Haflingers &
Therapeutic Horsemanship By Darla Mangels
Haflingers are known to be one of the most versatile breeds of horses. They can be trained for farm work, hitch shows, pleasure driving, trail riding, jumping, competing in dressage, and even have been seen in rodeo events. I have found that besides being the perfect horse for all the disciplines listed above, Haflingers excel at being therapy horses. I first started volunteering at Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship (MVTH) in 2008. MVTH offers therapeutic riding to children and adults living with a wide range of disabilities. One of the first problems they told me about is that they did not have big enough horses to carry some of the potential riders on their waiting list. I informed them that the Haflinger horse is exactly what they need. They can carry as much weight as a draft horse, but they are shorter to the ground so that the side walkers (people helping support the rider) can still reach the rider and help when necessary. Since the Haflingers
26 Winter 2018 • Haflinger Horse
primarily have a docile and hardworking disposition, they are perfect for therapy work. I introduced MVTH to their first pair of Haflingers – 2 brothers that I had raised (Aladdin and Ace). They were only 7 and 8 years old at the time but I knew that they had the perfect disposition for this type of work. The first day that I took them to the therapy barn was just a day to see how they handle new things and what kind of disposition they had. Many of the instructors were worried that they were too young to be therapy horses – most of the other therapy horses were in their mid-teens or older. They had not been around many Haflingers or they would not have thought that their age could be a problem. Toys, such as balls, batons, and rings, are commonly used in lessons to engage the riders and work on their strength and coordination. I had never had any toys around them before, but they had been shown at draft horse fairs since they were born so had seen a lot. I still remember one of
