How lucky to have the very first horse you have ever ridden at age five be a Haflinger? Amy had that experience and later, when her family moved out to the country, she found a farm with a herd of Haflingers that rescued horses and gave lessons.
There was one three year old filly that tended to stay in the back, as far away from everyone as possible. After spending some time working off lessons and starting colts, Amy decided to give this filly a try. The filly was terrified of people and didn't even have a name. But by the fourth day of working with the filly, Amy had her picking up her feet and was able to touch her all over. Come Christmas, Amy's parents surprised her by getting her this filly that she has had ever since!
There was one three year old filly that tended to stay in the back, as far away from everyone as possible. After spending some time working off lessons and starting colts, Amy decided to give this filly a try. The filly was terrified of people and didn't even have a name. But by the fourth day of working with the filly, Amy had her picking up her feet and was able to touch her all over. Come Christmas, Amy's parents surprised her by getting her this filly that she has had ever since!
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| Amy and Mindy |
Haflinger: Locket BLH or Mindy
Sire and Dam: Max Factor FSH X Laramie, her great grandsire is Midas Touch and she dates back to Afghan (those are some well known Haflinger stallions)
Age: 11 year old mare
Height: A stout 13.2
Favorite Food: Granny Smith apples, which are also Amy's favorite!
Personality: She is a quirky mare who likes to pull stunts on Amy. If Amy goes in the paddock with a halter, Mindy will play Shyloh's favorite game, Catch Me If You Can, but without a halter, she will stand just fine. Mindy also likes to chase deer. She hates blankets and will lay in her poop right before shows.
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| Yup, hates blankets! |
Likes: Mindy loves the reining pen and Cross Country. She loves to gallop through the woods, fly over logs, and LOVES the water!
Discipline: Reining, but has also shown in shown in Western Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunter Over Fences, Showmanship, Halter, Horsemanship, and Trail. They also play around with Dressage and Cross Country.
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| Mindy |
The three most well known moves in reining are spins, sliding stops and rollbacks. Spins are usually fast and have the horse turning in either direction with the inside hoof planted in the same spot. Sliding stops have the horse using their hind legs to stop, but drags the front legs to elongate the stop. Rollbacks are a sliding stop, then pivoting to the outside and loping off in the other direction.
Awards: They show at open shows and have always placed high. They have placed second overall in HMS and 4th in Pleasure at their state fair.
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| Pretty mare! |
Mindy was broke by the Amish to drive and pulled wagons and machinery. When she first came to the farm, she was spooky, covered in muck, and skin and bones. She was severely neglected with rotted hair and super long hooves. Now that Amy has her, she struggles to keep her at a 5 on the Body Condition Scale and loves people.
Amy is working on becoming a professional reiner and reined cow horse trainer. She travels to work with professional trainers and horsemen to learn the ropes of the equestrian world and takes Mindy with her when she can. When Mindy can't travel with her, she is leased out as a lesson pony to teach kids. Mindy loves kids and has a "kid mode" where she takes it slow for anyone under 13. If an old person gets on and tries to boss her around, Mindy will give her a piece of her mind!
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| Leaping! |
Amy's goals are to take Mindy in the cutting pen and go to some American Haflinger Registry shows of they are in Ohio at the time. I am so glad that Amy and Mindy found each other!
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