Gentleness                                                    reproduced in part with permission from HappyHaflingers.com and author Haley Madden

Haflingers, by and large, are tolerant horses.   However, there are a few things to keep in mind about the Haflinger’s sweet temperament.  First and foremost, they are still horses.  I expect that all horses have the potential to kick, buck, run away, bite or rear; they’re horses and they’re unpredictable. The Haflinger’s kind temperaments are not excuses for poor horsemanship. Even the calmest, quietest of horses should be treated in a workmanlike way with proper respect to safety.  A good way to sour a kind Haflinger is to abuse his tolerance by treating him like a dog, a jungle gym, or a machine.  The Haflinger’s tolerant manner should also be remembered when thinking about responses to pain. Some Haflingers are very stoic about their reactions to pain and will not show much of a reaction to pain or a painful situation. This can be helpful to think about with veterinary issues. 

The Haflinger’s kind nature can also be mistakenly used as a substitute for bad or rushed training. While Haflingers might be very easygoing about new experiences or pieces of training, his training should still involve a great deal of repetition to ensure the horse is comfortable with new experiences and fully understands what’s being asked. For example, a Haflinger might go in the trailer nicely initially because his kind temperament pushes him to go where his owner asks him to go, but he may not really understand what it means to go into any trailer at any time. Therefore, it’s important to work with your Haflinger to ensure he actually understands what you’re asking of him.