Haflinger Horse Breed

This curious youngster is represented by the American Haflinger Registry, with 9,000 members and 20,000 registered horses. The AHR offers recreational riding programs that honor members who pleasure ride or drive their golden Haflingers.

Breed evolution: The picturesque mountain villages and farms of Austria and northern Italy are considered to be the birthplace of the Haflinger. Noble, copper-colored horses are frequently found in early 1800s' artwork from the Southern Tyrolean Mountains of Europe.

Alpine villages accessible only by breathtakingly steep and narrow trails required surefooted equine travelers. Over centuries, the mountain horses that evolved in the region carried riders, pulled carts, and packed goods over trails at dizzying elevations with steadfast reliability and resilience. And their sweet, calm natures endeared them to the families that owned them.

The modern-day Haflinger Horse was christened in 1874, named for the Tyrolean village of Hafling, then an Austrian territory, but today located within Italy's northern boundaries. At that time, a refined mountain mare, bred to a proud Half-Arabian stallion, produced a colt named Folie. Today, all purebred Haflingers trace their ancestry back to Folie, through at least one of seven stallion lines.

After World War II, the Austrian government took charge of breeding the Haflinger Horse. Today, the Haflinger stands out among the European Warmblood breeds due to the stringent examination and approval process. The first Haflingers were imported into the United States in 1958.

Owners tell us: Ruth Schwab is managing director of the American Haflinger Registry, which represents 9,000 members and 20,000 registered horses. The AHR offers popular recreational riding programs that award year-end prizes and recognition to members who pleasure ride and drive their Haflingers.

"I've never known horses quite so people-oriented," says Schwab, a lifelong horsewoman. "They'll mug you for attention! Currently, my Haflinger is teaching me to drive, patient creature that he is. Whether your interest is trail riding, driving, or simply owning a delightful family horse that you can trust with your children, Haflingers do it all with a smile."

Internationally acclaimed horsewoman and teacher Linda Tellington-Jones has a great appreciation for the Haflinger Horse. She frequently uses them in her seminars and clinics in Germany and Austria.

"They're a truly wonderful breed!" she exclaims. "For their size, they have great weight-carrying abilities and strength. They're excellent in the mountains -

they were bred to be great pleasure riding horses. Because of their lovely calm, they also make particularly fine therapeutic riding horses."

When Charles Bobo was stationed in Austria at the end of World War II, golden horses used by the residents of pretty mountain villages and farms caught his eye. When he returned stateside after 30 years in the Air Force, Charles and his wife, Francis, founded Foothills Farms in South Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains. In 1969, they bought a three-quarters Haflinger gelding.

That was just the beginning. Ten years later, the Bobos purchased an eye-catching purebred Haflinger mare named Celota, from an Amish friend in Ohio. She was bred to a top stallion of the breed, Alpen Konig. Celota's colt, and many more to follow, were the foundation of the family's Haflinger herd, which today numbers 32 horses.

One of the Bobos' former stallions, Arlin, was the first U.S.-born Haflinger stallion to be inspected and approved in the United States. Today, Arlin's sons and daughters grace the rolling countryside at Foothills Farm.

The Bobos' son, Michael, took over management of the farm in 1990. His pride and joy is the driving school his family founded in 1982. Students make the pilgrimage to South Carolina from across the country to learn to drive the Bobos' golden horses.

Says Michael: "Our Haflingers and the Blue Ridge Mountain trails seem to go together like almonds and chocolate - that is, perfectly."