| So you are ready to buy your very first - or maybe | | | | And they are lovely family horses - filling that place in |
| second or third - Haflinger horse. Congratulations! It's a | | | | your horse-lover's heart. |
| wonderful breed with not shortage of wonderful | | | | So decide first if you want a pleasure horse or a |
| qualities. Still, if there's one thing you should keep in mind | | | | working horse. Some Haflingers can move back and |
| before entering the Haflingers market, it's this: take | | | | forth between these two groups, but many of them |
| your time. | | | | aren't. Haflingers can be stubborn, and when then they |
| In fact, that's pretty good advice any time you want to | | | | schooled in one skill set they don't always want to pick |
| buy a horse - or any other animal. You don't want to | | | | up another one. If you are going to be asking your |
| rush the process. It's a big purchase, and the more | | | | horse to work hard, then a bit of a bullish attitude isn't a |
| time you spend on the front end, the better off you | | | | big deal. But if you are only looking for a trail-riding |
| and your horse are going to be going forward. | | | | equine, then sweet and gentle and calm is the order of |
| Barring traumatic injury or illness, your Haflinger is going | | | | the day. |
| to be around for a long time. This is a long-term | | | | Be sure that you know if you want a green horse or |
| relationship you are embarking upon. Therefore, a few | | | | not. That is, how much training do you want to do? |
| extra weeks or even months spent researching and | | | | Maybe you've got a think for working with horses and |
| considering the right equine is almost certainly going to | | | | you want to be sure to get him just the way you |
| be time well spent. | | | | want. Haflingers are not hard to work with but still, you |
| In fact, buying a Haflinger mare or a Haflinger stallion is | | | | want to be sure that you know what you are getting |
| not unlike getting married. In other words, an impulse | | | | into. |
| buy is almost always the wrong way to go. You want | | | | Finally, if you are going to be showing - or breeding |
| to find the perfect partner - and sometimes the | | | | with an eye toward showing - then you are going to |
| qualities that make a horse (or a human mate) perfect | | | | have to consider issues like pedigree and |
| can take a little time to make it to the surface. And | | | | conformation. Do these matter to you? Should they? |
| sometimes, the horse that's apparently perfect has | | | | Again, a mild-mannered horse that functions as a pet |
| some traits that aren't so desirable but take a little time | | | | might not be the best horse for the show ring. |
| to show themselves. | | | | You need to know what you want in advance. And |
| Be clear with yourself what your Haflinger is for. | | | | then, checklist in hand - or at least in mind - you need |
| Remember, you are talking about a horse breed that is | | | | to begin looking at your options. Don't buy right away. |
| highly diverse in its abilities. Haflingers can help you | | | | Compare and contrast. Remember, the more work |
| plow fields and skid logs. They can also be excellent | | | | you do now, the more likely your choice will be one |
| training horses or lesson horses in your equestrian | | | | that both you and your new Haflinger can live with for |
| center. | | | | the rest of your lives! |