hump day haflinger series #28

Emma Kane started riding 9 years ago at a Saddle Seat barn. After two years at that barn, she moved to her current barn where she rode western for a few years and joined a kids drill team. Emma share-boarded a few QH's and QH crosses for two years until she bought her Friesian gelding Exaclibur. Sadly, after 11 months, he had to be put down due to an old injury. Exaclibur was put down in the morning and that night she met DaVinci. Emma fell in love with him at first sight. 

Until Emma was looking for a horse after my Friesian, she had never even heard of Haflingers. She needed a versatile horse for everything she likes to do, and she really wanted a draft cross/ Warmblood. But problem with the horses over 15.2hh is that Emma is pretty short and cannot reach the ground when vaulting. And vaulting is necessary to be on the trick riding team. She found the that the Haflinger breed was exactly was she wanted and needed.

Emma and DaVinci

Haflinger: Nice and Big LVH or DaVinci.

Sire and Dam: sire is Noble One DCF. He also has Afgan III NTF, All American Afgan NTF, Nabucco, and Nobleman TOF in his bloodlines

Age: 11 year old gelding

Height: 15.2 hh

Favorite Food: DaVinci doesn't really have only one favorite food, he loves all food, even his dewormer! But if he had to choose, Peeps would be his favorite. 

Personality: DaVinci has an extremely outgoing personality. He loves attention and poses for pictures. At parades and shows he thinks everyone is cheering for him! Even though he is mister cute and fluffy he does still have a big attitude. It took a long time to explain to him that just because he doesn't feel like it right now doesn't mean he can throw a temper tantrum. 

Likes: Jumping! He truly loves to jump, if DaVince is turned loose in an arena with jumps set up, he will first trot it both directions to warm up and then go and canter it both directions! By himself! 

Quirks: When he hobbled, DaVinci never touches the hobbles, he just hops! There have been numerous times when he has been hobbled on the grass and all of a sudden he's cantering across the barn.

Discipline: Eventing, Dressage, Jumping, Drill Team, Trick Riding, Vaulting, Western Pleasure, English Pleasure, Trail, Speed, 4H and any other discipline or game that Emma wants to try. Eventing is DaVinci's favorite discipline, he loves cross country. DaVinci and Emma also enjoy 4H shows where they show in pleasure and speed classes. DaVinci loves speed patterns such as barrel racing and pole bending. 

The Midwest Renegade Dare Devils take drill team to a new level when they added trick riding into drill team. Trick riding is the only event deemed too dangerous for rodeo. They perform tricks such as vaulting in and out of the saddle, sitting backwards, hanging upside down, standing, etc. while staying in the synchronized drill maneuvers. 

The majority of the time when they ride they work on collection, stretching, bending, transitions, etc. When working on trick riding, they spend a lot of time working on staying straight and at a steady gait while they are in a trick. Since we do tricks while in drill, it is extremely important all the horses track the line or circle that they are set on. 

This year, Emma is working on the AHR Performance Award. They will be attending the AHR National show this year, which has been one of her goals, and hopefully they will do well there. She would love to bring home a few blues! In eventing, Emma is hoping to take DaVinci though training level. We wish Emma and DaVinci the very best in all that they do!

Emma and DaVinci also had a article written on them in Young Riders Magazine.