Horses

The HAFLINGER of southern Austria, the AVELIGNESE is its Italian counterpart are both attractive "?cold blood"? ponies. They are considered cold blood even though they have strong eastern blood heritages both breeds being descended from the Arab foundation stallion, El Bedavi It is suggest their distant ancestors, the horses left behind by the East Goths in the Tyrolese valleys were also eastern influenced stock.

Haflinger
The Haflinger was developed Hafling, a village in the Etschlander Mountains, the principals stud is in Jenesien. Hafling was split of from Austgraia after the first worl war, so the breed management was moved to the Austrian Tyrol.? The breed is kept going with some outcrosses to the Hucul, Bosnian and Konik ponies, and to the smaller Noriker horses.

Appearance
Always palomino or chestnut in color, the Haflinger has a flaxen mane and tail. Height is 1.40 m (13.3 h)high, they are strongly built, have well-made limbs, good, sloping shoulders, and the very best of feet.? Back tends to be long, which is typical of pack horse bred ponies. They are extremely sound and have an an innate ability to work on steep mountain slopes while maintaining a long-striding, exceptionally free action.

The mountain climate has resulted in hardiness of the Hafliner - the rarified air develops the heart and lungs. The ponies are not worked till they are four and they are extremely longlived for an equine "?? some specimens still going strong at 40. They are docile, low croppers with a great ability to work under difficult mountain conditions.

They are primarily used as all purpose farm horses, in draught and under pack. More recently they have become popular as a driving and riding pony especially at altitude. ?There is a Haflinger stud in the UK, which was founded by the Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth, Derbyshire. A group of Haflingers were exported to the Indian Army studs for the purpose of breeding pack animals for use in the mountainous terrain of Jammu and Kashmir "?? they did not proposer as the breeding studs were on the much hotter plains, the Haflinger preferring the cold.

Avelignese
The Italian version of the Haflinger is the somewhat larger Avelignese, which measure up to 1.46 m (14.3 h)high. Genetically and physically similar to the Haflinger the two breeds have a common ancestor in El Bedavi. Bred in Bolzano and around Tuscany and Venetia, the Avelignese is used in a similar fashion as the Haflinger, in draught and under pack especially at altitude and in cold conditions where sparse feed is available.