Lovely, athletic Morgan Horses are a cow person’s ideal, and have been popular as versatile showing horses for years! Morgan Horses’ gentle, affectionate personalities have often been commented on. These kind horses love and bond strongly with their handlers.
Have cool, fresh water available to your Morgan Horse at all times. Be sure that his hay is never, ever moldy as this may result in death. Morgan Horses who are fed oats rather than grain will need a salt and mineral lick.
Grain mixes offered to Morgans should not have more than five percent corn or barley. Be sure there are no poisonous plants in your Morgan’s pasture. Fence the pasture in with wood or vinyl fencing, never metal and barbed wire. If you have a metal fence, top it with PVC “T” pipes to prevent your horse from rearing and accidentally impaling himself on a post.
Be sure your barn ceiling is high enough so that your Morgan Horse will not hit his head if he rears. Also, make sure no hardware sticks out to cut him, and be certain there is no electrical wiring he could chew. A good stall will be twelve feet by twelve feet.
It is important to brush your Morgan Horse each day with a dirt-removing currycomb followed by a soft finishing brush and a very sturdy brush for his mane and tail. After riding, use a hoof pick to remove stones and grit from your Morgan’s hooves, and have a farrier trim his hooves every six weeks in summer and every eight weeks in winter. Be sure to exercise your Morgan Horse daily. As a rule, Morgan Horses are loving, loyal, and eager to please. They live more than 20 years.
The average Morgan stands between 14.1 and 15.2 hands, and is available in a variety of colors. These range from buckskin, crème, palomino, or tan to bay, brown, chestnut, gray or black. Morgan Horses have broad foreheads with small ears and kind, alert eyes.
Sometimes mares’ ears are a bit longer than those of male Morgans. Their muzzles are tapered and their nostrils are expressive and large. The necks of Morgan Horses are well arched, and their chests are wide. Their compact and deep bodies compliment their well-angled shoulders and straight, powerful legs. The bone structure is flat and dense, and the hooves of Morgan Horses are very hard and round. Morgans have an easy gait and plenty of stamina.
Morgan Horses have been valued throughout United States history for their smooth gait, and were the choice horse of cavalrymen in the American Civil War! They originated in 1788, when Justin Morgan bred an extraordinary horse named Figure from whom the entire modern Morgan bloodline is based. In 1794, the first Morgan Horse Registry was published! In the 1840’s, efforts were made to consolidate and standardize Morgan horses and by the 1850’s, they were quite popular. Morgan Horses remain extremely popular today in a variety of capacities.
Each day, Morgan Horses usually eat six to seven pounds of grain and two pounds of hay for each 100 pounds of his weight. Nightshade, yew and fresh-cut grass are all very dangerous to Morgan Horses. Morgan Horses need extra grooming in spring, when they shed the thick coat they acquire in cold wintertime!
If you notice your Morgan favoring one leg, call the vet immediately for a diagnosis and tetanus shot! Place a breeding mare in a stall no less than 12 feet by 16 feet. Many breeding studs are available, located in stud farms throughout the country. A stallion is considered mature by two years of age.