Any of you ever use Haflingers in the mountains for riding or packing?
I have. I used one while I was breeding mules with her. Mountain work is what they were bred for and work great if you can get a saddle to fit that short round back. Packing, the gait gives a challenge to keep a pack secure as it is more of a swaying gait. Same problem fitting a pack saddle, but they sure are handy to pack if they are in the 13 hand class.
Mine was a heavy draft type which are getting hard to find as everyone wants to make them taller and lighter.
A lot of folks think they will have the disposition of a heavy horse,but most don't.Probably because if you trace thier lineage back far enough you will find little Arab blood in there.But overall,they are pretty decent.
My mules turdned out pretty good. The first inherited that swaying gait and packing her was a challenge indeed.They finished out at 15 hands.Way bigger than I wanted,but probably because this mare had little 1/4 horse blood in her way back. I had to sell the first one when my health turned bad a few years ago. The fellow that has her is in Grand Junction and can't brag enough about he. I still have one as my sadlle mule.She also grew to 15 hds, and is one heck of mule.Learns fast, no quit in her, is stocky like I wanted, and can carry a load. She will out walk about anything she has ever been with.She never missed a lick the first time I loaded meat on her. When I had both, I started them in harness as a team and they took right too it.
She has taken awhile to come around,but at 10 she has finished out nice and some of that flightiness has mellowed out, except when she sees bicycles, baby strollers, or sheep.
My only complaint is I sure wish she had stopped growing 4 inches shy of what she is now.
Fifteen years ago, you could not find a halflinger in Colorado.I might have had one of the first and I had to go to Missouiri to buy her.Now days I am seeing more and more of them in outfitter's strings. Both for packing and riding.
