One more breed thread -- Morgan loverz!!!

[quietann]

(I know some people are sick of these, just ignore this thread if you can’t cope! I think it’s a nice holiday thing.)

Who out there has a Morgan, aka “the original American Warmblood”, besides me?

Following STF’s lead:

If so -

What is the breeding?

What level are you working at?

Post a pic of your boy/girl?

My answers:

Mythic Feronia is a 10 year old mare with an interesting mix of lines – “old” Morgan sporthorse x Park Harness champion on the sire’s side, and Brunk/Foundation on the dam’s. She moves like a sporthorse, but takes after the Park Harness lines in “sparkle” and “up!” She’s 15 hands, lightly built for the breed, and very very pretty and she knows it :lol: Quite a character, like most Morgans.

I am relatively new to dressage, working at Training level, trying to catch up with the mare, who has shown at First and schooled through Second Level. (Part of the reason she’s in training is so someone who knows more than I do can help keep her from getting bored. Jess does a great job and has fun with Feronia, even though Jess is 6 feet tall.)

Favorite pic is http://annsrats.com/horses/feronia/davidphoto.jpg

Here are some others:
http://annsrats.com/horses/feronia/2008-04-27/DSC07315.JPG (warning, very large!)
http://annsrats.com/horses/feronia/october08/feronia2.jpg

There will be dressage-y photos someday soon! We are only riding in the indoor for the forseeable future, and it’s closed up for the winter and very dark, so it’s almost impossible to get good photos.

[STF]

Better watch it, your gona be talked about as crazy and insane! :lol:
The wana be internet police of “what can and cant be talked about on the world wide web” are out there to judge everyone around them. :lol:

[stripes]

I grew up showing our family’s Morgans. Mostly in the driving & saddle seat disciplines. I still have my mare, Charlestown Firebird by the multi World Champion Park stallion UVM Promise and out of a Waseekas Showtime daughter. Most of my Morgans have been more of the Park type. I have bred “Lady” to an Arabian a couple of times and they have become wonderful sport type horses for their owners. More Hunter type than dressage. I’ve seen some wonderful dressage Morgans over the years - I have often wondered why they aren’t a more popular choice in the dressage court.

[Bayou_Roux]

That’s Morgoooooooooooons

I think that, in keeping with the theme here, it’d be Morgooooooooooooons…

We got 'em. We breed 'em. We try to keep up with 'em.

[SisterToSoreFoot]

I am soon to be leasing a staight up nutso Morgan of Equinox lines. Don’t know much about the breed, but this horse is fat, sparkly, and full of sass and hyperactiivty though. Not dumb underneath all the nonesense, which is good. He has a super-alert expression on his face–its sort of charming. Very immature for his age (7)–he acts more like a 4 year old. Still, I can’t help but like him. He will be a great dressage horse when someone taps into his energy and directs it towards work.

[stripes]

[QUOTE=SisterToSoreFoot;3746749]
I am soon to be leasing a staight up nutso Morgan of Equinox lines. Don’t know much about the breed, but this horse is fat, sparkly, and full of sass and hyperactiivty though. Not dumb underneath all the nonesense, which is good. He has a super-alert expression on his face–its sort of charming. Very immature for his age (7)–he acts more like a 4 year old. Still, I can’t help but like him. He will be a great dressage horse when someone taps into his energy and directs it towards work.[/QUOTE]

The key to any Morgan - make everything their idea! You can’t make a Morgan do anything and you can’t let a Morgan think for himself. If they are allowed to think - boy do you get yourself into trouble, hehehehe. Also, cookies are good. They love to get treats! My 2 will do anything if there is a treat involved!

The great thing about Morgans is that they get things fairly quickly and retain the info.

[FriesianX]

I’ve shown a couple of Morgans in dressage, and one Morgan/Friesian cross. They are great horses! My first Morgan I took through 2nd level dressage, and even placed 7th in CDS Championships one year at 1st level and 4th at freestyles, 1st level. Everyone was amazed that a little Morgan was in the placings - I think he was the only non-WB in the top 10 at any level that year He could also jump - although he was a TOUGH jumper to ride, very fast, and he could change his mind pretty quickly about a jump :eek:

Second Morgan was extremely talented - I showed him 1st level a few times, but he was losing eyesight in one eye, and couldn’t handle the pressure of the flashes and sparks that kept appearing through that eye :no: So he’s retired now - its a shame, I cliniced a few times with an FEI judge who thought he was quite talented. He had a canter that was to die for, and a boingy, elastic trot, his extensions came naturally - and he was just so uphill and light, an amazing little horse. Bred for “Pleasure” (you know, that climbing, churning, saddle seat look that us dressage people are always so appalled when we see it :lol:), so it was pretty amazing that he settled so nicely into dressage.

Then, my Morgan/Friesian cross was another ultra talent - just breaking into 2nd level when he died at 6 years old:cry: He looked like a big, leggy, chestnut Friesian, and another horse with a canter to die for.

I’m not sure why more people don’t go for the Morgans - some of them are wonderful movers, and they tend to be fun personalities and sturdy - never lame! Easy keepers, smart, but sometimes a little, ummmmm, hard-headed? Like stripe says - you have to convince them it was their idea to start with. I have seen a few of them in dressage shows - and some of them doing FEI work. They are a great, sometimes overlooked, sport horse breed!

[flyingleadchange]

I have a coming 7-year-old Morgan gelding. We have shown training and 1st, and school 2nd with a touch of 3rd level. He’s enthusiastic every single time I ride him. When I ask for energy, he ALWAYS gives it. I just have to be sure to direct his energy to something positive. He gets very upset if he is punished, and you can’t “manhandle” him into anything. He requires a quiet rider with finesse for dressage work - but for hacking around just about anyone can ride him. He’s a good boy - not a spook, buck or rear in him. But man - he DOES NOT tire out! lol! I adore him and love the breed, but agree they may not be for everyone. It takes a certain amount of patience, and a sense of humor to enjoy a Morgan.

[HappyMouth]

I ride a 21 year old 14.3hh Morgan Sport Pony.
His name is Bentley! He is the CUTEST thing on the face of the earth.
He is a total sweetheart and is a bright chestnut.
He has done 2nd level Dressage but has schooled 3rd and 4th level movements.
Dont have pics right now but he is DARLING!!

[Jeff_Wolf]

We’ve got three, all registered.

A 10 y/o mare (15.1hh), a 5 y/o mare (15.0hh), and a 4 y/o gelding (17.0hh). All we do is ride the mares on the thousands of acres south of our house. The boy gets backed in the Spring. And he really is 17h. I think he thinks he really is a WB…

Smart, willing, unreal stamina. Take care of their rider. Awesome.

[narcisco]

http://www.kathyjohnsondressage.com/fancy.jpg

Fancy is a five year old filly, by Funquest Eric.

http://www.kathyjohnsondressage.com/cowboy.jpg

Cowboy is a five year old colt, also Funquest bloodlines. Please excuse my seat in the western saddle.

http://www.kathyjohnsondressage.com/gaily.jpg

Gaily (Fortune’s Nightengale) is a twenty four year old Funquest mare. She is Fancy’s aunt. Please excuse my form again; I thought is was a great shot of her with a lot of verve in the flying change. Not bad for a couple of old broads.

http://www.medicinehorse.org/images/gypsy.jpg

We are blessed with another mare, 24 year old Gypsy Rose, who is one of our best therapy horse.

I don’t own them but ride for their owners. I love the Morgans. They have a wonderful Puritan work ethic and love to serve.

[HighFlyinBey1]

I don’t feel like starting a Morab thread, so I’m piggybacking on both Ayrabs & Morgans

CMA High Flyin Bey+ is my HA/Morab gelding, age 8:
Parade of Breeds, Midwest Horse Fair 2004
Western, June 2004
walk-trot HUS with Shorty, July 2003
With me, first ride after cancer treatment, October 2008

CMA Marking Tyme, also HA/Morab. Deceased April 2005, age 4:
July 2003, age 2

Both boys are/were by Bethesda Virgil. Marcus was just started under saddle and had progressed to trotting around the arena without breaking to a walk the week before he died. He was going to be something when he grew up

Bailey was schooling at second level with a natural 3rd level canter before I went on an unintended hiatus from riding after Marcus died in 2005, we moved from WI to VA in 2006 & I fought cancer in 2008.

2009 will be the year we both return to schooling and maybe do our first dressage tests. Maybe

[mishmash]

Have a 17 year old Morgan, CFP The Dream Maker. He has working Western on one side and park horse on the other. Energetic, sparkly personality, and the smartest horse I have ever known.

[idtogo]

I just became a morgan rider in october! Love him !! he is a 4 year old gelding of gov’t and brunk breeding . His dad, Iron Forge Starman, has competed at grand prix. We are working at training level , hopefully will be out competing in "09. I plan to start him more formally over fences and start driving this summer as well.

my hopes are that he will be as versatile as the irish draught ( I know, total polar opposites ) that I just retired … We competed at novice level eventing, low jumpers, 1st level dressage (schooled 2nd) and combined driving.

I love my little morgan’s spark, gameness and total awareness of his surroundings .

I am 5"6 and he is about 15h and he is like riding a little sports car!!!

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2878501020099644495DEjnHa
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2410538570099644495oxuytu

[buck22]

wanted to say I’m enjoying the heck out of this thread… I’m a morgan owner, but new to them and mine is the only one I’ve ever met… the comments on morgans so far have been priceless!!! I commonly refer to mine as my 900# border collie :winkgrin:

so, question for all of you dressaging morgan luvers… what kind of dressage saddle did you eventually find to fit yours?!?? :D:D:D Is it just me or are they one of the most challenging backs to find a saddle to suit?

[twofatponies]

I’m not doing much dressage right now, though I used to and I’ll get back to it again one day, but I do have a Morgan. I’m absolutely loving her. She’s 15.2, Beamington on the sire’s side, Cedar Creek Hallmark on the dam’s side. Her sire was from JMF Morgans in Alberta, and she looks like the type they breed.

She’s an amazingly smart horse, will do anything at all even if she has no idea about it - we’ve hunter paced, fox hunted, done pleasure driving shows, some basic dressage, mounted games, tons of trail riding (this just in two years!). She’s never hesitated to go over or through anything I point her at. Has never offered to bite, kick, buck, etc., rarely even spooks. A truly fun horse who’s changed my riding life!

I love the Morgans who are competing in dressage. A great breed for it, I think.

[stripes]

[QUOTE=twofatponies;3747704]
I’m not doing much dressage right now, though I used to and I’ll get back to it again one day, but I do have a Morgan. I’m absolutely loving her. She’s 15.2, Beamington on the sire’s side, Cedar Creek Hallmark on the dam’s side. Her sire was from JMF Morgans in Alberta, and she looks like the type they breed.

She’s an amazingly smart horse, will do anything at all even if she has no idea about it - we’ve hunter paced, fox hunted, done pleasure driving shows, some basic dressage, mounted games, tons of trail riding (this just in two years!). She’s never hesitated to go over or through anything I point her at. Has never offered to bite, kick, buck, etc., rarely even spooks. A truly fun horse who’s changed my riding life!

I love the Morgans who are competing in dressage. A great breed for it, I think.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like a Wintergreen Morgan! I remember Hallmark well and Ann had a JMF stallion for awhile. I was just telling my trainer last week that I missed showing my Morgans - they were hot & bold, but rarely spooked. My Park horse was a blast! After riding my Arabian gelding for the past 3 yrs., it would be nice to ride a horse that didn’t spook or over react ;).

My mare is turning 21 in Feb. and she’s still a pistol, but very solid. Her half Arabian son is turning 7 this year and takes after his Morgan side in many ways. He rarely spooks, he’s brave and very game to do anything! Took him camping and he even went for a swim in lake. Great horse!

[tbmorgan]

I have 2…actually, one full Morgan and one TB/Morgan cross. My full Morgan was a rescue that I’ve had now for 9 months and he’s had MUCH to overcome, but is doing fabulously well! He’s 17 years old, so there’s not much time to really get him going at this point, but he’s an absolutely gorgeous mover and very athletic (“catty”) so I’m having alot of fun with him! We may still get to 3rd/4th level by the time he’s 20! I’m going to try to get some pics of him soon…I haven’t really been out and about with him yet, so no photo ops (pics of his fat self rolling in the mud don’t count! lol) My BABY, the TB/Morgan, is my whole wide world on 4 feet…I had raised his TB mama (now deceased) from a foal, and had his Morgan daddy in training, so I knew exactly what I was throwing together in terms of temperament, conformation and ability (and I had researched this particular cross ALOT!)…but what comes out is always a crapshoot, and Amos got all the best qualities of both parents! He truly is a special boy, and every day with him is a gift. Here are some pics of him in his first couple of dressage clinics. He has been under saddle now for about 6 months, and in the first clinic, he’d only been under saddle for 6 weeks! You couldn’t ask for a better mind in a horse than this boy has…he’s one of those that was “born broke” and acts like a seasoned 10 yr. old! And, he’s just sooo sweet…such a pocket pony. Such a joy to have around.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rivendellsportmorgans/3129333609/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rivendellsportmorgans/3129354089/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rivendellsportmorgans/3130184332/

[idtogo]

buck22 , I ride mine in a wide black country eloquence. believe it or not this is
also the saddle i rode my 16h very traditionally built irish draught in… I suspect once he
starts gaining some muscle and losing some weight I’ll have to have it adjusted for him.

[buck22]

thanks idtogo, I recently picked up a BC that seems like it’ll actually fit. Most of the saddles that I try that don’t fit my morgan I lend to my friends who have irish draught or hannoverians and my saddles fit their horses just fine :mad: