We have an elderly retired mare on loan who used to be a dressage queen, given to us when her rider became too elderly and ill to look after her. My boy, a 16 year old gelding bought as a family pony as a two year old. My daughter's four year old who has just started working under the saddle, and my project mare, a 10 year old ex brood mare who will be backed this summer. They are all incredibly sweet, big hearted creatures but they are also strong willed on their likes and dislikes and love to see how far they can push things (like all natives!) so need firm, consistent but kind handling. It is a VERY bad idea to try and bully a highland - you get away with it right up until the moment when they have had enough and they put you through a wall! We have found all of ours to be intensely loyal and loving.
They are people ponies and bond strongly with their riders and handlers, to the point where they do not like being ridden by anyone else. They have never been nasty but there is a definite grumpiness and selective hearing if we try to ride each other's Highlands! They need to be negotiated with more than other breeds, but thrive on fuss and praise. We have started doing a lot more liberty work with them as they love the face to face contact and practically purr when told how good they are and given a treat when they get something right. They love us just spending time with them, even if it is just paddock chores, they will regularly stop grazing and wander over for a kiss and a face rub. They miss us if go away (not that we do it very often as we miss them too!).
And they grieve, terribly, if our older mare is typical of the breed. Her last owner was the only rider she had ever known and they had been together for years. Unfortunately, she developed dementia and died about a year later. When she knew her mind was going, she signed over ownership of the mare to another old friend, on the condition she would never be sold. Her friend (a mutual one) took her on, but quickly realised that with her own animals and her own health beginning to go downhill, she simply couldn't give the mare the time she needed and she desperately needed someone to bond with again. They even had to get her new tack as the mare became too distressed when her old tack was brought out as it smelled of her old rider. She was quite shut down when she arrived here but once she bonded with my daughter we saw the legendary dressage champion that she used to be. My daughter rode her and competed her for two years but we retired her last year as her arthritis has made her too fragile. She is field sound and loves bossing our tiny herd around and still loves to go for in-hand walks and see the sights.
All of them get winter off and are exactly the same as the last day they are ridden when you put a saddle on them again in the spring. I really do not know why Highlands are not more popular as they tick all the boxes for most riders. If you want a good looking, good doer that is cheap to keep, will turn a hoof to anything (they DO jump!), will kick up or down a gear depending on what mood you are in and who is sitting on their backs, and will be a true family pony when not competing, it has to be a Highland. If you have to work full time (like most horse owners!) and want an animal that will be a partner for life, not caring if you have to take a year out of riding because of work, having a baby, ill health or just life in general, then a Highland will do the job. I know other breeds can be like this as well, but Highland seem to be consistently like this. We have a peacemaker, a boss, a hysteric (by Highland standards!) and a timid, shy one but they all love with their whole hearts and would step in front of a car for their family.