Carter and Jill Pugh have owned their farm in Irwin, Mo., for 45 years and have been raising Haflinger horses for 25 years.
Their Haflinger teams can be seen pulling carts, covered wagons or carriages at various fairs and public events across Missouri.
Carter has spent his life around horses.
“I have owned a pony ever since I was 3 months old,” he said. “We have two granddaughters and each one of the granddaughters has a great-granddaughter out of that old pony. We still have that bloodline.”
The Pughs own 27 horses, 16 mules and three donkeys. The majority of these horses and mules were raised on the farm, except their stallion, three mares, a gelding and a jack.
“We really enjoy them. We used to raise 15 to 20 colts a year. When the horse prices went down, we cut back. This year we had three horse colts and five mule colts,” Carter said.
The size and docility is what attracted the Pughs to the Haflinger breed. They prefer their Haflingers to look like draft horses.
“We like the old-fashioned Haflinger breed, which is more short and stocky. Now a lot of them are getting taller and thinner and it is just a different breed,” Jill remarked.
The breed originated in Austria and is a cross between an Arabian stallion and a Tyrolean mountain pony.
“The Haflingers are really well-mannered horses and very surefooted,” Jill said.
“They used them during the war to haul equipment and ammo across the mountains,” Carter added.
The Pughs started their show career when they began raising Haflingers. They show the horses and mules at the Missouri State Fair, Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, Mo., SEMO District Fair in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and the Bates County Fair in Butler, Mo. Jill and Carter exhibit their teams in the driving classes and have taken as many as 25 horses to a show. Last year they only took 15 horses.
Their friends and family lend a helping hand at shows, especially their daughter Stacy Pugh-Towe, her husband Monty, and their daughters, Ophelia and Michelle.
Jill and Carter each have their own team of horses. They drive with either a team of two or four horses, depending on the type of wagon used.
Jill and Carter are competitive in the cart and wagon classes. They use a single horse in the cart classes but in the team classes they will hitch either a team of two or four horses to their show wagon.
“Last year at the Ozark Empire Fair, Carter got first in the cart class. This was a big deal for us. I showed in the ladies cart class and won second. It was tough competition,” Jill said.
The Pughs also participate in the farm class and the obstacle course.
“Last year at the Ozark Empire Fair, I won first and he took second on the obstacle course,” Jill shared.
The Pugh Haflingers are extensively used in public events, which is why their size and temperament are important. Carter and Jill have two teams they use for parades, wagon rides, weddings, prom, funerals and even a wedding proposal.
They enjoy taking their team of four, and their authentic wooden-wheeled covered wagon to the Prairie Jubilee at Prairie State Park in Mindenmines, Mo., and join other covered wagons in a journey across the prairie.
“Out of the 18 miles, probably 5 or 6 miles were on roads. The rest were on people’s fields and prairies. It was neat seeing all the wagons going across the prairie,” Carter said.
They also give wagon rides at the George Washington Carver Monument near Diamond, Mo., every year.
Carter’s philosophy for selling horses is simple. He prefers to be open and upfront about the horses with his customers.
“Word of mouth is important to me. If I sell you a bad horse and it’s not right, then everyone knows it. If I sell you a good horse, then people will come back and buy again.”
