I have an adorable Haflinger who is the most friendly girl ever.  This is my first Haffie and I'm wondering a couple things about the breed in general.  I had an acquaintence tell me that she will never be soft and supple because she is not built that way.  However, she is built very uphill.  The girl told me that because she has a short neck that she is not cut out for being soft and suppler.  She's great to ride, but does go forward like a freight train.  However, does not even come close to getting into frame and/or collecting.  She will stop on a dime and go when slightly asked.  She would rather not canter.  She is built more like the older driving style Haffies, not the more modern type that are more lean muscled.  I have a short video of her under saddle that may give a better idea of what I'm talking about.  Will post that a little later.

Any input or experience with this?

Edited to add video.  Child was filming this, so we had to do it in the round pen, and she is obviously not a skilled cameraman!

http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b211/hh5131/?action=view&current=BrittMomJan2012-1.mp4

 Softness and suppleness will come with training.  She's probably not born with it the way, say, a Dutch Warmblood might be, but she can certainly learn it.  Yes, a short neck CAN make it harder for the horse to be supple and round, but it is a matter of conditioning and training and it just take a little longer when you have conformation working against you.  I read an article recently where a trainer said it takes about a year to put a correct topline (muscling) on a horse and I have found that to be about right as well.  I also suspect that your goal is not Grand Prix dressage, so work with a good trainer who doesn't have a breed prejudice and you can have as much fun as you want with her!

I agree that she wasn't born with the natural elasticity and suppleness of a warmblood, but she can still be soft and supple.  That will come with time, proper training, conditioning and patience.  Horses built with a short neck, thick throat latch and a short back have more of a challenge getting there but they can do it.

Here's an article that Dr. Thomas Ritter did for Dressage Today back in August of 2008.  If I had the issue with me at work I would scan it in for you, but here's the article without pictures.  There are some great exercises to help get you started.  I had one of my biggest light bulb moments in my learning after reading this:

http://www.artisticdressage.com/articles/flexions.html

Right now I would concentrate on forward and riding her in a training level contact, not asking for a frame and doing most of your work in trot, walk/trot and trot/walk transistions.  Focusing more on the quality than quantity of the transistions.  If she was bred to trot than it would be understandable that she would have trouble cantering until she's stronger and more balanced. 

It's hard to tell from the video but are you riding her in a mechanical hackamore?  I would put her in a nice mild oval mouth loose ring snaffle.  Something that does not use poll pressure.  If you want her to learn to accept the contact doing it in a loose ring will help her understand. Right now she's nice a forward and you want to keep that.  The loose ring is great for horses that have a tendency to lock up in the jaw and the poll. 

What are your plans for her?  She's a cute little stinker :)

Boyle, thanks for your words of encouragement.  Actually I am riding her in a combination bridle - hackamore style noseband with shanks and a twist snaffle along with a curb chain and rubber bit guards.  Sounded harsh to me, but here is why - when I bought her about 6 months ago, the lady showed me an old calcification in the cheek of her mouth just behind where the bit sits.  She recommended I continue using the hackamore on her as she had during the past 3 yrs of being with her.  I've never ridden with a hackamore, but brought it home with us anyway.  I rode her in my Myler 3-piece snaffle as I prefer, but she did not respect that too much.  It was like trying to steer a freight train, especially when she would stick her shoulder out and brace against the bit, etc.  She has 2 difficult spots out in the field - one is when turning away from the barn and the other one is turning toward the barn.  Everywhere else she is fairly light and nice.  So, I had a trainer come out and do an evaluation on her.  She recommended I use a Martha Josey million dollar bit with her, as she had a horse with very similar problems and it worked well for her.  So, I had to try it.  Sure enough, it was a nice handle and no more struggling at those 2 turns.  I do not give much contact with her mouth, just very light.  In fact, when we tried that bit combo on her, the trainer said I need to give a little more contact instead of loose reins.  Yes, she is forward at the trot and would trot all day for me if asked.  However, she is slow at the canter and sometimes the walk as well.  She does a nice walk and doesn't poke her nose out too much at the walk, and is easy to get a little bend with very light contact.  But absolutely not at the trot.  I tried to work a little with her this a.m. with the Myler snaffle only, on the ground and a little bareback quickly.  She doesn't move away from pressure well either.  I'll take a look at that article you suggested.  Thx for that!

 

Sounds to me like she just needs training.  Those suppling exercises should help her alot.  I'll try to remember to bring that copy of DT with me to work tomorrow so that I can scan the article in and send it to you because the pictures really help translate what he's saying even though he explains it very well.  Once she learns to flex her jaw and flex at the poll I'm positive you will be able to ride her in a snaffle.  I'm not for covering up a training issue with a stronger bit.  That combination you are using uses a lot more poll pressure than a standard curb bit because not only does it have shanks, it's got a curb chain and a nose band.  You should be getting the flex you want from the horse flexing at the poll and in the jaw, not because her nose is being forced down but because she's being ridden into a soft supple contact. 

If you need the control when you're hacking out that's fine, but when you're working her in the round pen I would have her in a snaffle.   

I just wanted to add that it sounds like she's had some pretty rough handed riding in the past and she may have a hard mouth.  She can still be soft and responsive, it's just going to take time and patience.

I agree with BHK, completely. Every horse can work well in a simple snaffle. If they don't, it's just a matter of more training, like BHK said. Once you've put in the needed time and effort to make her soft in a snaffle, you'll wonder why you ever used anything else. Your mare will be happier, too, I can guarantee it.

looking forward to those illustrations - that will help after reading it.

Send me your email so I can send you the pdf after I get it scanned in :)

I have the article with illustrations saved in pdf form for anyone else who wants it. It's an excellent article. Just send me a pm with your email :) I also have an article by Hilda Gurney called "Good Hands"