Team of Haflingers for Sale

[JMorrow]

In March, we acquired an older team of Haflingers (a mare and a gelding) through a DAPNet post, but after four months of working with them and after a lot of consultation with experienced teamsters, we have decided that they are not the right horses for us, as novice teamsters, or for our farm, which has a lot of public visitors and student workers.

So, we’re offering the team, harness, and other gear for sale. This includes:
-Lightly used nylon D-ring harness
-Lightly used biothane team lines
-New leather single lines
-Four new collar pads (two different types)
-Two lightly used nylon bridles
-One new biothane bridle
-New bits for both horses
-New full body fly nets
-One western saddle (missing girth) and saddle pads

The mare is a pure Haflinger, 16 years old, and stands 13.5 hands or so. The gelding is actually a Haflinger X Quarter Horse, 12 years old, 15 hands. They have been a paired together for quite a while and are very bonded to each other. They lead moderately well. I put them in tie stalls every morning and take them back out to pasture every night. The gelding can be a little pushy on the lead rope until he figures out that you’re in charge. Then he’ll follow along nicely. They both have excellent stall manners. They pick up their feet very easily. Speaking of their feet, they were just trimmed, and our farrier told us they are in excellent shape.

We have ground-driven them as a team and worked them as a team on a spring tooth harrow and stone boat. We worked the mare single on a walking cultivator (once — a little wild, but only cost us two or three potato plants in the end) and a few times on the spring tooth harrow. Mostly, I would say they’re out of shape and out of practice. They have spent the better part of the last couple seasons standing in a pasture. When we got them them, they needed their teeth floated and the gelding needed a wolf tooth extracted, but all that work has now been done.

They are easy keepers. When we got them, the snow was still on the ground here, but as soon as there was anything green poking through, they turned their noses up at hay. They have had only pasture since late April and appear to be in good shape. I give them each a handful of oats in the morning, mostly as a treat.

When we first started harnessing and driving them, I had to haul back on the lines to keep them going slow and steady, but that has gotten a little better. And on three or four occasions, after they had made a few rounds on the stone boat or spring tooth harrow, they settled in beautifully. I’d be walking along and could suddenly give my arms a rest and think, “This is how it’s supposed to feel!”

So the potential for them to be a good working team is definitely there. I was told they have experience logging, making hay, and cultivating. I just reached a point where I couldn’t trust them in the context of this farm. One time I was driving the mare on a harrow, and a guy came riding up on a mountain bike, a lost woman drove into the farm looking for directions, and a low-flying jet making its final approach into a nearby airport passed right over us — all at the same time! So it’s no wonder that she got a little jumpy. But to her credit, she stayed with me and settled back into the work. I also think they should be a full-time working team. And, frankly, we are only part-time teamsters.

Asking price is $1200 for team and harness. We have certainly invested more than that in the animals and their gear, but would like to see them go to the right home — which is with a confident, experienced teamster.

If interested, please call Jake at: Two 1 Five 9 six four 3 five zero 9.

[JMorrow]

Here are a few pics of the team.

Thanks,

Jake

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[JMorrow]

Team has been sold.

Thanks,

Jake

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