>>> seems to me that your basic farmer would have an easier time supporting one equine useful for ploughing, carting, and riding, than one extra just for riding.
Has that scenario existed in Western Europe in the last 50-60 years? In the USA, I think it generally died with my grandfather's generation. My horse-loving grandfather stubbornly refused to buy a tractor, and insisted on using a horse to plow until he couldn't farm any more. His last horse died about 1960, I think. My grandfather was born in 1875, and died at 93 in 1968. My other grandfather used mules for plowing, but bought his tractor in the 1930's or 1940's I think. He lived from 1883-1962. Haflingers almost were killed out during WWII (I'm fairly sure of that) and had to be consciously cultivated to renew the breed. If Austrian farming history is anything like USA farming history, I would doubt by that time the small farmer owning 1 - maybe 2 - horses would have time to study the rebuilding of a breed. If you are looking at modern day popularity of the Haflinger breed, I'd think you'd need to assume that since WWII, they have primarily been used by people who use horses for leisure pursuits. Karen Thomas, NC -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.20/736 - Release Date: 3/27/2007 4:38 PM "The greatest enemy of the truth very often is not the lie- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." ~ Arthur Schopenhauer [] The video every Icelandic Horse owner should have: http://IceHorses.net/video.html [] Lee Ziegler http://leeziegler.com [] Liz Graves http://lizgraves.com [] Lee's Book Easy Gaited Horses http://tinyurl.com/7vyjo [] IceHorses Map http://www.frappr.com/IceHorses [] IceHorses ToolBar http://iceryder.ourtoolbar.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
