Meet the Newest Members of My Horse Family!

I have some exciting news to share- my horse family has gained three new members! 

They get their friendly spirit and curiosity from their Haflinger heritage, and their short stature from the tad of Welsh Pony in their blood. These three new additions are related, a mother and two daughters. I am so glad I get to introduce you to my new horses!

Rosemary 

The mother of the other two, this 10 year old horse is a friendly sweetheart, very curious about what’s around her.

Jasmine 

The only feature that distinguishes her from her mother is the slight waviness of her mane! The older sister, around 2 and a half, Jasmine has her mother’s sweet heart. 

Princess

With one look I knew I would love this horse. She was so loving and came right up to me when we first met. I then discovered that as a foal Princess injured her eye, thus only having vision in one eye. I felt sorry for Princess, but I also realized that that makes her unique and thus even more beautiful! 

ABOUT THE HLAFLINGER BREED 

Rosemary, Jasmine, and Princess are not fully Halflinger; however, they have the Halflinger personality! I had not heard of Halflingers before I looked into buying these three, but what a fascinating breed to discover! Here’s some neat things I learned about the Haflinger breed!

Very Intelligent 

Able to learn new skills incredibly fast, the Halflinger has an overall above average intelligence. This makes them very curious by nature and willing to learn. 

Traceable Lineage 

All purebred Haflingers can trace their lineage back to one stallion named Folie, who was an Arabian- mountain pony cross. The Haflinger Breed has been around since medieval times, the small statue and stoutness of the new breed was perfect for navigating the mountain trails of Austria and Northern Italy. (halflingerhorse.com)

Come in One Color 

Extensive line breeding has caused this breed to stay uniform in look, having a Chestnut coat and white or flaxen mane & tail. Haflingers are known and loved for their appearance. (Out of the three, Princess looks the most like a pure Halflinger.)

Horse’s not Ponies! 

Contrary to their size and mountain pony origins, Halflingers are classified as horses. They can be found all over the world taking part in dressage, jumping, vaulting, packing, western, CED, hitch work, therapeutic programs, pleasure driving, and more- don’t be fooled by their size, these horses are very strong and athletic. 

I was stoked for the opportunity to get to care for these horses; however, they’re gonna take a lot of work because they are only halter and lead broke. They have been around people, but have never been ridden. As daunting as that task is, it is very exciting as well. And with determination, hard work, and lots of help and support from friends & family, I think I can train these horses well. My prayer is that these horses could bring smiles to people’s faces and that their amiable spirit and majesty would glorify their Creator. 

Tails & trails,

Reese