American Haflinger Alliance

AHA! welcomes participation in our programs by all Haflingers that meet the breed standard for appearance, including chestnut coat with cream mane and tail. We do not require the Haflingers to be registered but they must visibly appear to be Haflingers. Like fine art, you know a Haflinger when you see it! Cross-bred or part-bred Haflingers that do not meet the breed standards for appearance are not included in our programs at this time, but we welcome all interested parties to explore our site and learn more about Haflingers.

Some notes:
-some programs may not ‘translate’ easily to other countries, such as show ratings to accumulate Golden Horse points, and may need to be considered on an individual basis.
-AHA! will hold and mail any charms or other awards that international members earn in one shipment each January for the previous year.
-International members are responsible for all shipping charges for Haflinger Swag Shop purchases.

Have any other questions? Just email us!

In creating AHA!’s logo, we considered endless ideas and zillions of representations of Haflingers (we had lots of CovidTime) but nothing was quite right. Then, Michelle stumbled on a fun little caricature of a horse and we all just loved her (Sassy is clearly a mare!) We couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but she was just so charming and spirited and… Sassy!

Sassy doesn’t represent any particular horse; she is Everyhorse. And like our real-life horses, Sassy has many moods- she can be formal and fancy, or neighing and naughty! She even changes colors and patterns to express herself! You’ll find Sassy playing throughout our website, and in our Haflinger Swag Shop too.

Members must agree to follow these Barn Rules in and out of American Haflinger Alliance settings. The spirit of AHA! is to promote inclusivity, encouragement, education and fun at all times.

Failure of members to follow the Barn Rules may result is a loss of membership and forfeiture of all membership benefits and any dues paid

Then enter your name or email address and click on “Reset password.” You will receive a link to create a new password via email.

Note: we still sometimes refer to Haflingers as ponies as a term of endearment. We also know several 18 hand “ponies” to which this applies!

The foundation of the Haflinger breed begins with the stallion Folie, who was sired by a half-Arabian stallion and out of a refined mountain mare of warmblood type. Large cold blooded horses were not present in the region at the time, and would not have suited the small farms or narrow paths of the Alps.

It was shortly after WWII ended that Tempel Smith imported the first Haflingers into the US, and his were of the shorter and draftier variety that were available then. For many years, these horses and their offspring were the only Haflingers in the US, and so the image of Haflingers as a draft pony became what was known in the US.

Meanwhile, Austria and Italy made a concentrated effort to return the Haflinger breed to its original type and size. Many years later when new Haflingers were imported into the US, they didn’t look much like the Haflingers Tempel Smith had imported, bred, or sold throughout the country. They were, however, much closer to the original Haflinger type.

Because the WWII packhorse was the first Haflinger present in the US, many people not familiar with the breed’s history mistakenly believed that was the original or more correct type, and continued to breed and show that body style. Many others began to follow the World Haflinger Federation’s standard and breed for a lighter and taller horse.

Although there is only one true breed standard, there’s still a Haflinger available to suit all style preferences, and all are equally charming and loveable!

(If two palominos were bred, their offspring could be chestnut, palomino or cremello, and the breed would not be so identifiable!)

Stallions who earn this rating spent the first years of their life grazing on the mountains in all weather, and then prepare for and complete the difficult stallion selection procedure – a 30 day performance test for 3 and 4 year old stallions.

Example:
Sassy turned 19 on February 2, 2021. Since she was still 18 on January 1, she’s eligible for AHA! Junior Membership. If she joined AHA! on March 1, she’ll turn 20 before her membership expires on February 28, 2022, and that’s okay!

Contests are awarded quarterly, and your submission will automatically be entered for the quarter during which it was uploaded.

The weekly Facebook Photo Fun contests and the Monthly Motivations are both FREE with your AHA! Membership.

Our Quarterly Quests present a unique challenge for goals and accountability, and have a $25 registration fee per quest.

Learn more about all of our challenges here!

The Monthly Motivation challenges each have their own charm for everyone who successfully completes four check-ins, so hang with us each month and collect them all!

Those who conquer a Quarterly Quest will receive custom stall medallion token. Earn all the medallions in any one year to discover their interlocking SUPER MEDALLION surprise!

Monthly Motivation challenges don’t require any registration, but we do ask for one check-in per week on the Charming Challenge Check-In board on the Haflinger Connection Forum. At the end of the month when you’ve successfully completed your Charming Challenge, just head on over to the Swag Shop to submit your charm request!

Quarterly Quests require registration and weekly check-ins, but we’ll monitor your participation and send your medallion automatically upon completion!

All charms are sent free to members when they’re earned. However, in the event of one of the above disasters, replacements are available for $5 each. Please email us to request a replacement!

Please note: because charms can only be earned and may not be purchased, if we don’t have a previous charm request on record for you, we may not be able to provide a replacement.

Exhibitors may compete in one division; no cross entering allowed. Those eligible for multiple divisions may choose in which division they would like to compete. Declarations must be made at the time of enrollment and may not be changed once points have been earned.

View the point calculations here

Yes! Online and virtual shows (including the AHA! International Haflinger Celebration) count for half the points of the in-person equivalent event. View the point calculations here

Show results may be submitted at any time, but must be submitted no later than January 31st following the award year. Exhibitors must be an AHA member and enrolled the Golden Horse program at the time points are earned.

You must be a member and enrolled in Haffie Hours at the time hours are earned (note to the early-birds: 2021 hours begin tracking with our official launch on March 1!). You may submit hours at any time throughout the year and charms will be mailed within two weeks of receipt of any milestone hours reached. The official award year runs from January 1st through December 31st. If you’d like your milestones to be included in the year-end list of recognitions, please submit all hours by January 31 of the following year