Spin off from the other thread “Who has a Morgan”.
As owners of Morgans seem so positive about the breed, as they are versatile, pretty and seem to be sound, why aren’t they a lot more popular?
There aren’t a whole lot bred every year, they tend to be more expensive than Arabs or TBs, and there is still a bias in their breeding for saddle seat type. The average person has to look pretty hard to find a sport type.
I say this as someone whose horse of a lifetime was a Morgan. Would give a zillion to have another like him. But when it was time to go horse shopping some years ago, there just weren’t that many in my area and most were saddle seat types. Now apparently dressage and ranch riding are really taking off - so there may be more to look at these days.
They are super horses.
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I also think their size tends to restrict their appeal to some. As a vertically challenged person, I think they’re a perfect size. I also adore the breed standard in terms of type and build; and while my 6’4" son has ridden an old style foundation mare who possessed a leg on each corner so she didn’t seem dwarfed by the rider, a taller ride (and different breed) is what my son ended up with the next time we went looking.
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I don’t really understand why they’re not more popular for children, honestly. I guess some can be more “hot” but the ones I’ve known have been the most bomb-proof, always sound, tough and smart little cookies. They are on the petite side, but not that much smaller than the average quarter horse or Arab I think?
And they’re beautiful to boot. My mare growing up was the love of my life and spoiled me for other horses forever. I compete dressage these days and they’re not quite built for FEI - they weren’t made to collect in the canter like that especially. Someday I will get another Morgan as a best friend, though. I honestly think they’re the perfect all around horse.
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Is that versatility a problem, as people go after a ‘hunter’, a ‘dressage horse’?
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When we were looking for horses for our kids we knew the breeds we did not want as my wife and I had worked with several breeds
We narrowed our thoughts down to a Connemara or a Morgan… both breeds are limited… Morgans only about three thousand a year are registered Connemaras even less.
We went back to Kentucky to find a few hundred Morgans as back then (this was late 1980s) many of the Saddlehorse breeders/trainers also had Morgans. We found a farm that had about fifty head of old line Morgans, buying two from them.
We are in Fort Worth, here the old time horse people would ask us where we found the King Ranch Quarterhorses… well sort of correct as the King Ranch back in the 1930s had possibly the largest herd of Morgans, most all became quarterhorses when the QH registry was started i 1941. The QH Registry was modeled after the Morgan Horse registry
As for size… our 14.1h mare when she was shown in open shows as a pony, she was always challenged, they measured her and she never even measured 14.2 … but she looked much bigger.(All Morgans are horses in the eyes of the registry, there are not any ponies… therefor not permanent height card)
here is that mare with my six foot son [ATTACH=JSON]{“alt”:“Click image for larger version Name: Mark, Nita Foxe at Athens 1994.jpg Views: 1 Size: 15.0 KB ID: 10612239”,“data-align”:“none”,“data-attachmentid”:“10612239”,“data-size”:“full”}[/ATTACH]
same horse shown by our 6ft 4 trainer
[ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“large”,“data-attachmentid”:10612242}[/ATTACH]
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Not in my experience.
Several members of my Driving clubs have recently gotten Morgans & the ones I’ve seen are lovely & versatile.
One gal does CDE & replaced her ginormous Spanish Norman with a Morgan. Lovely mare she also rides Dressage.
Another newbie Driver ran through several inappropriate (for her) horses until she got her Morgan gelding. That horse has made her a confident driver.
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well no in that the versatility limits their ability, we showed and worked the same horses in multiple disciplines. My daughter had her buckskin it a three week period first at an endurance ride,next as working hunter over fences at the Morgan Nationals then the third weekend in the Davis Mountains at about 7,000 ft doing a 55 mile NATRC ride. (Was second at Nationals, won his class at the NATRC ride was second overall, ribboned at the endurance ride) He was also used in Eventing.
Even the above sissy show horse was a National Champion Competitive Trail horse
We found the horse to adjust their gaits to match tack they wore, shortening or lengthening strides to match the style tack they wore
Versatility is only limited to amount of tack you want buy
Our kids’ friends were getting new horses when they wanted to do something new, we just bought more tack…and usually still beat them
and they were all used by my daughter for her summer programs she ran for about five years
[ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“large”,“data-attachmentid”:10612255}[/ATTACH]
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Versatility ‘a problem’ in the sense that someone who wants to be successful in dressage, for example, is not going to look at a Morgan because it isn’t a specialist in that discipline. There seems to be no market for a generalist. Is that a reason for their scarcity?
I’m a fan of Welsh ponies and here in the UK they are increasingly successful in dressage which is why I used that discipline as an example. I love a horse that can its hoof to anything.
Interesting about the Morgans at the root of the QH. Maybe there is more Morgan out there than people now recognise.
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Even within the breed there is discrimination, old style verses the New or Saddlehorse version…there were various Morgan judges we would not show under as we knew our old style horse was not going to place.
As for value? they are just common old backyard horses that can be worth a lot of money, not seven figures but I did turn down a blank check for Foxie as a four year old.
as a note not every one has high hopes (or any hope) of being a Dressage Rider of great success.
but I can say it warms a person’s heart to have people approach to comment on your pretty horse, who would stand calmly as they approached to pet
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I think the saddleseat aspect has something to do with it. Saddle seat just isn’t that popular. At least not around here.
Clanter- that is funny that you mention the Morgan or the Connemara. Those are the 2 breeds I’m most interested in, as far as considering my next horse.
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Thank you for the replies. Keeping me entertained in lockdown Britain. I now have far more sympathy for a fit horse suddenly on box rest!
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Just because this is in the breeding forum, there is a book “Wheels of my Life: Memoirs of a Dartmoor Horseman” by Johnny Arden that describes, in one part of an interesting life, how he saw a (rare) picture of a Devon Pack Horse, a breed now extinct, and thought it so similar to a Morgan that he decided he would try to breed his own proto-Morgans using his local Dartmoors. He was a lovely man with a wealth of fascinating stories.
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My daughter’s first horse was an old style Morgan who found himself in a program for handicapped riders after a successful show career (and was on the cover of Morgan Horse Magazine!) --but as others pointed out the old style Morgans could no longer compete successfully against the Saddle Seat Type Morgans --so he was out of a job --he was at the handicapped riding program only a brief time before he came to us (practically a gift!) Due to his extensive training, he always walked “correctly” at the handler’s shoulder --this was not what the volunteers wanted him to do at the program --so they decided he was “pushy and aggressive” and kicked him out --right into my 8 year old daughter’s arms --she loved him first because he had a long mane and tail, then because she could (and did) ride him bareback any place --he was versatile – won just about every class in the 4-H circuit --English, hunter and saddle seat, Western everything, side saddle, and Dressage --Showmanship and halter. He did have a habit of evading the last fence of a course if daughter didn’t ride him to it --but he was a beautiful, wonderful horse.
We never got another Morgan because we couldn’t find one like him. He was wonderful --sadly ten years after we got him, he died the day of her first show with her new horse (she wanted to event and the Morgan had been a senior when he came to us). He died as she held his head in her arms --eased on his way by our vet --I “see” him sometimes on the farm --running up hill with her on his back -no bridle or saddle --playing polo with a soccer ball and a mallet , doing the flashy trot only a Morgan can do --still miss him --have a picture of daughter having a tea party with him in the barn --both wearing hats --along with a few barn cats --good horse.
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No idea. I’m from New England and have ridden more Morgans (papered, grade, or crossbred) than I can count. Morgans are the right size for most of us, they’re sound and hale (as long as you keep them trim), generally very sensible and comfortable to ride. Even the hot ones are really manageable, and it’s not like I’m a great rider. For short-arm, long-torso me, their higher-set necks are much more ergonomic. My next horse will hopefully be a Morgan or Morgan cross with a good canter.
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If you are looking for a compact generalist QH really fit the bill for most people. I don’t think people are opposed to Morgans by any stretch but they are less common and often price higher than a similarly trained Morgan.
Unless you are interested in doing breed-specific showing, I think the vast majority of buyers are looking at the individual horse rather than the breed. Furthermore, I think this is even more true with generalist. I would not hunt the country for a morgan that can trail ride, do trail classes, and also show LL dressage when I could look at dozens of local horses who are QH, OTTB, and various crosses.
Personally, I have been underwhelmed by the canter on most of the Morgans I have seen in person and every one I’ve met had metabolic issues. I’m not saying this is universal but it has been my limited experience. Consequently, it didn’t even really occur to me to look for a Morgan when I did my latest search for a low maintenance dressage prospect with a really good canter.
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I’ve had Morgans for almost 30 years and absolutely love them. But I don’t think they are everyone’s horse- like Arabs they are super smart and need a job and that often makes them a little much for people who are more used to a QH type mindset.
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I think your first point is the big reason why there aren’t more Morgans. Most people looking for a great all-around horse will likely end up with a QH or grade stock horse type, in my experience. Maybe it’s because I’m in the land of cow ponies, but there are lots more little QHs doing this job than Morgans. Which makes it really interesting that King Ranch had a lot of Morgans in their initial stock (I had no idea, thanks for the info @clanter!)
That being said, I’ve never met a Morgan I didn’t like and would definitely consider one for my next horse! But I wouldn’t look for one exclusively.
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I agree with the comparison of Morgans to Arabians (having owned both) and you can put welsh cobs in that mix too. I find morgans and their crosses a little more competitive for the sports of driving, combined training, eventing and dressage at least at the lower levels than your average quarter horse. I live between two well known barns that are totally devoted to QH in reining and working ranch. I see a lot of very nice horse flesh; but, other than an individual here or there as a whole I would lean towards the inner fire of a Morgan to partner with for such sports. As for the comment on metabolic disease, not all lines seem predisposed to it again much like welsh. Most of the breeders I’m going to refer to have died but there was a very vocal group who had a pretty good idea which lines were more predisposed to such things long before they called it metabolic disease. Unfortunately like the QH breed due to their popularity and success in the show ring there was not enough discouragement to breed those lines. It was witnessing the squabbles on this topic that drove me away from Morgans as a breed to support with my full resources when I was much younger (and almost broke my grandfather’s heart) - which is a shame. I truly do love the breed and probably will purchase a morgan over a welsh cob if the opportunity to buy another horse ever arises. Well that’s if another mustang doesn’t catch my eye LOL.
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I honestly don’t know why Morgans aren’t more popular. The complaint about the canter quality is understandable because they are more of a “trotting” breed. However, the ones with a good walk and canter do exist. A lot of it boils down to how they were started (aside from innate ability). I grew up in Morgan show barns and the horses are often encouraged/trained to travel bottled up, for lack of a better term, with more of an up/down motion than a fluid ground covering stride. So what you see in the show ring sometimes is more manufactured vs. how the horse actually moves (though not always).
I think some of the best show Morgans that could easily transition to sport careers are in the hunter division. Some of them are converted saddleseat horses, but the true Morgan hunters are quite pleasant to watch and ride. I just bought one and while I don’t think we will be in FEI dressage, I think we would be able to make a decent showing through the mid-levels. But this has as much to do with my abilities as a rider as anything else.
Morgans also have the most incredible brain. Generally speaking, they are kind and the hardest workers. They want to do the job that you put in front of them and will give 100% every time. I LOVE that. It may not be for everyone, but I think the people who are serious about pursuing a discipline want a horse that will come out wanting to do the job. They tend to be forward, not hot, forward. You get on and they say okay tell me where to go. I can completely see how this would possibly be a turn off to someone used to the QH/stock horse types that maybe aren’t so motivated. But if you like smart, forward, and game, get a Morgan. You won’t be disappointed.
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