I am so pleased to hear other Haffys are also quite verbal! Our boy, Zak, has such a variety of sounds that we tend to know exactly how he's feeling.
Zak did come up with a new one a few days ago - a hard Huff-Huff-Huff - as part of his self-appointed duties as Watch Pony. We had fuel oil delivery Wednesday. When the truck pulled to a stop in front of our property, Zak and his buddy (Seth, a Chincoteague Pony) came up to their fence at a full-attention trot. Zak stood, pressed into the fence, watching as the truck disappeared behind our home then reappeared as just the man, his hose & 'Daddy' (Paul, my husband) on the Pony side of our home.
Zak never took his eyes off of the delivery man. He stood at full attention, arched neck, slightly lifted tail, making that Huff-Huff-Huff sound, even lifting a foreleg & stamping once. Paul went to him, scratched his neck & told him what a wonderful boy he was. Zak relaxed ever so slightly - but maintained his position until the driver & truck were once again off our property. Then, with a snort, he went back to grazing.
Zak also does a perimeter patrol. Between 2 and 230 in the afternoon, he'll stop grazing, lift his head, and trot off to the nearest fence. At that time, he begins his patrol - trotting the fence line, with Seth in tow, at that lovely high-action Haflinger trot. He'll take 2 passes, and if all is clear, go back to grazing. Every day...
The antics of these two draw the attention of many. We've had multiple people stop on the rode, just to watch the boys. If we are out, the folks will sometimes come to us to talk about how just seeing the ponies playing is a highlight of their day. We've watched from our home as drivers will sometime venture out of their vehicle and approach the fence. Most of the time, the boys will come over on their own. People take pictures, some just talk to them (the boy look at them, with ears forward, as the people speak), some just watch them and seem refreshed when they return to their vehicles. Even the Country Club neighbors (our home was an active dairy farm until 20 years ago when most of the acreage was sold for a waa-dee-daa County Club) have changed their minds about having horses so close.
I am so pleased with the incredible personality of the Haflinger. Our Chincoteague was raised with them from 2 months of age. For a feral-born equine, the Haffy influence has really helped him adjust his attitude towards people in a very positive way. The best part - we do quite a bit of animal-supported volunteering and have been invited to bring the boys.
As Always,
Beth
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