Haflingers keep the Woodward family busy

COSHOCTON – A day at Woodward Performance Haflingers usually starts with Jacque’s husband Mike doing the morning feeding and watering while she gets the kids ready for school.

“By 20 after eight, I’m with the horses and they are on the bus waving good bye,” Jacque said.

Stalls are then cleaned and horses are trained.

“We train five days a week when the horses are in full time training,” Jacque said. “We will train them twice a day with groundwork in the morning and riding or driving in the afternoon. The sessions are kept short because we feel that helps us have happier horses.”

The horses also are groomed twice a day.

Jacque usually breaks for lunch around 12:30 or 1 p.m., then checks her messages and networks with clients. If she has to, she will make a trip to town for supplies. By 4 p.m. the boys, Johnathan, who is 12-years-old, and Ty, who is 7-years-old, are home and Mike has returned from work.

“I’ll ride, but I won’t drive by myself so Mike and I work on that,” Jacque said.

The boys do their chores and then everyone has dinner.

“I often have something thrown in the crock-pot and we sit down together for a meal, which is real important to us,” Jacque said. “After supper it’s back out to the barn to finish up whatever needs to be done.”

You have to be flexible though, especially during foaling and breeding season.

“We have cameras in the stalls to watch them foal and have stayed up all night watching,” Jacque said. “I think one of the things we like about this (the business) is that you never know what’s going to happen. You just have to roll with it.”

Mike’s family has more than 40 years of experience with Haflingers and has one of the original registries for the breed in the United States. At Woodward Performance Haflingers the horses are trained for riding and driving. They sell to clients and show horses for them and will give lessons and clinics and judge events. They also breed Haflingers and are known nationally and internationally.

“We’ve gone to Austria where the world show is every five years and we’ve had clients from California, Canada and Florida,” Jacque said. “Two of the fillies here will be leaving for Texas.”

She added that when show season gets in full swing this summer they will be on the go all the time.

Before shows, the horses going to compete are washed and clipped, supplies are packed and the Woodwards also wash their vehicles.

“This weekend I’m taking two fillies to their first riding show for experience,” Jacque said.

In addition to being in the midst of foaling, preparing for a show, and raising a family, Jacque also is nursing back to health a horse she sold to a client seven years ago.

“She is 83-years-old and still riding, but called because her horse suffered an eye injury,” Jacque said.

The former client did the best she could with her horse, but wasn’t able to get the eye to heal. Jacque took the horse to her vet who discovered the eye had ruptured. She was told the horse could be put down or the eye removed. Jacque opted for the surgery and the 11-year-old horse is now on the mend.

“I know someday I’m going to be that 83 year old lady still riding and hope someone will help me if I need it,” she said.

For more on the family Haflinger business, visit hfbhaflingers.com. If you come out for a visit though be prepared to meet more than just the horses. Johnathan raises Narragansett Turkeys and Ty has Call Ducks. There also are some cows, chickens, rabbits, cats and dogs that call the property home.

Read more about farming in our community in Down on the Farm!

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