Haflinger the same temperment as an OTTB???!

HI, I own a hafie mare (love her to death) and just purchased a 11 year old hafie gelding. (Advertised as being safe for a beginner, but hey people can say anything). I am somewhat of a timid rider, but do fine with my mare.

Back to the gelding. I have only had him about 18 days and am having some issues, like evading the bit, he is a sweetheart on the ground, comes when he is called. He is going to the trainer for a refresher.

Anyway, I had posted at another forum the problem I was having and was blasted for buying a haflinger. This person compared them to OTTB and said they were unsuitable for a beginner and several others chimed in. Obviously she had owned one, and sold it for a seven year old to ride, telling me a child is different than a beginner. I won't even go there.
Any thoughts?
I was confused. I had done research, own one, and am (was) under the impression that they were not spooky, hot, whatever.

well it is not the horse breed that makes the temperment it is the way the horse is like its personality and stuff. This would be yet another example of labeling.

I agree, it would be the temperment of the individual horse not the breed... But if all he is doing os evading the bit it is an easy fix...

Hello,
I own a Haflinger myself...
Labeling i would not call it....
but Haflinger are a breed that require a hand that knows what it is doing!

they can be wonderfull family horses, and be wonderfull allrounders... Dressage, jumping and Wesern or just for pleasure riding... or wagons...
they are intelligent and they need work, they are smart and if you don't watch out they may use their intelligence against their owners... sometimes they just get underestimated.

they have their own mind, but once you have won them over, they do about anything for you!

Breeds have a certain trait you are breeding for, Haflingers are small agile horses that do not need much food, but lots of activities, they need to use their brains...
If left to much on their own they find stuff to do they like... and you might not like too much!

but i hope you are having a lot of fun with your set!
Really they can be.
Beeing a little hard on the bit, is ok, ride them patiently with all the gymnastics and feel they need and you will see that is solved quikly!

Ugh, lables.

I try not to label any breed. Because really, you can't. Every horse is an individual, and no two horses are alike.

I've grown up around Arabs and Half Arabs.. And everyone knows the lable they get. " Whacko hot heads". *sigh*

Of course, there are going to be spirited Arabs. But, not all of them are like that. I learned to ride on an Arab. Sweetest thing you'd ever wanna be around, nothing phased her. And now we have a Half Arab gelding that's a real handful. You just have to know how to handle a horse with a bit more spirit.

But like I said - It's really comes down to the idividual, not the breed. I've never had any experience with Halflingers, but I'm sure there not hot headed. Maybe some, but definately not all of them. Every horse has it's own personality.

...as does any horse.

I think what you've got is a training issue, not a breed issue. The fact that you're a timid rider could also be compounding the problem. Will you be taking lessons from the trainer as well while your horse is there?

desperate houswife, of course every horse needs a hand that knows what it is doing...

but Haflingers often get underestimated. they are great horses, when treated right, if there is a rider that is timid, there might be the chance that the haflinger takes advantage over the rider.
Plus eventhough they are very versatile and you can do almost anything with them, they are not that soft to ride like an other breeds, they are thick nerved by nature.

they are inteligent and quik to learn, that might cause a problem for some people, and of course the Haflinger becuase it is undertrained.

That at the side.


We breed for certain structure and certain Temperament and traits, this is why we breed.
Thus of course not all horses in one breed are the same, there are individuals as in all other breeds. but in general we can expect certain traits in a one breed.
Haflinger are bred for a verstaile use , of course their shape and color, plus known for their people loving attitude and smartness.

A Haflinger is good with children and beginners, but he has to be trained well to do that.
They may come accross stubborn, but really he is just asking what you can do to make work fun!

so with your certain problem, it is hard to say if it is related to the breed,or more a riderissue.

They can eb hard in the neck and not many Hafis are rode to the point that they get soft, because a lot of people try to force a soft mouth on them without giving them the proper warm up time!

With Haflingers it is a little bit like a diesel... needs his warm up phase and then you barrely can't stop it.

so i hope you have a good trainer on hand, but besides giving the horse away for a refresher you might want to think about taking lessons with him together. That should help you much more then having a different rider deal with him!