Haflinger Horse

The Haflinger Pony is named after the village of Hafling in southern Tyrol, Austria where it was first bred hundreds of years ago. Local horses and ponies were crossed with Arabians to upgrade their quality and performance. All Haflingers trace back to the half bred stallion El Bedavi XXII. Inbreeding produced a small, hardy, powerfully built pony suitable for the mountain regions. Haflingers were in great demand as farm and riding horses and as pack ponies. The breed is popular for its longevity and has been imported to a number of countries including Switzerland, Germany and the United States. In Austria stallions are owned by state studs in order to maintain the quality of the breed. Horses entered into the stud book receive the brand mark of an edelweiss, an alpine flower, which has a H placed at the centre.