Tips for Purchasing Your First Haflinger Horse.
(Updated-May 2008)
For more information about buying driving horses see: Driving Horses.
You’re ready to purchase your
first Haflinger Horse. You’ve made the right decision. You’ve seen the
beautiful pictures of flowing white manes and tails. You’ve heard numerous
testimonials of proud owners bragging about the incredible personalities of
these loving horses. You also know about the Haflinger’s incredible
versatility.
But what do you really need
to know to make that Haflinger purchase?
Now, you could use some advice for
buying your horse. Here are some things you need to think about before making
your purchase.
- How tall does your horse need to be?
Traditional sized Haflingers are
found at 54 to 57 inches. This is a wonderful size especially for smaller women and
children to ride and you can usually find bargains for horses of this size.
Today, Haflingers in the 58 to 60 inch range tend to command a higher price among breeders. They are a good
riding choice for larger men and women. The taller horses can have a
higher resale in today’s market, but I find many family's and grandparents prefer the smaller ones. Taller ones are more commonly used for pleasure
riding and sport horses. Both sizes make
wonderful driving horses. If you plan to breed your mare, one strategy might be
to get better quality in a smaller size. You can always breed bigger while
trying to keep the quality.
Additional note: For some pony shows and combined driving events, there are height cut-offs at 54, 56,
and 58 inches. This helps maintain a demand for these heights. There still tends to
be a greater demand for the taller horses, but there are not any hard, fast rules.
- Do you need a registered Haflinger?
If you’re not planning to breed your horse, you really don’t need a registered one. But, if you can’t commit to keeping this horse for the next 30 years, you might be reselling it at some point. Resale will be higher for a registered horse. Over the past five years, supply has largely caught up with demand for Haflingers in the U.S. Actually, prices have fallen in recent years to the point where good, quality, registered Haflingers are a bargain. I would not recommend purchasing a grade in this market, unless the quality was fantastic. Update- while prices are not rising significantly, I believe breeders have cut back. The market is correcting, and we continue to see a very strong demand for well trained Haflingers.
- Do you want a mare, or a gelding, or a stallion?
If this is your first horse, you don’t want a stallion. Mares and geldings are both fine choices. Some people prefer geldings because they think mares are too moody. This has not been my experience. My mares are sweethearts. They tend to be low key, where geldings seem to have more playful energy. Note on stallions: I’ve seen people successfully turn young retired stallions into great riding geldings. Because these are often well bred horses, it is possible to find bargains this way, but this strategy is too risky for the novice.
- Do you want pleasure style, or draft style?
Today’s Haflinger breeders often divide the breed into these two categories. The pleasure horse is more refined, bred for riding or sport. The draft type should be heavily muscled and primarily used for work or pulling of hitch wagons. Breeders of both styles appreciate the Haflinger's versatility, so both types are often ridden and driven. You should understand that often the lines between the two are not very clear. Some individual horses can be very heavily muscled and they definitely look drafty. Some pleasure horses are very refined and they would make lousy draft horses. But a good many Haflingers fall right in the middle. The only thing that matters to them is how your dress them up and take them to the show. This is part of the breed’s versatility. Pick whichever style suits you and your needs.
- Will you be trail riding, competing in dressage, driving, jumping, pulling, or barrel racing?
The Haflinger breed is very versatile, so name your pleasure. But, you do need to think about the possibilities ahead of time, so you choose the right horse.
- Do you need a horse that is family safe, well broke, green broke, or can you train it yourself?
Haflingers are a relatively easy horse to train due to their calm nature. But in today’s busy world, many Haflingers have little or no training. You need to be honest with yourself. If you have little horse experience, you should probably start with at least a well broke horse. But you will need to be careful assessing a horse's training level. Many sellers will advertise, “been in parades.” You need to further investigate claims of this nature, as I’ve witnessed many idiots riding and driving green-broke horses in parades. Another thing to remember is just because you saw a picture of someone riding the horse, that doesn't mean it rides well. If the picture was of a child, it doesn't mean your kid can ride the horse. Be careful. Be sure to get a lot of details and some help if you need it.
- Do you want an imported Haflinger?
Haflingers originated in Austria. The Austrians breed many wonderful haflingers and have a terrific system for breeding and selecting top individuals within the breed. Many of our best horses in the U.S. were imported from Austria. We also import terrific horses from Holland, Germany, Canada, and Great Britain. Some sellers will use the “imported” label like a brand name. It can have a positive influence on resale value. But, we also breed many fabulous Haflingers in the U.S. If you live in the U.S., you will probably find it easier to keep track of the top stallions in this country as well as the top breeding programs. This can be a big help for you when selecting a quality horse. It is fairly expensive to import a horse, so we might assume that no one would import a low quality horse. This is only an assumption, find out more about the quality of the horse.
- Do you need a great pedigree?
Pedigree starts with the stallion (or stud, sire, father). You should be able to find out some basic information on your horse’s sire. What farm did he come from? Did he sire any notable offspring? Did he win in the showring? Did his parents win in the showring? What was his breeding fee? Most stallions will be out of sires with some degree of fame. (This is a simple, but very important point- Let’s review- The father of your horse’s father [paternal grandsire] should be a terrific horse. In most cases, he should be famous within the breed.) Your horse’s sire should also be out of a quality dam (mother), but you may have trouble finding out much information about the dam. You may find out about her sire, her show winnings, classification score, breeder, or importer. Occasionally, people will also advertise the sale price of a mare. All of these things may be clues as to the quality of the mare. But, they really only amount to clues and may not tell the whole story. Try to find someone you trust with knowledge of the breed, and search through a breed magazine to find breeding programs you respect. These may be your best guides when trying to figure out a pedigree. (Also remember, Haflinger horses often have a two to four letter suffix at the end of their name. This will indicate the breeder. When you stick with horses from highly respected breeders, you’ll usually be doing OK. Its not difficult to figure out who the top breeders are by asking around, searching the internet, or checking a breed magazine. I don't want to offend any Haflinger breeders, so I won't give you my personal list of top breeders here,but if you call me, I'm sure I can help you find an excellent breeder in your part of the country.)
- Do you need terrific type (conformation)?
The bad news is: It takes years to
become skilled in judging conformation. You’re probably not great at it. The
good news is: Horse connoisseurs are just as snooty as wine connoisseurs. You
may not be as unskilled as you think. We live in a society where we are
bombarded from birth with thousands of pictures of beautiful horses. Most of
these horses got their picture taken because they have pretty good
conformation. Therefore, your brain probably has a pretty good idea of what a
good horse looks like. Get some help from a friend with horse experience, get
some books, get whatever you need. Also, pay very close attention to the legs
and feet. You don't want an unsound horse. (As the buyer, you’re the one that really has to think your horse is
pretty. Get as many other opinions as needed to make yourself comfortable.)
Tip-Several Universities have online guides which can help you get started judging horse
conformation. Spend some time reviewing these.
- How much should you pay?
Tough question. Let’s start by
looking at recent auction prices as a guide. Last year, you could find quality
weanlings, out of good sires, from good breeding programs starting at about
$400. Of course, you would have to raise them and train them. A few of the
very top Haflingers sell for $20,000 or more but few fetch that at auction. Most horses
are somewhere in the middle. $2,500 - $3,000 would have bought you a quality
gelding. Many good mares sold for $2,500 - $5,000. Auction prices will give you a rough idea of the market. But,
private sale prices are generally a little higher. This is for two reasons.
Sellers are scared to put their very favorite horse in an auction where she
might go cheap. And auctions have more of a “buyer beware” atmosphere, so there
is more risk. If you go to a reputable breeder to buy a horse privately, and
week later, you decide you hate the horse, you may be able return it. Of
course, you should not assume anything. Always talk to the seller before the
purchase about what will happen if you are unhappy with the horse. A week is
usually a very fair trial period but you should agree on a trial period before
the purchase.
Don’t expect to bring the horse back in a year. When the sale is over a long
distance and trucking is expensive, these types of trials are trickier. Be sure
you and the buyer have an understanding. Conclusion- expect to pay more for a
private sale. Maybe up to 50% more, as a very rough estimate.
A couple more tips on Haflinger prices: The most common request from people looking
to purchase a Haflinger is for a "safe Haflinger my kids can ride." The demand for
horses that meet this criteria exceeds the supply, so these horses will fetch a premium
price. As a rough guide, I usually tell these people to expect to pay about $3500. I know
some people get lucky and find this type of horse online and in newspapers for $1000-$1500.
If you can only spend in this lower price range, I encourage you to be patient and careful. Many
horses which are listed as riding horses have not been ridden in years. Be sure to ask your
seller who rode the horse, when, and with what frequency. Get very detailed specifics. For $3500
and a little luck, you should be able to find a trustworthy horse which has really been ridden safely. It
may or may not get you a purebred, a pedigree, or great style (conformation).These things
may add to the $3500 starting price. Many reputable breeders will start pricing their horses at $5000.
Also know that most U.S. Haflingers live in a belt between New York and Iowa. The
further you live from this region, the more you may have to pay for a horse. Example: if you live in California you
may need to add $1000 for transportation or buy in the local market which will be pricier. Good luck,and do your
homework.
- What do you want for color, facial marks, etc.?
Haflingers come in a wide variety of chestnut colors. They can be found in near brown, and dark copper tones all the way to near palomino. The color is your choice. Their manes and tails should always be very light to white. Facial markings such as stars, snips, and blazes are also your choice. You will find that many people in America have recently preferred the blaze on the face. These things may affect resale value, but it always depends on the buyer’s preference. There are things that are undesirable, such as black hairs in the mane and other odd markings. These undesirable colors will reduce the value of a horse. If you are not planning to breed or show, and a few black hairs in the mane do not bother you. You may find yourself a nice bargain.
