My problem with this scenario is not that silver and gold classified Haflingers aren't being promoted. It's the idea of breeding more crossbred foals in a down market without a sound basis for producing them. This probably makes me one of the dreaded elitists but I find that type of crapshoot mentality when making breeding decisions to be pretty irresponsible.
Karen Harper
Florida
--- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, "Suzy Moren" <critterkeeper1@...> wrote:
>
> Wow..... here come the elitists again...... I'm sorry, but it's in really poor taste to attack Jennifer just because she's not raising/showing/training Silver or Gold rated Hafys..... Obviously you and some other Pro's on this list think us little people should just shut up and go away.... frankly, I'm beginning to think that's a good idea.... time for the list to split AGAIN.....
>
> I was at the Equifest and the Equine Affaire, and trust me, Jennifer and her little "grade" Hafy wow'd the spectators and as she said, sent lots of folks to the breed exhibit for more info on Hafys. So our Hafy's don't meet your standards..... so we don't have mega bucks to participate in Classifications and travel for breed shows.... but we love our horses as much as you do yours! And for your edification, there are a lot more people like us, with limited budgets and a lot of love for the breed, than there are the "top of the line" show breeders and buyers. So, you Pro show folks are thinking about throwing in the towel because you can't make money, not too many buyers out there with $10,0000 and up to spend on your highly papered and promoted horses, well suck it up.
>
> Not to detract from the other exhibitors at the Equine Affaire, lovely rigs, lovely horses, very showy, and lots of dollars...... BUT, did you hear the cheers and applause for little Rosie the "grade" mare (which I don't consider her to be, based on the reason why she's not papered)...... during the Extreme Cowboy Race and/or the breed demo? She was a real trooper and a class act. I have a lot more admiration for Jennifer and her accomplishments on a shoe string budget, with no professional trainers assistance, than I do for those privileged folks with big budgets. Seriously, I love Jen and Victoria and their horses are beautiful, but it takes a lot of determination to do what Jennifer has done with very limited funds.
>
>
> Other breeds seem to make room for folks with less than show perfect halter horses, but again and again here on this list, I hear this snobby elitist attitude. You know what? Keep your fancy "modern" Hafy's that look like little Arabs with no legs, hit the show rings, sell for big bucks, and go ahead and look down your noses at the rest of us, we really don't care. For us, we like our less than perfect Hafy's.... we love their temperaments and their devotion and their "try". We'll keep riding trails and on the beach. and in the mountains. We'll go to local "little shows" and make folks aware of our golden ponies. We'll keep buying those Hafy's you consider "rejects" for reasonable prices and we will make them part of our family and raise our kids on them, and treasure them just as much as you do your "bragging rights" fancy show stock. Isn't it funny..... your all crying that you can't sell your fancy horses, but we have no trouble selling our well broke sweet little Hafys that you look down your nose at.....
>
> Not to say that I encourage breeding poor quality stock.... I wouldn't do that.... but these horses that you obviously reject still have their place in this world and we love them!
>
> Suzy Moren, So CA..... (and BTW.... my Hafy is a registered gelding, former competition show horse, bought through an ad at the Haflinger web site.... and I could care less about his papers..... what I love is his attitude, his dependability, his trustworthiness, his affection and his desire to be my companion and best friend. For that, he doesn't need a Silver or Gold Classification)
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: kiolak
> To: haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 8:42 PM
> Subject: [haflingerfriends] Re: Haflinger Breeders???
>
>
>
> I'm sorry... but I can't believe that the people who know the whole story here are not saying anything. I have had it, and I have to speak out.
>
> Jennifer - you say you are promoting the breed. I say you are promoting yourself as a pretty good trainer. I will not disagree that you have done a nice job with Rosie. The thing is, you are not promoting the Haflinger breed. She is a unregistered, grade horse. You have nothing at all to prove that she is purebred.
>
> You would like to say you are promoting the Haflinger breed, but really by using Rosie you are telling folks that a grade horse is what they are after. You are not supporting the hardworking Haflinger breeders who dedicate themselves to inproving the breed and researching bloodlines and going through I&C by doing that. Being a responsible Haflinger breeder takes a lot of time and let's face it - money! That is why purebred Haflingers cost more.
>
> You are encouraging people by your example to simply go out and buy a horse that is labled a Haflinger. Why should papers matter? Look how wonderful Rosie is. In today's economy, a bargain is a bargain and a lot of people are looking for it even with horses. The unpapered horses are usually cheaper.
>
> ALSO, and this is a biggie... let's talk about WHAT breed of horse you really are breeding for!! Let's see... you own a Gypsy/Haflinger stud stallion as well as a Haflinger stallion. You are planning on breeding both of your registered Haflinger mares and your grade Haflinger mare to a Gypsy stallion. Sounds like you like into making feathered spotted crosses. Hmm... last I heard that was a pretty trendy breed.
>
> Oh, and by the way... one of those home raised foals that you sold so easily this year was actually not sold at all but raffled off right?
>
> Would you like to dispute any of the things I just said? I would appreciate it if you would please tell the truth to the people here. And DON'T tell me your brother has been writing things in your name again. No one's going to buy it this time.
>
> ~Kiola~
>
> --- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, "wapirose" <riatafaline@> wrote:
> >
> > I think as long as you not only have good quality haflingers/horses in general that are good BROKE horses the market will come back and people are still looking for good safe broke horses.
> >
> > As for who will breed haflingers, what about people like me, who discovered the haflinger 6 years ago with little Rosie, who now wants to promote them and get them known in my area? I now have a stallion and three mares, nothing big but it is a start. there are always young up and coming breeders, just like with anything. There will never NOT be breeders for any breed. We all love certian horses and will do what we can to promote them :)
> >
> > I am not worried about it at all. People see what I do with my horses and go "OMG I want one!" I easily sold 2 foals that I raised as people were impressed more with how they were trained for babies over their lineage. Get a GOOD horse, you won't want to get rid of it. For the most part anyways. Markets always go up and down, why worry about it when it is down when you really can't fix it, but just have to ride it out? I'll be breeding my three mares this year. Can't wait to see what those foals look like next year!!
> >
> > Just my 2 cents.
> >
> > Jennifer in cali
> > --- In haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com, "Rich-Lin" <rich-lin@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Jackie,'
> > > How is snowy Ohio??
> > > I think that most of us so called breeders, who use to have at least one stallion and many foals, and sold them at good prices, can NO longer still do that. with the prices sooo very low right now, unless a person is rich, they just can't afford to keep 25 or more, as we use to do.
> > > I have seen this coming for some time, and we are now down to just 4 geldings and one mare.
> > > All of my customers just want a family-type reliable, sound riding/driving horse. AT a reasonable price. No ones ever comes by to purchase a foal, and does not care about any special breeding of a stallion or mare.
> > > I just recently sold 2 mares at an extremely LOW price, when years ago, I have sold up to 30 haflingers per year... How times have changed.
> > > I think people are finally realizing this sad truth.
> > > Linda
> > > Rich-Lin Farm Haflingers NH
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: haflingerhorse@
> > > To: haflingerfriends@yahoogroups.com
> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 5:30 PM
> > > Subject: [haflingerfriends] Haflinger Breeders???
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Hey everyone. In the past three days I have heard of two Haflinger breeders (they owned four or more mares) who are done with the Haflinger breed. One is completely finished, and the other is keeping a couple Haflingers but has purchased friesans. Even our farm, having 9 broodmares, and 6 foals last year, are now down to two foals coming and just two broodmares, we have sold or given away the others. Considering that only around 600 Haflinger foals were registered last year, as compared to at some points 2000 a year, it is to me, getting a bit scary. There aren't to many Haflinger breeders left only a handful that I know of who are still breeding. What is this breed to do? Do you think with the resulting 'shortage' of Haflingers that will be coming in the next 2-3 years, the prices will go back up? Or, are you afraid (as I am) that the breeders are getting out, but the backyard breeders will continue and the quality of the breed will suffer?
> > > I pose this as a discussion only, I am not surprised with these breeders getting out, as we have drastically cut back from our highest number of Haflingers at 38, down to 10 Haflingers total. I am just a bit worried as to if the breeders are leaving, where it will leave our beloved Haflinger, and in who's hands?
> > >
> > > Jacque in Ohio
> > > Woodward Performance Haflingers
> > > www.hfbhaflingers.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
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