Your cart is currently empty!
Previously, we discussed the breed standards and the history of the Haflinger – what makes a breeding quality Haflinger, what the breed was intended for, and how it all began. If you haven’t read those posts yet, I recommend taking a look to give yourself a little background before reading this post. Today, I’d like to delve a little deeper in what we in America know as the two different body types for Haflingers:
DRAFT (also called Old Type) vs MODERN (also called Pleasure or Sport Type)
It’s a hot topic in Haflinger land – one that can get people fired up and end in huge debates on social media. My intent for this post is to discuss some of the differences between the two main body styles, and give you a little insight in what people mean when they talk about draft vs modern. If you read my previous posts, you know a little bit about how these two types came to be. But what sets them apart from each other?
Draft
The draft type is characterized how it sounds: the body is more of a square, with the overall height being shorter on average. These are the Haflingers you may have grown up seeing. They are built like tanks, and definitely look as though they are a draft breed, even though they have no draft blood. Substantial bone, wide as they are tall, and sturdy, to say the least. Sometimes, you’ll see them used as excellent trail horses, working on the farm, used as therapy horses, in lesson programs, or in draft classes at shows. Some of them have more knee action than you might’ve guessed at first, and that knee action is encouraged and cultivated for competition. This was the type most commonly seen during WWII and here in the US during the early years of our involvement with the breed.
Look at Neal RVRW below – he’s a horse we had at Deer Haven for many years, about 14.2hh. He is what I would consider a draft type. Although he isn’t at his fittest in these photos and is covered in a fluffy winter coat, you can see his broad shoulders and chest, his big feet, and his low withers. Even when he was at his ideal weight, he still had a very flat, “table top” back. Neal was a great driving horse, occasionally jumped, rode western and bareback, did some dressage, and now acts as a therapy horse in Illinois.
Modern
The modern type is characterized by a more rectangular body, being taller on average and lighter build overall. This doesn’t mean that these modern Haflingers have less substantial bone; rather, they still maintain that hardy sturdiness that we’ve come to love, but in a more athletic looking package, with temperament still being the key. This type is closer to what the original Austrian standards look for, and what a AHR inspected horse would strive to be for a Silver or Gold classified rating. A horse built so that it could pull a carriage one day, work in the field the next, and go to a show at the end of the week.
Below are two examples of the more “modern” Haflinger. The top photo is Angelic HOF, pictured as a 3 or 4 year old, about 14.1hh. She is one of the most refined Haflingers I’ve met – compared to many, she looked dainty! She was actually the only Haflinger we had that fit into a cob sized bridle. Still, you can see how she takes up my leg pretty well, despite her size (I’m 5’8″). She loved to jump, and went on to be a family horse.
Next is Avanti of Cedar Lane, 14.2hh, Deer Haven’s foundation stallion for many years, pictured in 2007. Despite the poor quality photo (sorry!), you can clearly see the differences in his build versus Neal. While Avanti looks more like an athlete overall, notice how there’s still good, solid bone in those legs – his feet are proportionate in size to his body, and he wore a horse sized bridle. Avanti is still a stallion and lives in Florida now, where he is the favorite dressage mount of two young girls and their mom.
Neither type is officially classified as such by any organization or registry – it’s not like the Welsh, for example, with different sections (A, B, Cob, etc), it’s merely a distinction made by many breeders and enthusiasts alike.
BUT HERE’S WHERE IT GETS CONFUSING
If you’ve followed my posts this far, you might be saying, “Wait a second. Why do we call this type ‘modern’ and the draft type ‘old’ if the modern type is intended to match the original breed standards of the Haflinger? Shouldn’t that technically be called the ‘old’ type?”
That’s how a lot of people get confused in their history, I believe. In his book (see my previous post for link), Johannes says that,
“…by 1920, and before 1900, this all-around use of the light riding and carriage horse is documented in literature, which means that the Haflinger of today as a riding and carriage horse is not an invention of the modern hippologes. It is also not the invention of a breeding association, but it is the historic definition of a Haflinger horse.” {emphasis my own} and he says again and again that the “original orientation was towards a modern horse, towards a leisure horse, a universal horse that also had to be suitable for work.”
Yet many people don’t know this, especially in the US, where we have so many Haflingers to choose from and are not as closely regulated as far as our breeding practices go, like they are in Europe. It’s given us a unique freedom and variety, but has also given rise to some very confusing notions about what a Haflinger is!
So…Which Type is my Haflinger?
There’s nothing that says a Haflinger has to fit into either the modern or draft “boxes” – as I mentioned earlier, it’s simply a classification that’s there for descriptive purposes. I guess you could say it serves as an easy way to tell other Haflinger enthusiasts what your Haflinger looks like.
While draft and modern are the most widely accepted types, you might come across a few other distinctions that aren’t “official”. For instance, I consider Crumble to be somewhat in between the two types. He’s built a lot like a tank, but with a height of 14.2hh, and a long, forward, flowing stride. When he’s at his fittest, he looks tall, elegant, and much lighter in build when you look at his photos, but there’s no mistaking that broad chest and shoulder when you see him in person.
But What Type of Haflinger is Best For Me?
Choosing the right Haflinger depends on what you want to do with him/her. There are many (too many) Haflingers popping up at auctions across the country. If you don’t have plans to do any breeding, and putting time into a grateful, rescued horse is something you are able to do, go for it! Those souls will thank you tenfold for the safe home you can provide. You never know…you may find your diamond in the rough.
On the other hand, if you have specific goals that lead you towards spending a little more up front to purchase from a breeder, then have at it! By doing your research and buying from a reputable, responsible breeder, you’re supporting the people who believe wholeheartedly in these golden horses and work hard every day to preserve the breed and spread the word about what Haflingers can truly do (i.e. everything!).
Each horse is an individual, and you’ll see a mixture of qualities and quirks in each Haflinger you look at, regardless of type or bloodlines, whether you decide to rescue, or buy from a breeder. Take your time to decide what fits best into your lifestyle, what you want in a horse, and what your goals are, and then bring that list with you and stick to it.
The Winner Is…
So, is one type or style inherently better than another? No. That should be obvious.
A good horse is a good horse. And you’re going to find variations everywhere – that’s the nature of breeding. You’ll find some people saying that the modern Haflingers are too light, unsound on their tiny feet, or too high-strung and wild, while others might say that draft Haflingers have uncomfortable, choppy gaits, or are incredibly stubborn and naughty. The reality is, we need to learn to recognize the stereotypes that exist – just like people saying all Arabians are spooky, or all Thoroughbreds are crazy – and help dispel those rumors. Sure, you’re gonna find a few horses that fit that particular bill and don’t do the breed justice, because even when everything goes right, we’re still hoping for the best and ultimately playing with chance.
However, the responsibility of breeders is to the preservation of the Haflinger itself, as well as to each of their animals. That means adhering to the breed standards that exist: closely considering conformation and temperament, and breeding the best individuals possible. Paying careful consideration to responsible breeding practices is the least we can do for these incredible animals, and it gives them the best chance possible at living a full, useful, and happy life.
4 responses to “Haflingers 101: Draft vs Modern”
I like your blogs. I did see the one earlier . I’ve have halflingers 20 years now . I did breed for a few year’s but stop as the economy and prices came down . I have the old or Foundation stock . I know that theres a place for the newer Style and are fairly popular . I’m really disappointed in what has happened to the newer stock . I don’t like what they are now . They lost a lot by breeding taller and light . They say refined but I think it ruined the breed . There’s a lot of good traits that we’re lost by doing so . Registry just wrote it out .I find it hard to believe the old stock was 15 -16 Hands and light boned , lost foot size , muscle , dish on head , Blaze is a lot less , I can’t get past that Germany in ww II changed them that much .how can to be possible to make a horse 6 to 8 in. Shorter , bigger bone more muscle ( stockier ) in just a few years . 10 or less. I not whating to start anything I’m trying to understand better with open discussion . I should study old history on them better so I understand the horse’s prior to World War II .
I very much agree with you, Bryan. I breed the traditional/old ones in Australia and they are very pure but unable to be registered by the Australian Haflinger Horse Breeders Association because their emphasis is on breeding the taller, finer type so they raised the height standards to make mine ineligible for registration although my stallion is directly descended from the original import and those were the same height or smaller than him. I also do not like the new breed and have had some contact with them and find them much less acceptable in many ways, mostly temperament. I also travelled overseas and visited a world classifier/judge of Haflingers and he told me some very interesting things. eg. in some countries they have damaged the breed and they no longer retain the wonderful characteristics that Haflingers were once noted for. There unfortunately will come a time when people judge a haflinger by what they are now and conclude that the bad behaviour of many is just “typical haffy” behaviour. This is never how they were. I just don’t understand why, if you want a performance horse, you set about changing a once wonderful breed such as the Haflinger into one, no different from any other performance breed (except of course colour) and you then have lost the special traits that set the haflinger apart from any other breed in so many good ways. They were really very unique in their wonderful traits and are, if still with the traditional blood, an exceptional horse unlike no other breed.
Lesley – I can’t speak to how the Australian registry does things, but it’s definitely interesting to see how different registries handle things in other countries, since my experience is only in the US!
Like I mentioned in my reply to Bryan, my experience is mostly with the more modern type, but I’ve worked with and ridden both types for several years now. Again, I’m in the US, so things may be different, but I’ve never seen any negative temperament issues or poor conformation that I could attribute solely to the fact that a particular horse is “drafty” or “modern”. There are so many other factors that come into play.
In my opinion, breeders should be following the standards set by the registry, and ultimately the standards set by the Austrian federation. That means the emphasis IS on temperament as well as conformation and the other factors that make a Haflinger a Haflinger. I’m not saying that’s not what you’re doing, or that you’re doing it wrong – I just mean that I agree with you that these horses have wonderful traits that we need to preserve.
I’ll admit that I like some of the super refined, fancy moving Haflingers. That appeals to me as a dressage and competition rider – but that’s not really what a Haflinger is. Breeding at the expense of the breed? Or bringing in too much Arabian blood? I don’t agree with that.
I understand the modern type of Haflinger to be one that is a little bit taller, a bit lighter, and overall more athletic looking than the classic WWII Haflinger. The modern Haflingers that I’ve worked with are still sturdy, still sound, still have good bone, tough feet, and are extremely versatile. To me, that’s what the ideal modern Haflinger is.
Bryan – thanks for reading! I am glad you are liking my posts and are sharing your perspective, and I’m happy my posts are provoking discussion!
I know that the two camps within the breed (those who like the draft style and those who like the modern style) can get very contentious – we are all so passionate about our Haflingers.
My experience with Haflingers has been mostly with what people might consider the more modern type, although I’ve had my fair share of riding and trading the draftier ones too (in addition to years of riding and training all breeds). I love them all, but I do think that adhering to the standards is important when breeding.
If you are able to find a copy of the Haflinger book by Johannes Schweisgut to purchase or borrow, I highly recommend it, if you haven’t gotten the chance to read it already. It explains a lot more of the details that I don’t have room for here. Keep in mind that the Austrians used tape measures at the time, which makes the measurements come out larger than stick measurement and can account for some of the height difference (although if I remember right, they still weren’t in the 15-16hh range, at least not commonly, and that is still rare to see today). During the war years, the Austrians were forced to breed only the smallest and most compact horses – and the survival of the breed as a whole was in danger. Towards the end of the war and in the years following, a small group of breeders banded together to build the breed back up to the original vision that was – a leisure horse, something that had been determined even as far back as before 1900. They implemented strict rules, created a specialized stud farm, and worked hard to return to their roots.
Leave a Reply