Nate, Thunder, and Mike — three of the five Haflingers who've called Musicwoods Farm home over the years

April 2025  |  Farm Life  |  Horses

Bringing Haflingers Back to Musicwoods Farm

A search for a matched driving pair — and the return of a beloved tradition

Some traditions are worth reviving. Here at Musicwoods Farm — our 214-acre piece of the Berkshires, tucked against the edge of Greylock State Reservation — five wonderful Haflingers have come and gone over the years, each one woven into the fabric of what this place is. Now it's time to bring them back.

I'm searching for a matched pair of Haflingers, draft type, under 14 years old, sound, healthy, and broke to drive. Not a project pair, not a maybe — a pair that's ready to step into the traces and explore what we have here: open fields, miles of dirt roads, and direct trail access into one of the most beautiful state forests in New England.

"This place is a true horse paradise — and it's been waiting for the right pair to come home to it."

The farm offers everything a horse could want. Two grass paddocks, a small pasture, and a larger pasture currently being restored. The barn, built less than 20 years ago, has just been fully scrubbed from top to bottom — stalls resurfaced, everything freshened. An attached outside shed gives horses the freedom to come and go freely during the day into the paddock. We grow our own hay right here on the property.

My parents at the reins — carriage driving has always been part of life at Musicwoods Farm

There's a long Haflinger history here. That's Nate, Thunder, and Mike in the photos above — five wonderful Haflingers over the years were part of the farm's past, and I intend to continue that tradition. The fields and dirt roads they once traveled are still here, and the trails into Greylock State Reservation remain as beautiful as ever.

The equipment is already in place and ready to go — a Haflinger-sized Meadowbrook cart, an Amish-built Surrey, and a custom six-person wagon with both shafts and poles. Whoever arrives will have no shortage of ways to get out and explore.

My background with horses goes back to my teenage years — working and riding at some of the leading show jumping stables in the United States, through to co-owning a Thoroughbred who ran at Belmont and Saratoga, and the long, patient work of rehabilitating him afterward. Horses here get daily turnout, excellent shelter, homegrown hay, and experienced, thoughtful care. This is a forever-home search, not a stopgap.

If you know of a suitable pair looking for exactly this kind of place — where they'll be loved, well-cared for, and spend their days exploring beautiful New England trails and fields — please reach out. The fields are ready. The barn is ready. We're ready.

— William Drescher
Musicwoods Farm  ·  Lanesborough, MA  ·  musicwoods.farm