I have a 15 year old morgan. Have had him for a year now. He’s a pretty good horse overall. Had to do quite a bit of ground work with him when I first got him. The previous owner allowed him to get away with ALOT!! And so he still tests me quite often.
Previous owner got him as a 2 year old. She did alot of trail on him and did alot of training with an endurance friend. Just found out about a month ago, she would never let him lead but just stick him behind the endurance horse and trot and train for a few hours during their rides. So I’m assuming she was just a passenger on him.
I don’t ride as a passenger. I want him to go where I want him to go. So, it’s been interesting.
When he sees a horse on another trail that is high energy or trotting, cantering etc., he goes kind of bezerk. Wants to go!!! I always ride with my husband. I don’t ride alone anymore.
So, I try different things to get his attention back on ME. Usually turns into a battle of sorts. Yesterday, I just disengaged his hind quarters and put him in a circle and offered him a good deal after doing a few circles. He didn’t want the good deal, so I circled him some more. By then, the trotting horse was gone and he was ok. We went down the trail but he was still high strung for a ways. So… any ideas on how to control my beast when he sees other horses trotting?? He’s fine when we pass other horses that are calm and walking.
My husband’s horse just stands there and waits for mine to get his brain back. She’s pretty quiet on the trail.
Welcome to the world of high energy Morgans! I have one at the barn myself. One thing that I’ve done that seems to help, is that I do arena riding when the h/j folks are warming up. I’ll make her stand still in the middle of the arena while they rush by us. Sometimes I make her face them; other times I will turn her so she can’t see them. I will trot behind them when they are cantering and walk behind them when they are trotting. I will use the inside lane to go the opposite direction.
So long story short, re-create the situation that your Morgan is struggling with in a safe environment using baby steps to desensitize him.
I had no idea morgans were high energy before I got him!! I’ve always ridden Arabs since I did endurance riding. I quit doing the endurance and just wanted to go down the trail but I still love to have a horse move out and trot. A friend of a friend was selling her morgan since she can’t ride anymore. I heard bits and pieces about morgans like they are a good overall steed. Can pull wagons, work a farm, go trail riding. Riding him is like a little bit watered down Arab. He doesn’t spook like my Arabs did. My husband still rides Arabs and his horse can SPOOK!! I don’t miss that at all. i don’ t have access around here with people using arenas much. I take lessons every now and then in an arena but it’s a quiet place for the most part. I live in an area that is made for endurance riders. So they are all out on the trails. Right now I don’t go out on weekends because it’s SO MUCH all around us. He used to have a problem just with walking horses on the trail. He’s fine with that now.
The trainer has tried to get him amped up in the arena so I can work with him with confidence. He’s a dead head in the arena!! I don’t think the trainer believes me when I tell her – this is NOT him on the trail!!
I’ve just been working on getting him to know that I can shut down that rear end! He’s never bolted. He has bucked when frustrated on the trail. Not hard but I disengage him and work him in a circle and he stops
Riding my Morgan is such a stressful tense situation and causes me so much anxiety I shake and on a few occasions have cried. I am choked up on the reins, off balanced and every little thing is a “OMG did he kick? Buck, what was that” moment and I am nearly on his neck.
He has reared on me once when a large cow with the largest horns I have seen charged us. He didn’t bolt, or anything and looking back I probably caused the rearing by not letting him see what was charging him. Once he got on the ground he saw what it was and did a wonderful sidepass further into the corn field and continued to walk away. He has never done anything else.
He hates the arena, its a kick fest to get him to move any faster then a walk. (Me kicking him) He will trot a few steps and go back to walking. On the trail he could trot for days, though I just can’t seem to let him. Now my mare, I can trot on her all day long. Nice, relaxed, fast, extended, We can trot and trot all over, no troubles, no problems. Both are great horses and have had wonderful training but for reason I just can’t bring myself to rid my gelding. Just thinking about stresses me out!
mine has made me cry and I have also been a basket case on him. My fear comes from past accidents on horses that I’m having a hard time shaking off. Once our ride gets going, it’s usually all good. But I totally relate the thinking of “OMG, what was that, was that a buck, a kick, what is he thinking now??” If I get too bad, i get off and either jog or walk it out. Then get back on once I have calmed down. He is a wonderful trotter when he wants to be and when he’s relaxed, I can just go along in a nice loose rein. Lately I have been talking to myself so that I’m super relaxed if he starts to tense up. And it works most of the time. I just never know what he’s going to do.
When my boy saw a cow and we NEVER see cows, he tossed his head and started to get super amped. I GOT OFF!! Walked him thru the area.
What do you think the major difference is between your gelding and mare?? You totally trust your mare but why?
And our geldings are EXACTLY alike in the arena!!! I have to do the same thing, kick, kick, kick to trot. I get a workout just to keep him going and he doesn’t even break a sweat. I don’t ever ride in an arena - only when I go for a lesson. My lessons are for my confidence building. But it’s always different on the trail. He’s high energy, more alert etc… I had him crow hop in the arena and my instructor said, “MOVE him forward!!” I did and she said, “see, you just called his bluff and he did as you asked!” Yeah but… I cannot do that on the trail!!! UGH - makes me so mad!! I used to be the most confident rider ever! And now I’m this whimp. I keep hoping my confidence will come back in time.
Take a lesson with your trainer out on the trail. She can either trailer a horse to your house or use your husband’s horse.
More training is the key. You said he used to get amped up seeing other horses at the walk and now is fine. The same thing will happen with the trot and lope with more training.
Do you have a trailer? Signing up for some trail or obstacle course clinics will expose you both to new things as a team but in a controlled environment.
Is your horse scared of cows? Mine goes guano crazy around cows! I plan on taking him to a Western barn for some cow lessons this summer.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Morgans… They are great horses but not for everyone!
More training and more exposure will help, as will anything you can do to keep yourself calm. (On really bad days, I’ve gone as far as to take an Ativan…) The fact that he doesn’t freak out at horses just out walking, and he used to, is a sign that more exposure is what he needs.
My mare left me in tears many times in the first couple of years. She is opinionated, smart, and dominant, which makes her a challenge, but also makes me feel very safe on her. If she absolutely refuses to do something, there’s a pretty good chance it’s not safe for either of us. We take care of each other out there.
She’s also a “herd mare” and wants to keep track of All The Horses, and have them all be in the same place if possible. Horses cantering away from her will trigger a meltdown. At a judged trail ride last November, she spent the entire thing amped up because the setting had big open fields, and she could see other groups of horses over there… and over there, and OMG over there, and… Essentially, she wants to please, so even though she could have been a wreck, she kept her brains in her head.
I take her places. As much as I can. We trailer out 1-2 times a week, weather allowing, trail ride as much as possible (up to 3 times a week depending on the season), etc. The more I do this, the better she is.
I like her so much that I just bought another Morgan, a now 6 week old filly.
The trainer I’m seeing next week won’t do trail rides. The trainer that was so good re-showing me ground work does. She took him out on the trail and of course he was fine with her. A confident rider makes All the difference.
I would like to go for a ride with her when she has the time. And me the cash!
[QUOTE=quietann;7535667]
Welcome to the wonderful world of Morgans… They are great horses but not for everyone!
More training and more exposure will help, as will anything you can do to keep yourself calm. (On really bad days, I’ve gone as far as to take an Ativan…) The fact that he doesn’t freak out at horses just out walking, and he used to, is a sign that more exposure is what he needs.
My mare left me in tears many times in the first couple of years. She is opinionated, smart, and dominant, which makes her a challenge, but also makes me feel very safe on her. If she absolutely refuses to do something, there’s a pretty good chance it’s not safe for either of us. We take care of each other out there.
She’s also a “herd mare” and wants to keep track of All The Horses, and have them all be in the same place if possible. Horses cantering away from her will trigger a meltdown. At a judged trail ride last November, she spent the entire thing amped up because the setting had big open fields, and she could see other groups of horses over there… and over there, and OMG over there, and… Essentially, she wants to please, so even though she could have been a wreck, she kept her brains in her head.
I take her places. As much as I can. We trailer out 1-2 times a week, weather allowing, trail ride as much as possible (up to 3 times a week depending on the season), etc. The more I do this, the better she is.
I like her so much that I just bought another Morgan, a now 6 week old filly.[/QUOTE]
And if I’m feeling less than confident, I take a valium 
Drugs to ride - OMG…
I agree - more wet saddle pads. He was also layed off for 2 years. The lady I bought him from had a really bad illness so didn’t ride any of her horses for 2 years. I guess she still has issues so she thought he might be too much for her. So she wanted to place him with someone who would RIDE him.
Congrats on your new filly Are your Morgans from the old lines like maybe Lippet?
[QUOTE=morgan01;7535723]
And if I’m feeling less than confident, I take a valium Drugs to ride - OMG…
I agree - more wet saddle pads. He was also layed off for 2 years. The lady I bought him from had a really bad illness so didn’t ride any of her horses for 2 years. I guess she still has issues so she thought he might be too much for her. So she wanted to place him with someone who would RIDE him.
Congrats on your new filly Are your Morgans from the old lines like maybe Lippet?[/QUOTE]
Here are pedigree links for mine:
Mythic Feronia. She is mostly old breeding – Brunk, Working Western, Old Vermont, a bit of Lippitt. Her hotness probably comes from Kingston, who was one hot ticket by all reports. He was the double-grandsire of F’s grand-dam Casland Julie, who was a park harness champion. Parade and Broadwall Drum Major were the Morgans that Alois Podhajsky, of Lipizzaner fame, added to his tour of the US.
MtnTop FlyWithMeJosephine is the new filly. She is from some very traditional working lines. The Whippoorwill horses were bred by her breeder’s great-aunt and were all-around versatile Morgans. Spring Lake is the breeder’s mother’s farm. The WAR prefix horses are working ranch horses from the Warner Angus Ranch, which has been breeding Morgans since the 1950s. One of the really nice things about meeting J and her breeder is that I got to meet a lot of J’s relatives – both parents, both grand-dams, a full sister, various half siblings etc. and you can just see how they are “stamped.” Her photo albums:
April – meeting her for the first time
Oh, just for fun, an amusing slideshow of Feronia at a dressage schooling show. It was her first show “off the farm” in 2 1/2 years,and I couldn’t braid her mane because she would. not. stand. still.
They certainly can be very high energy horses who do well with a LOT of riding. There is a 23 YO Morgan mare where I board Feronia who is the definition of “go!”, and until December when he was put down, a Morgan gelding in his 30s who was a very hot ticket even at that age, but an absolute love. Feronia OTOH can be a bit lazy!
[QUOTE=quietann;7535771]
Here are pedigree links for mine:
Mythic Feronia. She is mostly old breeding – Brunk, Working Western, Old Vermont, a bit of Lippitt. Her hotness probably comes from Kingston, who was one hot ticket by all reports. He was the double-grandsire of F’s grand-dam Casland Julie, who was a park harness champion. Parade and Broadwall Drum Major were the Morgans that Alois Podhajsky, of Lipizzaner fame, added to his tour of the US.
MtnTop FlyWithMeJosephine is the new filly. She is from some very traditional working lines. The Whippoorwill horses were bred by her breeder’s great-aunt and were all-around versatile Morgans. Spring Lake is the breeder’s mother’s farm. The WAR prefix horses are working ranch horses from the Warner Angus Ranch, which has been breeding Morgans since the 1950s. One of the really nice things about meeting J and her breeder is that I got to meet a lot of J’s relatives – both parents, both grand-dams, a full sister, various half siblings etc. and you can just see how they are “stamped.” Her photo albums:
April – meeting her for the first time
Oh, just for fun, an amusing slideshow of Feronia at a dressage schooling show. It was her first show “off the farm” in 2 1/2 years,and I couldn’t braid her mane because she would. not. stand. still.
They certainly can be very high energy horses who do well with a LOT of riding. There is a 23 YO Morgan mare where I board Feronia who is the definition of “go!”, and until December when he was put down, a Morgan gelding in his 30s who was a very hot ticket even at that age, but an absolute love. Feronia OTOH can be a bit lazy![/QUOTE]
OMG… she’s adorable!! I bet you’re really excited. Can you tell by my boy’s pedigree how is put together in the head?? I’m new to morgans.
on top: Cameo’s Atari Marvelous Ideal below Ideal is Summer Serenade. Then over is Jericho, Moro Hill’s Royrita
On the bottom is: Rosemont Megan Otterbein Lucas Moro/ Rosemont Capadonna
further over is Rohan Ethan Moro and Cap’s Nugget
Just to name a few names anyway.
He comes from Baymount Morgans in northern Cal.
[QUOTE=morgan01;7535570]
mine has made me cry and I have also been a basket case on him. My fear comes from past accidents on horses that I’m having a hard time shaking off. Once our ride gets going, it’s usually all good. But I totally relate the thinking of “OMG, what was that, was that a buck, a kick, what is he thinking now??” If I get too bad, i get off and either jog or walk it out. Then get back on once I have calmed down. He is a wonderful trotter when he wants to be and when he’s relaxed, I can just go along in a nice loose rein. Lately I have been talking to myself so that I’m super relaxed if he starts to tense up. And it works most of the time. I just never know what he’s going to do.
When my boy saw a cow and we NEVER see cows, he tossed his head and started to get super amped. I GOT OFF!! Walked him thru the area.
What do you think the major difference is between your gelding and mare?? You totally trust your mare but why?
And our geldings are EXACTLY alike in the arena!!! I have to do the same thing, kick, kick, kick to trot. I get a workout just to keep him going and he doesn’t even break a sweat. I don’t ever ride in an arena - only when I go for a lesson. My lessons are for my confidence building. But it’s always different on the trail. He’s high energy, more alert etc… I had him crow hop in the arena and my instructor said, “MOVE him forward!!” I did and she said, “see, you just called his bluff and he did as you asked!” Yeah but… I cannot do that on the trail!!! UGH - makes me so mad!! I used to be the most confident rider ever! And now I’m this whimp. I keep hoping my confidence will come back in time.[/QUOTE]
I don’t really know what the difference is… I have been racking my brain wondering what it is about. Shes a tiny bit reactive too…On our last lesson I rode with a whip for the first time and it flicked against the arena wall and she did this “OMG” scoot and it was over. I did it a few times and she didn’t flick an ear. She did dump me once too when a friend handed me a box of candy and it rattled in her ear, she went one way, I went the other. I got back on and never had a problem, not overly nervous getting on her, or even when she gets that pissy pony attitude. She is a very forward mover but I enjoy riding that, we are training for jumping and dressage.
Myst is a bold mover and hardly anything spooks him. I have had other people ride him and they love him. He does everything you ask without complaint (well much anyways). For Halloween we went in FULL ON Arabian Costume surrounded by so much fluttering, jingling stuff including a HUGE Millennium Falcon and a Wookie, a carriage and a mermaid and he never blinked an eye. I trained both of them myself and I constantly get compliments on how nice Myst is. (He is a Lippit Morgan) I could sell him for a pretty penny, and I kinda want too, but a friend gave him to me and I feel like I would be betraying her and the basis of our friendship if I moved him on. I also hold on to him thinking if I ride Lilly I will get my confidence back and I can get back on Myst and it will all be ok.
I can ride him all day in an arena, it would do no good, I need to be on the trail, but OMG I just get the shakes thinking about it. I want to ride him, he looks so sweet standing out there in the pasture, ears pricked, looking oh so innocent.
[QUOTE=KSquared;7535840]
I don’t really know what the difference is… I have been racking my brain wondering what it is about. Shes a tiny bit reactive too…On our last lesson I rode with a whip for the first time and it flicked against the arena wall and she did this “OMG” scoot and it was over. I did it a few times and she didn’t flick an ear. She did dump me once too when a friend handed me a box of candy and it rattled in her ear, she went one way, I went the other. I got back on and never had a problem, not overly nervous getting on her, or even when she gets that pissy pony attitude. She is a very forward mover but I enjoy riding that, we are training for jumping and dressage.
Myst is a bold mover and hardly anything spooks him. I have had other people ride him and they love him. He does everything you ask without complaint (well much anyways). For Halloween we went in FULL ON Arabian Costume surrounded by so much fluttering, jingling stuff including a HUGE Millennium Falcon and a Wookie, a carriage and a mermaid and he never blinked an eye. I trained both of them myself and I constantly get compliments on how nice Myst is. (He is a Lippit Morgan) I could sell him for a pretty penny, and I kinda want too, but a friend gave him to me and I feel like I would be betraying her and the basis of our friendship if I moved him on. I also hold on to him thinking if I ride Lilly I will get my confidence back and I can get back on Myst and it will all be ok.
I can ride him all day in an arena, it would do no good, I need to be on the trail, but OMG I just get the shakes thinking about it. I want to ride him, he looks so sweet standing out there in the pasture, ears pricked, looking oh so innocent.[/QUOTE]
You and I have alot in common!! I also cannot sell mine as friendships would be hurt. But he’s not bad enough to sell - I don’t think so anyway I ride him. My stomach kinds of churns when I go to saddle up - even tho he’s a perfect gentleman at the trailer. I think I’m going to start out walking and even running a ways and then get on for my trail ride. It will calm me down and it might do something for him?? We’ll see.
Im the same way - I can ride in the arena all day long but it needs to be on the trail - that’s where it all happens if it happens. he’s night and day with arena and trail. I go for lessons every now and then if I feel my confidence is slipping backwards. And i want her to watch me do my disengagements and circling to see if I’m on the right track. I want to at least have an emergency brake of sorts in case. I want him to be comfortable bending to a safe stop so I can get off if I need to. I’m sure he thinks NOTHING is wrong - it’s me.
Just wanted to chime in and say I am right there with you. Posted yesterday under Off Course- Trail riding woes. I’m not a big trail rider for all the reasons cited. Thinking I’ll stick with showing and dressage, lol. I like what someone said under my thread…over 40, we have nothing to prove to anyone!! 
[QUOTE=morgan01;7535795]
OMG… she’s adorable!! I bet you’re really excited. Can you tell by my boy’s pedigree how is put together in the head?? I’m new to morgans.
on top: Cameo’s Atari Marvelous Ideal below Ideal is Summer Serenade. Then over is Jericho, Moro Hill’s Royrita
On the bottom is: Rosemont Megan Otterbein Lucas Moro/ Rosemont Capadonna
further over is Rohan Ethan Moro and Cap’s Nugget
Just to name a few names anyway.
He comes from Baymount Morgans in northern Cal.[/QUOTE]
I’m not an expert but see over half-Lippitt… which in the few I’ve met seem all over the map WRT temperament. The other lines are similar to both my girls’. I wouldn’t expect a lot of HOT but you never know. And it sounds like he’s a smart horse who came to you more than a bit spoiled… One thing I have found with Feronia is that she will “test” me a LOT, kind of looking for the crack in the door so she can be in charge.
My friend and I had a candid conversation today and I told her I had been stressing out over the whole thing because she gave him to me and I felt like I would be doing something wrong if I rehomed him and she said “Do not every worry about me… I like you because you are you, not because I gave you a horse…The best thing you can do for yourself and for Myst is to find him a great home…and don’t ever doubt that you did a FANTASTIC job training him and that he is a fabulous horse but not the one for you…You have my blessing to find him a great home.”
She stated that my confidence is not the issue, that I have skill and talent that is held back by some fear issues, but I have confidence and I am facing those issues head on and already improving. I cantered for the first time in over 20 years on my mare… something I could not even think about on Myst.
Which is a HUGE weight off my shoulders!
so are you going to re-home him?
I’m not to that point yet with my guy. It’s only been just over a year. I feel like I"m still getting to know him. Before our ground work, I couldn’t even clean his hooves out. He’d yank them away from me each time. Now he stands perfectly. If he does forget and yank, I say in a STERN voice, “MONTY!!!” And he quits. The lessons on him were helping. I stopped over the winter. She has us work quite a bit on lateral movements and getting softer in those changing directions. I can’t afford to go every week but maybe I can start again once a month. It’s NOT the same thing as trail work. And I tell her, “he hates the arena!!” She tells me, “he doesn’t hate the arena, he just doesn’t like being told what to do!”
It’s hard to make a horse relax and be quiet. I usually work my horse away from the distraction, and make the distraction my resting spot. So I’ll do a good bit of work, and then when I feel like my horse needs a breather, get as close as possible to the distraction and see if the horse will choose to stand and relax.
It sounds like your horse was allowed to do everything his way for a dozen years, and just thinks he can ignore the rider. Do lots of groundwork if you already don’t, and also consider tying him up, gradually extending the time period and location until he will stand relaxed anywhere you tie him. Tying up does wonders for their brains.
He’ll stand tied wherever - doesn’t bother him at all. I’ve tied him to trees etc. when visiting people. He’ll paw a few times and then just stands and looks around or takes a nap.
The only thing that really gets him going is a trotting horse on trails. And he becomes very reactive. So there’s no way to work him up to it since they are moving and then gone.
When he can’t see them anymore, he calms down and we can continue.
So I need a tool on what to do when that happens. I have a friend who insists that I put him in a circle until his feet STOP. I told her he gets a bit panicky when he’s in that tight of a circle. She says he is faking me out to get his way. She’s never met the horse so she can’t really tell what he is actually feeling or doing.
Another out of state friend says to NOT bend him that much and to allow his rear to move and wait for him to stop. I"m so confused at this point, I don’t know what to do.
