
Hattie the mare in the pics I backed last Spring and we had a great hacking summer and some dressage lessons and then she has taken me out with the bloodhounds 3 times, the first being my first time out hunting ever. She is very much a people person which is surprising considering I rescued her as a starved hat rack who had been left all summer without extra food feeding her foal, she did not know what a bucket or a piece of carrot was.
Hattie the mare in the pics I backed last Spring and we had a great hacking summer and some dressage lessons and then she has taken me out with the bloodhounds 3 times, the first being my first time out hunting ever. She is very much a people person which is surprising considering I rescued her as a starved hat rack who had been left all summer without extra food feeding her foal, she did not know what a bucket or a piece of carrot was.
cbmcts
Well-Known Member
I have one, now retired.
All pony by personality (remember pony is a 4 letter word!
), very bright, stubborn, cheeky monster but I adore him. It's his way or the highway, he always knows best about everything but he was unflappable, safe as houses (as long as you do what he wants of course), jumped, hacked, drove everything but schooled. He decided he didn't like that so he didn't do it.
Very sturdy little horses, probably best suited to adults as they are brighter than the average child and will make it their mission in life to take the pee. Chain all gates or they will open them, always put the kick bar on a stable door or they will let themselves and half the yard out (after they have eaten all the breakfasts outside the doors first) develop a sense of humour to match theirs - you'll need it when you have to remove them from a strangers lorry at a show because they had haylege nets on board so he untied himself and went to visit.
. or the time he begged ice cream from everybody who went past by lifting a front leg and whickering, he'll also do that for a banana skin.
I'm still trying to figure out how to use electric fencing with him, he removes the fence posts from the ground and shorts the tape out even when it's not stopping him going anywhere, just blocking off a wire fence...any ideas?
Put it this way, I'd have another haffie tomorrow if I could
All pony by personality (remember pony is a 4 letter word!
), very bright, stubborn, cheeky monster but I adore him. It's his way or the highway, he always knows best about everything but he was unflappable, safe as houses (as long as you do what he wants of course), jumped, hacked, drove everything but schooled. He decided he didn't like that so he didn't do it.Very sturdy little horses, probably best suited to adults as they are brighter than the average child and will make it their mission in life to take the pee. Chain all gates or they will open them, always put the kick bar on a stable door or they will let themselves and half the yard out (after they have eaten all the breakfasts outside the doors first) develop a sense of humour to match theirs - you'll need it when you have to remove them from a strangers lorry at a show because they had haylege nets on board so he untied himself and went to visit.
. or the time he begged ice cream from everybody who went past by lifting a front leg and whickering, he'll also do that for a banana skin.I'm still trying to figure out how to use electric fencing with him, he removes the fence posts from the ground and shorts the tape out even when it's not stopping him going anywhere, just blocking off a wire fence...any ideas?
Put it this way, I'd have another haffie tomorrow if I could
Natz88
Well-Known Member
Ok I am going to be slightly biast as I have one of my own they are FAB . On a seruous note tho they are lovely, very good doers, but they are strong. Mine is the most gentle to handle & could let anyone handle him, but as for riding he is very strong & has his quirks so couldn't let just anyone ride him. I have known people go to look at them just because they look nice & pretty, but have decided against them. Me personally would have them all day long, where other's woudln't.
This is him on a bad day (although I have got him out of it *touches wood*)
. On a seruous note tho they are lovely, very good doers, but they are strong. Mine is the most gentle to handle & could let anyone handle him, but as for riding he is very strong & has his quirks so couldn't let just anyone ride him. I have known people go to look at them just because they look nice & pretty, but have decided against them. Me personally would have them all day long, where other's woudln't.This is him on a bad day (although I have got him out of it *touches wood*
)
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Dottie
Well-Known Member
My 1st pony was half Hafi, so I do have a soft spot for them! But other pure breeds I have come across can be incredibly stubborn, rude and very strong for something so small!
monikirk
Well-Known Member
We have a very large Haffy stud next to our village - It all depends on how they are handled when they are young - some mares are known to produce difficult offspring but they continue to breed from them.
I've met quite a few locally and some are perfect ponies, others can be really naughty - guess it's the same with any horse, you need to judge them on their individual merits!
I've met quite a few locally and some are perfect ponies, others can be really naughty - guess it's the same with any horse, you need to judge them on their individual merits!
jesterfaerie
Well-Known Member
Very true. We have one at work who is lovely but has a real cheeky side to him.
lachlanandmarcus
Well-Known Member
I love them altho my farrier told me mine was the first one with manners he had met :-OO which I took as a compliment as I backed her )
They should be firmly and consistently handled from a young age like most cobs but especially so with ones who are imported and sold on rather than GB registered ones bred here as they wont have had that continuity. So ideally get an unbroken one and then they are your friend for life!
If you want double cheeky cleverness, get a Haffie mare!
Most arent so great kids ponies as they see them as fresh meat, their next victim)) But fab for adult/child share or for a lightish adult.
Mine is unshod, no hard feed, synthetic tack. Wish my 17hh IDxTB was as cheap to run!
How can you possibly resist the delectable Liesel? (who doesnt bite or kick or anything rude tho she does suck her reins and flap her lips a lot.
At home here!Edited to add she only had a rug on as it was minus 15, she hasnt worn one in or out all this winter!
Second solo ride after backing
)They should be firmly and consistently handled from a young age like most cobs but especially so with ones who are imported and sold on rather than GB registered ones bred here as they wont have had that continuity. So ideally get an unbroken one and then they are your friend for life!
If you want double cheeky cleverness, get a Haffie mare!
Most arent so great kids ponies as they see them as fresh meat, their next victim
)) But fab for adult/child share or for a lightish adult. Mine is unshod, no hard feed, synthetic tack. Wish my 17hh IDxTB was as cheap to run!
How can you possibly resist the delectable Liesel? (who doesnt bite or kick or anything rude
tho she does suck her reins and flap her lips a lot.At home here!Edited to add she only had a rug on as it was minus 15, she hasnt worn one in or out all this winter!
Second solo ride after backing
AdorableAlice
Well-Known Member
Had a lovely filly sometime ago on livery. Sadly it had been started on parelli and was totally ruined and was downright dangerous.
Unbelievably rude, she would run at you, stamp on you, kick, bite and crush you up the wall, shocking behaviour for a 3 yr old. Previous owner told me she liked to allow her horses to express themselves as per parelli principles.
The filly was too dangerous to stay with her new owner and had to be moved on, I hope she found someone who could make something out of her. I wouldn't touch another haflinger, but if a well schooled mannerly one could be found it may give you plenty of fun. They are super intelligent and learn bad as quick as they learn good.
Unbelievably rude, she would run at you, stamp on you, kick, bite and crush you up the wall, shocking behaviour for a 3 yr old. Previous owner told me she liked to allow her horses to express themselves as per parelli principles.
The filly was too dangerous to stay with her new owner and had to be moved on, I hope she found someone who could make something out of her. I wouldn't touch another haflinger, but if a well schooled mannerly one could be found it may give you plenty of fun. They are super intelligent and learn bad as quick as they learn good.
MissMincePie&Brandy
Well-Known Member
I know 3 Haffies.
They are very intelligent and have big characters. I would say that they are not suitable for novice or weak willed owners though! A kind, but disciplined owner will get the best out of this breed, but poor horsemanship will more than likely result in the pony becoming an absolute menace to society!
They are very intelligent and have big characters. I would say that they are not suitable for novice or weak willed owners though! A kind, but disciplined owner will get the best out of this breed, but poor horsemanship will more than likely result in the pony becoming an absolute menace to society!
muffinmunsh
Well-Known Member
They are fab!
Mix them with Arab and you have the perfect riding club horse according to my mum...
Mix them with Arab and you have the perfect riding club horse according to my mum...
NiceChristmasBaubles
Well-Known Member
Opinionated but not nasty. Marmite type of horse - you either love them or hate them. I schooled a young mare for a while and when she didn't understand what you wanted she just stopped dead until she worked it out. I love them and they would certainly be on the list of possible breeds for my next horse. Oh, and the one I rode flapped her bottom lip too!