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Haflinger mules
Posted by rosie at 2006-11-09 12:56:11
Does anyone have one? Any pics or insight?
Response by Vince Mautino at 2006-11-10 13:22:53
I have two that I have bred and raised. They are 5 & 6, half sisters. I bred to get a team, but they have matured taller than I wanted, so they are mostly saddle mules, doing some packing too, but have been introduced to harness. The one is out of a more drafty type jack and is very stocky; the other is a little more refined. The mare was 13 hds and these two mules are a hair over 14. I have seen quite a few other Haflinger mules and they all seem to finish out about this height. Disposition is excellent, but it may very well depend on the mare that is used. One is more timid than the other and both have had identical treatment

Darn sure good mules, but as the saying goes, you never know exactly what kind of mule you will end up with until they are 7 yrs old or so.

What do you have in mind for use. I know where there is at least one good halflinger saddle mule.
Response by Buggy at 2006-11-11 09:31:25
Just starting to see mules out of Haflinger mares around here and this is sure enough mule country. What I have seen look good, but not enough of them or time to form a opinion. Guess is they will do fine.

Sold a set of harness a while back to a guy with Haflinger x Percheron cross. Talk about a team that was built--couple of little brick outhouses, nice.
Response by Vince Mautino. at 2006-11-11 14:56:54
Back about 8 years ago Haflingers were in vogue. Prices were high. Any good one would run $2-$3k, even at a sale ring. Kinda like Fjords, no one wanted to waste time breeding good mules out of them when everyone wanted the Haflinger. I looked all over and couldn't find any, so I bought a Haflinger mare and bred my own. (Of course, I bought when the price was high, and then had trouble selling her for 1/2 the money.) Nowdays, a lot more folks are breeding mules out of them. More folks understand that good mules come from good mares and good jacks, not trash stock.
Response by Vince Mautino at 2006-11-11 16:27:21
Sad to say, but like anything that becomes so popular, folks try to make it better and mess it up. Too many Haflinger breeders are trying to get more height out of them. 14 H and over. They end up with nothing more than stocky horses, rather than a nice size stocky, tough draft pony. About the same as when everyone wanted taller heavy breeds, instead of the short legged workers.
Response by Buggy at 2006-11-12 09:21:32
Once again Vince is 100%. Good mares + good jacks = good mules. People are busy modifying the Haflinger, more leg, going from 'draft' to 'hitchy', just like the other breeds. Any good harness shop will tell you there is no such thing as a Haflinger size harness. They are all over the board. Currently some 25-33% of everything going out of here is for Haflingers. Just a few years ago most folks around here never heard of them. Bet the next craze will be Fjords, with Freisen close behind; starting to see more activity on both.
Response by Rosie at 2006-11-14 09:20:48
I have the chance to get a yearling in the spring. I really like the Haflinger, but like so many have said, they are breeding more sport-type ponies. I want the shorter, stocky, draft type. I don't want a 15 hh pony!

I was wondering about the size, what they finished at. 14 hh is great height. I'm not in any hurry to ride (well I am, but I can wait!), so I can wait the 3-4 years or so to ride! I want to get him well started & let him grow.

Thanks everyone!
Response by Hammerhead at 2006-11-21 10:12:16
Vince, what was the height of the jacks you used on your mare? Were they standards?
ed
Response by dustyrider at 2008-09-12 13:34:56
I have a 5 year old halflinger john mule that stands 13.2. He is broke to ride, drive, and pack. I really like this breed. I have had him in the ruff stuff and he has stayed right up with the other gaited mules that I have rode with in a fast walk. He is stout and very easy going. I think you will like your halflinger mules.
Response by Ben at 2008-11-09 19:59:59
I have a matched pair of haflinger mules one is a molly and the oher is a john. One is a yearling and the other is 6 mos. They are pretty and are going to be nice! They are for sale at a reasonable price.
Response by phil formel at 2009-03-10 22:27:23
ben would like to see those mules phone address please
Response by Meagan at 2009-07-21 22:29:50
I was wondering what size harness i should get for a draft style haflinger pony. Will a cob pony harness work????

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