In 2019, my boyfriend and I took a combined freedom camping/road trip summer vacation in Northern Italy. Though both of us are fairly seasoned travelers, it was our first time orchestrating a trip together. With each passing day, this trip begins to hold a more special place in my memories archive. I’ve written before about how, for whatever reason, Italy has always held a special place of interest on my list of countries to visit. Naturally, the ache to be able to return and experience it again has only gotten stronger now that it’s unclear when that will be able to happen.
In lieu of being unable to travel back there in the foreseeable future, today I’m sharing one of the most serendipitous travel moments of my life: encountering a herd of gorgeous Haflinger horses (and their foals!) while hiking through the mountains of South Tyrol.
The name of the nearby town was “Hafling.”
The name was interesting for a couple of reasons. Namely, I wondered how an Italian town came to be called Hafling, (which sounds decidedly not Italian), and also at the apparent connection to the horse breed. (Like many women, I experienced alternating bouts of horse fever and puppy fever as a child, a combination that resulted in an enduring, encyclopedic knowledge of many, many breeds. While my parents weathered the accompanying pleas for pets [the final count was: two cats, one dog, and many horseback riding lessons], my fascination with horses never really faded.)
The South Tyrolean village, Hafling, dates back to medieval times.
Today, South Tyrol is Italian, but its cultural identity has been shaped by Italian and Austrian forces over time due to its proximity to the modern-day border and the accompanying history. A consistent aspect of life in Hafling, however, was the locals’ need for steady, nimble-footed steeds capable of serving as a means of transport and pack horse.
The Haflinger breed came to be when a single foal was produced as a result of crossing an Arabian stallion with a native Tyrolean mare. The resulting foal, named 249 Folie (which, interestingly, translates to “madness” in French), became the breed’s single foundation stallion. This means that the bloodlines of all Haflingers today can be traced back to this single stallion!
Today, in order to officially register a Haflinger, its owner must be able to provide documentation tracing the foal’s lineage back to 249 Folie.
The resulting care and attention to maintaining the breed has produced an exceptionally even-tempered, reliable, and willing animal that is well-adapted to a variety of disciplines. Its trademark palomino coloring is also endemic to the breed, making it an easily-identifiable relic of South Tyrolean history whether seen galloping at a distance or getting up close and personal.
The best surprises truly are the ones you don’t see coming. At this point in our hike, we were about five or six miles in, and quite tired. (My boyfriend might even say I was getting cranky.) Fortunately, it was absolutely impossible to be anything other than enchanted by these animals.
If you enjoyed this piece on Italy, be sure to check out my other pieces here!
