Shady Grove Haflingers
and Miniature Driving Horses
About Us
At Shady Grove Haflingers, we take a down-to-earth and simple approach to the development of excellent horses. We always try to be very clear about our goals. We start by working hard to breed the finest quality Haflingers available. Our foundation is four terrific mares with excellent genetics and wonderful minds. We believe a horse's personality is everything. We know that a horse's mind is the result of both good genetics and proper training. So we focus equally on both. We pride ourselves in the training we give to our young horses. They start their training at birth and learn constantly. If you'd like to know more about how we train our foals, feel free to call us.
Our philosophy is simple. We work hard to provide an excellent horse for a fair price. We have no desire to sell the cheapest Haflinger on the market. Too many horses are raised as commodities and sold off at commodity prices. Our horses are bred to be special and trained to be special. We love these horses, and you will too.
Liam Ellingson
Kid and receptionist
Liam Ellingson
Kid and receptionist
Liam Ellingson
Kid and receptionist
Liam Ellingson
Kid/Phone Receptionist
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and Stall Cleaning
Liam is 11 years old and proudly serves as the farm's phone receptionist. Amigo and Velvet are his favorite horses and he likes riding his bike in addition to riding Amigo.
John is passionate about breeding and training haflingers. He enjoys taking pictures and video for the farm as well as speaking to other people interested in the breed.
Liam Ellingson
Kid and receptionist
Liam Ellingson
Kid and receptionist
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
Liam Ellingson
Kid and receptionist
Bill Ellingson
Grandpa/Baby
Trainer
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
Elinor Ellingson
Water Girl
Bill is a retired middle school science teacher and he's the backbone of the farm. His horse Cassie was the start of our breeding program and is the foundation of our farm.
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
Genna Ellingson
Marketing Specialist
Ella is 14 years old and in high school. Her favorite horses are Ranger, Flo, and Cheyenne. She hates getting dressed up for shows "more than anything that ever existed on this Earth," but she loves competing in them.
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
Toni Ellingson
Mom Exec. Coordinator
Genna is 18 years old and has a variety of jobs on the farm. She trains, completes paperwork, and does graphic design for the farm- including updating web design. She will be attending UIUC majoring in plant biotechnology this year.
Toni has no horse experience, but she's the mastermind behind the farm. She works as a nurse practitioner and likes to say that horses are basically humans with hooves- although obviously it's not that simple. She's the show mom who keeps everyone going on time.
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
John Ellingson
Dad and stall cleaning
Wendy Ellingson
Grandma/Catering
Wendy loves watching all six of her grandchildren and always supports them at any event they do. She is a pivotal force in keeping Bill and sometimes even John going in their jobs on the farm. She's our go-to seamstress and always has a snack ready for anyone who asks.