According to a legend the haflinger origins from the Burgundian horses that the emperor Ludwig IV gave to his son, the margrave Ludwig von Brandenburg at his wedding with Margarete "Maultausch". It has been discussed if this legend is true, as the Burgundian horses were described as big, heavy and with clumsy movements, whereas the haflinger was described as small, agile and with energetic movements.
As Napoleon occupied the area that today is northern Italy, he ordered all cold blood stallions out and new warmblood stallions in on the South Tyrolean stallion stations, to secure the supply of horses for the army. After the Napoleon era, the Austrian army was re-organized and the breeding of suitable horses for the army was promoted. The authorities saw to it that small arab stallions were used in the South Tyrolean breeding, to encourage the breeding of pack animals. In upper Vinschgau, where since the 16th century light wagon- and riding horses were being bred, this was really appreciated, and stallions such as El' Bedavi, Tajar, Dahibi, Dahoman and Gidran were frequently used for breeding. Also in the area around Bozen and Meran arab stallions were often used on the mares of konik- huzul- och bosnian breed that were available, whereas the breeders of the Sarntal were more reluctant, as they since a long time were breeding Norican horses, a coldblood horse, and put much emphasize on the colour - chestnut with flaxen blond mane and tail. Also in Eisacktal, Rienztal and Gadertal Norican mares were used in the haflinger breeding.
Not only the arab, but many different breeds have influenced the haflinger over time. Pedigrees and breeding certificates at the Austrian State Stud Stadl-Paura show that stallions of many different breeds were available for the haflinger breeders, for example Arab, Shagyaarab, English Thoroughbred, Belgian and various haflinger crosses. However, it's without any doubt the arab, and especially the El' Bedavis stallion line, that has had the greatest influence on the haflinger breed.
The Austrian stallion depot Stadl Paura in Upper Austria was founded in 1826 and was supposed to serve the alpine area. Later remount depots were founded in Ossiach in Carinthia and in Laas in South Tyrol. They became very important for the building up of the haflinger breed. The remount horses were raised and went through a military education of four years, after that they were lended to the mountain farmers of the South Tyrol, that in this way got access to working horses and at the same time the army had a great number of horses in the reserve.
1874 – FOLIE is born
The stallion 249 Folie, who was registered as an arabian halfbred, is conisdered the founding stallion of the haflinger breed. Folie was born in 1874 in the South Tyrolean village of Schluderns in Vinschgau at a farm owned by a farmer named Josef Folie, and was purchased as a weanling by the stallion keeper and breeder Rochus Eberhöfer. Folie was the son of an oriental halfbred stallion,133 El' Bedavi XXII and a noble south tyrolean indigenous mare of galician descent. Folie was a golden chestnut with a star, four white feet and a dorsal stripe. He was described as the ideal pack horse with the grace and noble of the arab, well muscled and with a nice sloping shoulder, strong top line, horizontal croup, strong and well defined joints and och ground-covering gaits. Folie had a wither's height of approximately 148 cm (58.3'') chest circumference 182 cm (71.7'') and canon bone circumference 20.5 cm (8.1'').
In 1875 the South Tyrolean horse stock was inspected and a black stallion with Norican pedigree was bought to the stallion depot Stadl Paura. He was regisered as 154 Eisack and with the breed name "Haflinger, mountain horse". Eisack was so the first registered haflinger stallion, but he has had no impact worth mentioning on the breed. In 1887 14 Folie I, a son of 249 Folie, was born. He too was registered as an arab halfbred. Ten years later, in 1897 a second inspection of the South Tyrolean horses was done, and 220 mares that were considered suitable for the breeding of pack horses were selected and were entried in a register. That same year 249 Folie's son liz. 252/233 Hafling was born, and the year after that, 1898, the haflinger was officially accepted as a breed. In 1904 in Mölten the first breeding organization for haflingers was founded. The breeding organization in Mölten issued pedigrees, whereas the stallion register and breeding certificates were issued in Stadl Paura. At this time there were still different colours within the haflinger breed: bay, black, dun and grey, but already at this time the chestnut colour with flaxen blond mane and tail was the most common of the colours.
374/271 Gampen, born in 1907 in Jenesien by 252/233 Hafling out of a haflinger mare. Foto: Privat
At the end of World War I, with the Treaty of Saint Germain år 1919 the Tyrol was divided. The southern part went to Italy and the northern part remained Austrian. This happened in the fall, when almost all haflinger stallions had been returned to the stallion depot in Stadl Paura. Most of the haflinger mares, however, remained in South Tyrol. So the breed was divided. Most of the stallions were to be found in Austria, whereas most of the mares were in Italy. Through trade and exchange the breeding could be continued both on the north and the south side of the border.
In Italy Dr. Pietro de Paoli worked hard to spread knowledge of the haflinger and to develop the breeding. He wrote numerous books and saw to it that a stud book was edited in 1931.
The Swedish edition of Dr. Pietro de Paolis Libro delle Origini della Razza Avelignese from 1931.
In Austria Equerry Rudolf Köhler and minister of agriculture Herrmann Haueis worked for the haflinger. In 1926 Dr. Karl Thurner started the work with a stud book wich was edited in 1937.
The Austrian haflinger breeding was built up by the breeding material present at the private stud farms that were established before World War I; in the Kuppelwieser stud in Lower Austria, Kalwang, Krupp, Cornides, Liechtensteinischen Gutsverwaltung, Hornberg and St. Michael in Styria, Weyer in Upper Austria, Blühnbach in Salzburg and Zams, Imst and Wildschönau in the Tyrol.
Especially to mention is without doubt Otto Schweisgut, who during 40 years (1945-1985) directed the North Tyrolean haflinger breeding, during 20 years (1965-1986) was the president of the Austrian haflinger breeders organization ARGE and during 25 years (1976-2000) was the president of the World Haflinger Federation. Otto Schweisgut has written many books on haflingers, among others the standard work Haflinger Pferde which has been edited in four editions and is translated into english (Haflinger Horses).
The english edition of Otto Schweisgut's book Haflinger Horses.
Already during the 1930's the first haflingers were imported to Germany. The first imports went to Bavaria, later the breed was spread to Westphalia and other areas such as Hesse, Baden-Württemberg och Rhineland. Today Germany is the country with most haflingers in the world. Also Swizerland started early with haflinger breeding, like Yugoslavia. Thereafter the breed was spread to the former GDR, to the U.S.A., Czechoslovakia, Holland, Turkey, France, Belgium and The Pony country - Great Britain.
In Asia the haflinger is popular as a working and pack horse, and is used to improve and strengthen the local breeds. In 1968 the first haflingers were imported to Bhutande in the Himalayas and in India the haflinger is used in the mountain troops. During the years 1970-1975 also Denmark, Luxemburg, Thailand, Australia, Brazil and Namibia started haflinger breeding, like Canada, Ireland and Sweden. The haflinger is today being bred ad used in over 40 countries on all continents.
(c) Kerstin Dreborg 2015
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