Morgan horses

pistolpete

pistolpete

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Are there any owners of Morgan’s on here? Trying to keep all options open and happy to wait for best possible match for a nervous soon to be granny! I’ve loads of experience but really don’t want to make another mistake like I did with the Highland.
 
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daydreamer

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Me me me!!!

I have one and love him to bits. I got him at 6 months old and he is now nearly 3 and a half. I have never had a youngster before or even really been around them much. He is great, intelligent, curious and generally very sensible. I sat on him this summer bareback, in the field (I did have someone holding him!) and he didn't bat an eyelid. Yesterday when I was taking him out of the field for a little walk 3 horses in another field we were walking past came prancing over in trot then trotted along the fenceline with us. He just walked along with me - pretty good for any horse I think nevermind a youngster! I don't think many older horses come up for sale in this country which is partly why I ended up with a youngster. Rosita Hamar is the most prolific breeder in this country. You can find her on Facebook. There are also groups on there that might help - the European morgan horses group and the American Breeds in the UK are pretty active.
 
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easteregg

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I have a Morgan. He's beautiful, gentle and intelligent but also one of the more sensitive and reactive ones. My impression is that they are either very bombproof or very not, and I have a Not!
 
Caol Ila

Caol Ila

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easteregg said:
I have a Morgan. He's beautiful, gentle and intelligent but also one of the more sensitive and reactive ones. My impression is that they are either very bombproof or very not, and I have a Not!
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Pretty much. One barn friend back in the States lost her bombproof Morgan, then bought another, I guess without researching bloodlines. Had a bit of a shock when that mare turned out to be sharp, sharp, and some more sharp.
 
Pinkvboots

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I used to ride one years ago she was dark bay almost black and was so beautiful with the most gorgeous wavy mane and tail, but God she was so hot and sensitive and needed to be ridden very carefully and only certain people got on with her, I absolutely loved her and rode her for a couple of years until her owner sold her.

The second one I knew was very unpredictable and her owner had several nasty falls from her and it was like she just flipped out over nothing most of the time, the owners instructor rode her once and she just had one of her moments and got quite badly hurt, her owner then decided she was too unpredictable and dangerous so had her pts.
 
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stangs

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There's one that came to my local foreign breeds show recently. Very correct looking and well-mannered, but otherwise didn't make an impression (I was too busy ogling the PRE stallions!) The British Morgan Horse Society is pretty active too I believe.

I like how you're making your way through American breeds though. Appaloosas next? ;)
 
OldNag

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I love them. I used to be involved with them when I was a teen, and I still have a hankering for them. They do tend to be quite versatile. I think they aren't a million miles from a Welsh D in temperament - can be rock solid or Not!
I've always promised myself that one day I'll have one... :)

Why not go see some of the studs - and I don't know if they still hold events at Monnington, that used to be the main stud in UK way back, I think they still hold a lot of the UK breed events there. Have a look at the UK breed website https://www.morganhorse.org.uk/
 
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I'm Dun

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pistolpete said:
Are there any owners of Morgan’s on here? Trying to keep all options open and happy to wait for best possible match for a nervous soon to be granny! I’ve loads of experience but really don’t want to make another mistake like I did with the Highland.
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I think looking for a particular breed is the biggest mistake you can make. It really narrows down the pool of horses. And if you look for something rare like a morgan you are going to have next to no choice. Looks for a horse that is doing what you want to do in its current home and you shouldnt go to far wrong.
 
pistolpete

pistolpete

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Pinky Boots. I love Arabs. I’m a nervous rider and I know it’s unfair to expect horses to deal with that really but my limited experience of Arabs is it wouldn’t be a good partnership. Happy to be told I’m wrong.
 
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Orangehorse

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I have a Morgan, I got him at 18 months and he is 23 now. He is lovely, with the attitude of "what are we going to do today" and I feel he is always on my side and he is so easy to deal with, having been well brought up. But he isn't a plod, though idle, though I know some Morgans that are, and also some that are very hot.

Rosita is probably the largest breeder now. Events are still held at Monnington - I think they had Working Equitation last weekend and the breed show was back in July.

Despite the low numbers in the UK, over the years there have been Morgans show jumping up to Grade B, eventing up to Novice (one on the winning Riding Club championship team), done very well in endurance, trec, dressage and driving both cross country events and private driving, twice winning Horse of the Year Show with different teams.

An American lady said to me that Morgans are very forgiving of their riders mistakes and make a great family horse, and of course the origin was a working horse on the farm and then they became the official Calvary mount for the American army that had a stud breeding them, which was handed over to a University that still continues breeding.
 
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HorseMaid

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Somebody local to me used to bring her little Morgan mare along to unaffiliated comps and I always used to think what a beautiful little mare she was. Liver chestnut, nicely put together, pretty head and she always seemed super happy in her work and versatile, she was out doing a bit of everything with her owner, who was a middle aged lady having a great time with her.
 
Meowy Catkin

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pistolpete said:
Pinky Boots. I love Arabs. I’m a nervous rider and I know it’s unfair to expect horses to deal with that really but my limited experience of Arabs is it wouldn’t be a good partnership. Happy to be told I’m wrong.
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You absolutely need a horse with the right temperament and they are out there. It might be an Arab, it might not but there definitely are Arabs that suit nervous people.

I had a bad riding accident that left me an incomplete paraplegic and I have only owned Arabs and Anglo-arabs since then. My chestnut AA mare was my first post accident horse and she got me through so many doubts and fears. Essentially both her and my grey purebred are the sort that when I have a wobble, they say 'that's OK I know what we need to do'. I have had riding lessons where the instructor has noted how much I have been helped out by my chestnut mare, I have broken down emotionally on a hack and she's gently walked home carrying me and not even spooked at the rubbish on the verge which she normally quite enjoys doing. She *knew* she had to look after me.

My sister has an ID x and I really struggled to read her at first. I like - and am used to - the way that arabs carry their heart on their sleeve, I like the way that they are so happy, cheerful and full of energy. You do need to go with the flow a bit as they do like to prance due to that internal joie de vivre and their natural alertness, but they also tune into their rider and know when you are feeling crappy and importantly mine don't take advantage.

In a way you will only know if one would suit you by trying that individual horse (again whatever the breed) but I have found what suits me and it will be a very special horse that tempts me away from arabs and part bred arabs.
 
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