Haflinger horse in Hafling-Vöran-Meran 2000

Origin of the Haflinger horse breed: the robust and gentle mountain horses from South Tyrol

The Haflinger horse – shortly called Haflinger - with its blond mane is one of over 200 existing horse breeds. For over a hundred years it has shaped the lives of the inhabitants of the Tschögglberg, the high plateau between Merano and Bolzano, and is still part of the traditions and customs of the holiday region of Hafling-Vöran-Merano 2000. Due to its friendly character, it even regularly appears among the top 10 most popular horse breeds.

Origin of the name and the breed
There is much speculation about the origin of the name "Haflinger". As Merano developed into a spa town in the second half of the 19th century and tourism flourished, the noblemen noticed this graceful horse, which the Haflinger farmers led up the mule tracks heavily laden.
The origin of the Haflinger, however, is not in Hafling, but in the village of Schluderns in the Upper Vinschgau. There the foal 249 FOLIE was born in 1874 at the stud of the breeder Josef Folie. It descends from the oriental stallion 133 El Bedavi XXII and a Galician country mare. All seven bloodline founders of today's Haflinger breed go back to this stallion.

In the second half of the 19th century, the Haflinger horse received its name, which it owes to the village of Hafling. A decree of the imperial and royal finally approved the breed name Haflinger in 1898. As this happened not too long ago, the Haflinger horse is considered a rather young breed.

Character and use of a Haflinger horse
Due to its extremely undemanding, robust and sure-footed nature, it was once universally used as a pack animal in the mountains. In the meantime, the tasks of a Haflinger have changed. The friendly and reliable animal is now an essential part of many families and can live up to 40 years. With a height of 140-155 cm, the Haflinger incidentally belongs to the ponies and is considered a perfect "beginner's horse" not only because of its character but also because of its size. But the Haflinger also shows true qualities in jumping, dressage or western riding. In Hafling and Vöran, the Haflinger horse is particularly popular for carriage rides and horseback rides.

Haflinger breeding and propagation
Today it is the responsibility of the South Tyrolean Haflinger Breeders' Association and the Haflinger World Breeders' and Sports Association to advance the breeding and promotion of the Haflinger. Thus, the Haflinger horse is enjoying increasing popularity all over the world. Some even claim that there are about 250,000 horses worldwide; in South Tyrol there are about 3000.

Naming of the Haflinger
Starting from Foly 249, 7 bloodlines were created, which are marked with the initial letters A, B, M, N, S, St, W. The colts take on the name of the Haflinger. The colts always take the first letter of their sire. The fillies, on the other hand, have been named according to the year of birth since 1977, whereby the Italian alphabet is used: in 2016, the initial letter was "Z"; in 2017, they started again with "A".

Tip: From the middle of May, farmers traditionally bring their cattle to the alpine pastures - first the cattle, then one or two weeks later the horses. The animals spend their summer holidays there until the end of September, feeding on fresh grass and juicy herbs and enjoying the healthy mountain air - side by side with the hikers, some of whom are already on their way to the summit at an early hour to enjoy the unique mountain panorama in the light of the rising sun.
They particularly like to be found around the Kirchsteiger Alm, in the skiing and hiking area of Merano 2000, or near the Stoarnen Mandln in Vöran.

Year in, year out, you can also visit them in the local riding stables.

Riding stables & carriage services

Riding stable Sulfner

The riding stable Sulfner offers courses for beginners, children's tours, individual or group lessons in the sand track for beginners and advenced students or ...

T +39 366 6514449

reitstall@sulfner.com

www.sulfner.com

Horse Riding School

The Horse riding school Vöran is located between Vöran/Verano and Mölten/Meltina and has a wide range to offer passionate equestrians: > Riding instruction for ...

T +39 366 5203036

reitschulevoeran@gmail.com

Carriage Rides Riding stable Sulfner

Carriage Rides in Hafling with the Haflinger horses. Carriage rides in summer every Tuesday and Saturday afternoon. In winter, carriage rides on request from ...

T +39 366 6514449

reitstall@sulfner.com