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CHAPTER V
MORGAN
PROMOTION
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In 1989, The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine fea-tured Morgans in a breed bicentennial feature.Advertising space for this article sold for $50,682.The newspaper paid a top feature writer to coverthe story at no cost to Morgan owners. That is realpromotion.
In 1990, Anna Ela of Townshend Morgans inMassachusetts took the sports anchor of a local TVstation for a drive in the country prior to the NewEngland Regional Show. They talked aboutMorgan history and the steady mare pulling thecarriage, about the old days and the modern chal-lenge, and fun, of showing. That broadcastreached 250,000 people. That is real promotion.
At the University of Connecticut, the firstweekend in December sees the 38-horse facilitytransformed into a Holiday Barn. Throughout atwo-day period, 5,000 people visit and see aMorgan pulling Santa’s sleigh. Ten "elves" mount-ed on Morgans also escort St. Nick. Not only ismedia coverage guaranteed, the school raises fundsand makes thousands of new friends for theMorgan breed. That is real promotion.
PROMOTION
Defined as "the act of furthering growth or devel-opment," promotion has two vital components:education and information dissemination.
Morgan clubs and individuals have the oppor-tunities to educate a broad number of people withactivities such as:
• Open Barns
• Expositions
• Print and Broadcast Media
• Horse Shows
• Clinics
• Parades
• Youth Programs
Promotion produces name recognition.Promotion is not marketing; marketing is the saleof Morgans. While promotion may lead to sales, itmust not be carried out with that as the end goal.The goal must be producing recognition of theMorgan breed and aiming for that recognition tobe spread beyond the people in attendance.
The following pages describe various promo-tional efforts and the work it entails.
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The most important part of any planned event isattracting an audience. But how do you attract thepublic to your event? The answer is simple: youmust “spread the word.” Spreading the word canbe done in a variety of ways: posters and flyers, theprint and broadcast media, telephone chains; acombination of these methods will practically guar-antee a large audience. A well-planned publicitycampaign will generate the interest and enthusiasman event organizer wants. The following informa-tion will help you develop a comprehensive planfor getting the public to attend your Morgan event.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Use of the print and broadcast media requires anorganized plan. You will soon be known as yourclub's “public relations specialist” when you followthese seven easy steps:
1: DEVELOP A MEDIA LIST
• First, refer to the print and broadcast media list
from your area which is included in this public-
ity package.
• Second, contact your area Chamber of
Commerce for additional references
• Third, note places you would want your story
to appear.
To locate the names of magazine and newspa-per editors, look in the publication. If you areworking from a telephone list, call the publicationand ask for the names of the sports editor, lifestylesor family living editor, the city editor, and the edi-tor-in-chief. It is best to get the names of individu-als to send information to. However, addressingmaterial by title, such as “City Editor” or “SportsEditor,” is not taboo.
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48 In broadcast media, listen to or watch the sta-tions in your area and make a note of the names ofdisc jockeys, newscasters, and anchor persons. Callthe stations and ask for the name of the assignmenteditors (the people who schedule the camera crewsto videotape events), the producers of local talkshows, and the people in charge of public serviceannouncements.
When you have gathered all the names from thevarious media sources, put them together and youwill have your “media list.”
2: DETERMINE YOUR STORY
Some things are stories, others are not. A horseshow standing alone may not be a great story, buta horse show that benefits a charitable organiza-tion—if the show donates 10 percent of the entriesand every dollar taken in at the gate goes to theHomeless Foundation for building a shelter—maybe newsworthy to a reporter.
A horse show may have a good story behind thescenes. . . the 4-Her who won a Morgan foal in araffle is showing her horse for the first time. Openbarns and clinics may not be interesting to an edi-tor because they don’t understand what they are.Perhaps the clinic is being given by an accom-plished horseman, such as the first person to com-pete internationally with a Morgan, or the openbarn story may be about school children learningAmerican history through the Morgan breed.
The story has to be appealing for a unique andinteresting reason. Think hard and come up withan angle that will get your story printed.Brainstorm and come up with a list of reasons yourevent is unique or interesting. You are now readyto begin the next step.
3: WRITE YOUR PRESS RELEASE
A press release is no more than a summary of theevent’s major information. Take care when writingthe release because most reporters get dozensevery day. They read them all, but they are readvery quickly—in 15 to 30 seconds. A good pressrelease must grab attention quickly and leave thereader wanting to know more.
A news release is easy to write if you use basicguidelines. Remember to include WHO, WHAT,WHEN, WHERE, WHY, and sometimes HOW.
The WHO is the group or individual makingthe announcement, the WHAT is the story (a clin-
ic to teach young people horsemanship skills), theWHEN is the time and date, the WHERE is thelocation, the WHY is the significance of the event(for instance, the money being raised will be donat-ed to the Homeless Children's Charity that pro-vides meals for children on the street). The HOWdescribes the effect this event will have on the pub-lic or the sponsoring organization. The HOW andthe WHY combined should give your release ahook that will make the reader want to know more.
Press Release Tips:
• Read all of the publications where you plan tosend releases and then be sure to send them thekind of information they usually print.
• Use only information that is of interest to alarge part of the publication's readership.Eliminate items that only concern your club.Don't include so many details that you bury theimportant facts. On the other hand, if there issomething unusual that would make a goodhuman-interest story, leave that in.
• The release can be in the form of a story or aseries of important facts. Leave out personalopinion and editorial comment. Opinions mustbe attributed to someone. Also, don’t use jargonor abbreviations only known to your club mem-bers.
• If writing for a community newspaper or mag-azine, localize the information.
• Check all the facts in your press release foraccuracy. Names, addresses, and dates shouldbe verified before the press release is sent. Todo this, get the information from the peopleconcerned.
• Send an eye-catching photo to illustrate yourpress release.
• Editors don’t like hype and exaggerate in yourrelease. Whatever you send out, be honest.
• Use quotes. They bring the story to life andgive the reporter someone else to interview.This is the place for a “quotable quote.” (seeend of this section)
The news release should be printed on special
NEWS stationery. They should be no longer than
one page. (See the sample news release in the
AMHA Publicity Package.) Start at the top of the
page and fill in the contact name with a phone
number underneath. Put FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE or a release date (FOR RELEASE
January 1) below the phone number. The headline
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49should be printed in bold or underlined capital let-
ters. The date line includes the date, city or town,
and state of origin. Your story begins after the date
line following two dashes. The dateline and start of
the release look like this:
(Nov. 11, 2007, Shelburne, VT)-- The state's bestMorgan...
Double space the copy for easier reading andtry to get all the information on one page. Recapwhat you have said in the last paragraph—essen-tially the five W’s are repeated in a brief form. Puta centered -30- at the end. This means “that's allfolks” to a journalist. It will give your release themark of professionalism that may be required toget your name in print.
Be sure your name and address appear on therelease.
4: PREPARE A MEDIA KIT
The media kit is the piece you mail to every contacton the media list. The media kit will include the fol-lowing: a news release on the event; the organiza-tion sponsoring the event, its goals, accomplish-ments, history; and one about the Morgan breed ingeneral, the history, breed activities, and currentstatus. The media kit will also include photographs,Morgan brochures, breed statistics, and a recentclub newsletter. This should be neatly presented ina two-pocket presentation folder.
When should the media kits be mailed? Findout the submission deadlines for all press releasesat the publication. The best rule is to send out theinformation as early as possible. For a newspaperyou might send out a media kit early and follow upwith a second press release one week before theevent as a reminder.
5: TARGET THE RELEASE WHEN MAILING
Think about the story you want to have covered.Does it belong in the local newspaper or on theradio and TV? Is it appropriate for all types ofmedia? Once you decide where you want cover-age, begin targeting your release to the person whois most likely to be interested in your story.Examples of targeting include:
• A grand opening celebration of a harness man-ufacturer is planned to include a Morgan breeddemonstration. The harness company will pro-vide many new jobs in the community. Therelease should go to the Business Editor.
• The story about the grandmother who will be
competing at a Morgan show six days after sur-gery, should go to the Lifestyles Editor.
• The placings of the 100-mile-competitive trailcompetition should go to the Sports Editor. Ifone of the winners is an area business person, itcould also go to the Business Editor.
6: FOLLOW UP
This is probably the hardest and most important partof getting publicity. A few days after you mail theinformation, call the editor and ask if they receivedthe media kit. Follow this with, “Will you be cover-ing the Morgan horse event on Tuesday? I want youto know that . . .”(emphasize the angle of the story inthe press releases you sent earlier). You might alsoinvite them to a “behind the scenes” tour or to attenda reception or party planned for the event. Alwaysencourage them to bring a photographer.
If you do not get a positive response, BE PER-SISTENT. Media people expect this. While yourstory might not sound like news on Monday, onTuesday it could strike someone as front pagematerial. If one editor isn’t interested, ask to speakto another editor. The adage about the squeakywheel has never been truer than in getting mediaattention.
7: BE PREPARED TO BE INTERVIEWED
Be prepared to elaborate on the news release via aphone or in-person interview. You may suggest alocal expert to enhance or substantiate your story.You may also select a nationally recognizedMorgan expert as a potential interviewee.
ADVERTISING
Advertising differs from publicity in two majorways. First, you pay for advertising space, and sec-ond, because you pay for the advertising, you con-trol where it will appear and the content of theadvertisement. With free publicity you can neverbe sure where, when, or if the material will be used.
There are many advantages to purchasingadvertising, but it can be very costly. The purchaseof air time on television involves not only the costof air time, but the production costs for making acommercial as well. Far more practical is radioadvertising, because the disc jockey reads thescript you create. Advertising in the daily or week-ly newspapers is probably the best alternative.
All paid advertising efforts should be coordi-
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50 nated with the free listings in “Coming Events”columns, Public Service Announcements, posters,and publicity efforts. A thoughtful combination ofthese methods will almost always attract a largeaudience. Two key watchwords in event promotionare patience and persistence. With an emphasis onthe latter, your efforts will undoubtedly pay off.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
In any dealings with the media, in public forumsand in one-on-ones, you have the opportunity todrop a “quotable quote” which establishes theMorgan in the viewer’s/listener’s/reader’s memoryfor once and for always.
Here are some you may want to try out.
This is a horse which is spirited yet sane, sizzling yet sturdy.
The Morgan is a can-do, do-all horse.
What other breed of horse comes with a 200-year-old pedi-gree back to the foundation sire?
The Morgan is uniquely American. (“Pride and product ofAmerica.”)
The Morgan is the breed that made America.
The Morgan is America’s athlete.
Morgans are “people” horses.
When versatile people need versatile horses, they chooseMorgans.
Morgans are like peanuts, you can’t have just one.
In this age of specialists, Morgans can still do it all.
MEDIA TERMINOLOGY
Advertising—Purchased print space or air timethat contains a message informing the reader orlistener about the horse show. The advertisercontrols where and when the message willappear and the content of the message.
Mailing list—A list of people or organizations towhom you will want to mail information aboutyour event. As a general rule, be sure to includethe following on your mailing list: local mediapeople; president of the Chamber of Commerce;Mayor’s office; Governor’s office.
Media—Includes television, radio, magazines,newspapers—any medium that reports news.
Media Kit—A collection of printed materials pre-sented to media people in a concise and attrac-tive manner to attract attention, stimulate inter-est, and inform. Generally included in a mediakit are news releases and photos or pictures of
some sort. Media kits should be mailed to mediapeople and others on your mailing list inadvance of the event and may also be distrib-uted to media people at the event.
News Release—A clear and factual writtenaccount of what the event will contain, includ-ing name of event, sponsoring club, dates,times, location, admission charge, special orunusual aspects or classes, and who to contactfor additional information. A separate newsrelease should also be prepared to provide valu-able background information on the sponsoringclub and the Morgan breed
A news release may be run in a publication orread over the air exactly as you’ve written it,altered slightly, completely rewritten to con-form with a particular style or format, or usedas a basis for a longer, more detailed story.
Promotion—All efforts to encourage general pub-lic awareness of and attendance at the event.Includes both advertising and publicity.
Publicity—News stories and other non-paid mes-sages about the event, usually based on infor-mation you provide.
Public Service Announcement (PSA)—The broad-cast of an announcement informing listeners ofa service or event that serves the general publicinterest.
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Open barns introduce the Morgan to the commu-nity and give club members the opportunity toshowcase their horses to other members.
To fill the aisles, make sure you plan ahead, areas organized as possible, and publicize your eventas much as possible. You may want to check withyour insurance carrier for appropriate coverage forthis type of event.
MAKE A PLAN
A) Set a calendar date that does not interfere withsimilar activities.
B) Get club members to volunteer. You will needpeople to answer questions, direct traffic, andkeep an eye out for stray children.
C) Plan the presentation
1) Allow two to three hours for presentations.
2) Pick a spot for visitors to meet: tack room,arena, house, etc.
D) Plan what you will show (halter, western, driv-ing), and what you want to get across. Are youpromoting young horses? Trained trail horses?Investment-quality show horses?
E) Refreshments. Cool lemonade or hot coffee area friendly way to break the ice or finish on apositive note.
F) Free literature. Contact AMHA as early as pos-sible to order brochures, coloring sheets,posters and other promotional give-aways. Asupply of back issues of The Morgan Horse mag-azine can also be ordered. Have club directoriesand newsletters available so attendees will beable to find out more about local farms andactivities.
G) Show videos. Borrow videotapes from clubmembers or see what AMHA has available forpurchase.
H) Be sure there will be restroom access and plen-ty of parking space available.
I) Consult your insurance carrier to discuss coverage.
PUBLICIZE THE EVENT
A) Call different groups. These can includeYMCA, YWCA, 4-H, FFA, senior citizens(most have grandchildren), Lions, Elks,women's clubs, Rotary, Kiwanis, American
Legion, church youth groups, etc.
B) Post flyers in tack shops, vet clinics, other pub-lic areas.
C) Get a listing in the local coming events calendarin area newspapers, radio, and TV stations.
D) Call the nearest TV station and invite them to aspecial preview. Ask them to take footage ofone of their personalities with one of the horses(carriage shots are excellent because theyrequire nothing special of the guest).
E) Contact your state Agricultural Department tolearn if funds are available to promote farmtours and farm public relations. Also they canhelp to publicize the event.
F) Put a sign up by the main road a month inadvance. This attracts people who pass everyday and may be unaware the farm is there.
CLEAN THE PREMISES
A) Cut the grass, add simple touches like pottedplants and flower baskets.
B) Clear away junk for safety and appearance.
C) Clean working areas.
D) Straighten up tack room and clean tack.
E) Put up signs to direct visitors to the parkingarea and restrooms.
LOOK PROFESSIONAL
A) Everyone assisting with the open barn shouldbe in clothes appropriate to their responsibility:trainers wear show clothes for the disciplinesthey are riding. Others wear clean jeans orpants, nice shirts, and sweaters or jackets.
SHOW DAY
A) Do chores early.
B) Clean horses, change soiled sheets & blankets.
C) Sweep barn aisles.
D) Dust trunks, buggies, etc.
E) Display literature.
F) Prepare food.
G) Welcome guests as they arrive.
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52 EXPLAIN THE GOALS OF THE BARN
"This is a (breeding, showing) operation. We raiseMorgan horses to be sold and used on the trail, inthe ring, etc.”
THIS IS A MORGAN!A) Start by showing a pretty but gentle horse that
guests may pet safely.
B) Bring out other horses individually to demon-strate different riding styles.
C) Start the barn tour
1) Visit the tack room and explain what theequipment is for and how it works. Be sure touse terms non-horse people will understand.
2) Display the medicine cabinet. Explain thathorses get sick just like people and need specialcare when that happens.
D) Demonstrate a typical day of horse training.
1) Grooming
2) Long lining
3) Harness, hitch, and drive
4) Saddle, bridle, and ride
E) Demonstrate a typical day on a breeding farm
1) Introduce a stallion.
2) Introduce a mare.
3) Visit pasture with mares and foals in it.
4) Have a quiet mare and foal to see up close.
F) Offer a ride or drive to your guests if you havesuitable horses for the purpose. With largegroups, hold a raffle for free rides or drives.
DEMONSTRATE SAFETY
A) Explain appropriate safety measures with eachphase of your tour and demonstrations.
1) Always lead a horse with a halter and leadshank
2) Always inspect equipment before and aftereach use to check for wear and damage
3) Store pitch forks and other
B) Teach spectators how to safely approach ahorse.
C) Be sure handlers are wearing appropriate safe-ty equipment.
1) Boots
2) Long pants and/or chaps
3) Approved helmets
D) Explain the importance of using this equip-ment, especially approved helmets.
E) Make sure your environment is safe.
1) Is it safe for the horses?
2) Is it safe to have a large number of people inthe same area as the horses?
CONCLUDING THE TOUR
A) Stop for refreshments.
B) Show videos.
C) Offer handouts.
D) Give them special information such as the dateof the next local show.
E) Invite them back!
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Fund-raising
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The goal of fund-raising is to raise money for clubsfor educational and operating expenses. Somefundraising ideas include:
• Have a Stallion Service Auction
• Open Fun Shows — (See Horse Show chapter).Shows have horse and non-horse activities. Hold atwo-day show, all breeds first day, Morgans thesecond day.
• Box Social — everyone brings a dessert and auc-tions it off.
• Dressage Scholarships
• Sell the North Dakota Club’s Morgan crossstitch pattern
• Club Cookbook
• Club Stationery
• Tack Sale/Auction — rent tables to 4-H, shops,owners. $10 club members, $15 non-members, $25commercial
• Manure sale — Bag older manure in grain bagsand sell as fertilizer
• Have a raffle with prizes including training, rid-ing lessons, etc.
• Hold a club Bingo with prizes donated from localmerchants
• Sell club t-shirts
• Video sales
• Calendar sales
• Sell AMHA gift items. See Chapter 1 on promo-tional materials
CLUB FUND-RAISERSF
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Are your club treasury funds a little low? Considerthis suggestion from members of the AMHAProfessional Horsemen’s Committee:
Conduct a training clinic featuring several of ournationally renowned professional trainers, andplace the proceeds in your treasury.
Our AMHA Professional Committee membershave agreed to donate their time for these seminars.You set the fees, make all the physical arrange-ments, and advertise the clinic as one of your clubfunctions. A panel will then be assembled from theAMHA Professional Horseman’s Committee. Allyou pay for is the clinician’s expenses.
If your club or organization makes a profit, theProfessional Horsemen’s Committee asks that youmake a contribution to the UPHA MorganClassics Fund to help increase the value and sala-bility of our young Morgan horses. If you make anet profit of $1,000 or more from this clinic, theyask that 10 percent of this profit be donated to theUPHA Morgan Classics Fund.
Take advantage of this opportunity to meet andlearn from some of the most respected trainers inthe country while gaining much needed funds foryour treasury.
For complete information about holding a clin-ic, please contact:
AMHA
4066 Shelburne Road, Suite 5
Shelburne, Vermont 05482
(802) 985-6908
FUND-RAISING FOR YOUR CLUB OR ORGANIZATION
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A Morgan promotional booth is an excellent wayto inform people about the Morgan breed. Fairs,horse expositions, agricultural trade shows, 4-Hand FFA events, and horse shows are all areaswhere you can promote Morgans to people whoneed to know more about the breed.
A good booth must attract people's attention,have something to offer, and leave them with theresources to find Morgan farms and events afterthey go home.
A good booth will have:1. Photos and videos of Morgans
2. Brochures and flyers that people can take homewith them
3. A knowledgeable person on hand who cananswer their questions and inspire their interest.
Morgan photos should be at least 8" x 10" colorprints and suitably framed. These should showMorgans in the widest variety of disciplines,including English, western, park, pleasure and car-riage driving, dressage, jumping, and reining, inaddition to youth photos whenever possible.
Any videos used should be top quality. Manyclubs report that people will sit and watch thewhole thing, so use care in selecting what is used.Morgan clubs also have access to free brochuresfrom AMHA. These lend a professional look to abooth and will impress people with the informationprovided. Brochures that clubs will want to useinclude "The American Morgan Horse," "AMHAYouth," and the color portrait of the ideal Morganmare/stallion. Ordering information for thesematerials can be found in Chapter I.
Equally, if not more importantly, clubs must pro-vide a roster of their members with horses for saleand a brochure describing the club and its benefits.When people leave your booth, they must be able tolocate Morgan owners. Neglecting to give them thisinformation will put all your promotional efforts towaste. The list of Morgan owners may be as simpleas the club's membership roster, a map of the club'sarea with the locations and addresses of ownersmarked, or a multi-page directory. The Club'sMembership Directory should be informed of whatmaterials will be needed well before the event.When attending events where people will be in thethousands, aim to bring enough membership lists forat least 10 percent of the people who will be there.
Now that you have a means of attracting peopleto your booth with pictures and videos and canprovide them with informative materials andbrochures, you need a P.R. person to handle ques-tions. The best P.R. person you can get is someonewho is familiar with all aspects of the breed and isenthusiastic about sharing his or her knowledge.This knowledge will be valuable when dealing withthe occasional odd question that pops up. Forinstance, when a visitor asks, "Why would I want aMorgan when other horses are much cheaper?"they can answer with information about howMorgan blood appears in the foundation stock ofmost American breeds; Morgans are known forhaving one of the best dispositions of any horse;and the Morgan breed is relatively free from legand bone problems. Never criticize another breed.Every breed and discipline has many good points.The challenge is to turn those points to theMorgan's advantage.
If you don’t have a promotional booth, AMHAhas one available to clubs. Call (802) 985-4944 formore information.
DESIGN
In setting up your Morgan booth, you will have todeal with setting up in unusual locations and con-ditions. A good basic set-up will be a "U" shapebooth, with an open front and tables along the sidesand back of the booth. Closing off the front of yourbooth with a table prevents people from coming"into" it, where they are more likely to spend timethan if they just walk by. Another trick is to have asmaller table in the front which allows plenty ofspace for people to get past and into the booth.
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A promotional booth will have room to display freebrochures and to set up Morgan displays in an attractive,visible way.
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55This table should still be set back a few feet fromthe front of the booth so that passers-by will haveto step in to reach it.
An innovative way to get visitors to think aboutowning a Morgan is to hang a mirror in the boothand put a sign either over it or written on the mir-ror with colorful grease pencils: “FUTURE MOR-GAN OWNER.” A sure way to make people stopand chuckle, as well as nudge them into the funworld of Morgans!
While videos, photos and a bright, organizeddisplay space will attract visitors attention, give-aways will get them to stop. Think about puttingtogether a basket or gift bag of items that can beraffled off. Grooming items and Morgan clothingboth work well. Display the items at the front ofyour booth with a large, easily readable, sign indi-cating “Free Drawing.” Provide entry slips and adecorated box or container to deposit the complet-ed slips into. People love to get things for free andwhile they are completing the entry you can starttalking to them about the wonders of the Morganbreed. The entry slips also provide information forfuture mailing lists that can be used for member-ship drives, sales lists and event promotion.
Another great booth strategy is to have food.Have a tray of cookies and coffee, or simply a dishof hard candies or peanuts available. The WesternReserve Morgan Youth Group of Ohio makescookies to hand out at the Ohio Equine Affaire.Club members start baking in December to haveenough on hand for the April event which drawscrowds of 100,000. The cookies are enjoyed byboth humans and horses (recipe on next page).
Finally, if a stall for a horse is available withbooth space, do everything within your means tosee that you have the most typey, people-friendlyMorgans available in it. Most horses get weary ofconstant petting and visiting after two-to-threehours of booth duty. Be sure you have at least twohorses that can do shifts to keep them interested inworking the crowds. Also be sure they are immac-ulate. Just as you would dress your best for a jobinterview, your Morgans should be presented tomeet sharp scrutiny. Whether they are backyardpets or world champions, they should have theirears, nose, bridle path, and legs neatly clipped. Abody clip for winter and spring events will go along way to meeting the standards being set byother breeds which will be present, most of whomwill be in show condition. Bring a photocopy oftheir papers to display on the stall door. You’ll be
amazed at how many of your visitors are Morganowners eager to learn about other Morgans!
When planning your booth, be sure to knowwhat the expected attendance of the event is andwhere the booth will be located. If your booth is inan out-of-the-way location, you will get less trafficand may want to plan on ways to get the public'sattention. Posters can be put up encouraging peo-ple to meet “Morgans.” Also find out if tables andchairs will be included. Electrical outlets? You willwant to have one or more extension cords for flex-ibility in setting up. If you are bringing videoequipment that will be left overnight, you will alsowant to know if security will be on-duty in theexhibit area. At most events they are, but if not,you will want to bring light weight equipment youcan take with you easily. Do not leave anythingovernight that is unprotected.
If you are running the booth, be sure you haveat least one more person to work with you. Sittingalone for a 12-hour day can make the most enjoy-able job a task. Try to plan four-hour shifts amongvolunteers. This will allow you to take breaks andto see other booths and activities.
Finally, plan ahead and plan again. Use thecheck list below to help you organize ahead of timeso that your public appearance will go smoothlyand be rewarding for all.
BOOTH CHECKLIST
___ AMHA display order two months ahead
___ AMHA brochures ordered six weeks ahead
___ Club rosters available when people ask wherethey can locate farms.
___ Club membership forms available for currentMorgan owners to join with.
___ Video(s) available or ordered
___Tables with drapes
___ 2-3 chairs
___ Carpeting or cushioning rug (provides reliefto feet and joints from hard concrete floorsduring the day)
___ TV
___ VCR
___ Overhead lights to brighten stall and displays
___ Extension cords
___ Photos
___ Volunteers—dress appropriate to booth loca-tion (unheated or air conditioned buildings)
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___ Volunteers know what time their shifts are
___ Pencils, pens & paper
___ Refreshments, candy if offered
Other helpful materials will include:
__ Duct tape
__ Wire
__ Rubberbands
__ Decorative baskets
__ AMHA Membership directory
__ Staple Gun & staples
__ Vacuum or broom
__ Paper towels
__ Waste basket
MU
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INGREDIENTS:1 cup uncooked rolled oats 1 cup flour, all-purpose 1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup molasses 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
DIRECTIONS:Mix ingredients as listed in a bowl. Roll the dough into small balls and place them on a greased cook-ie sheet. Bake at 350-degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Wrap in colorful plastic wrap andfreeze until needed for your event.
On a warm night in July, thousands of spectatorscarpet the slopes of an outdoor amphitheater.Murmurs run through the crowd as the orchestradirector introduces the guest performers—a GrandPrix Dressage stallion and his rider. The pair per-forms a musical kür at Grand Prix level (Dressagechoreographed to music). The crowd bursts intoapplause each time a high level move is executed.Afterwards they are met with a standing ovation,red roses, and a bucket of carrots. Fifteen thousandspectators have just received a masterful introduc-tion to one of the lesser known equestrian sports.
The need to attract new participants and spec-tators to horse sports has never been more impor-tant. Horses must compete with other leisuresports for media attention and money. Attractingan audience through something familiar like musicis an ideal method of introducing them to Morgansand their versatility.
The above demonstration was promoted withstandard pre-concert publicity: posters, brochures,radio and television spots, and press releases. Adsran with the stallion's photograph dropped into theslot for "soloist." The Friday before the concert,
newspapers also printed a large photo of the con-ductor, rider, and horse perusing the score.
Despite the fact that the concert was free(sponsored by grants from local businesses), noth-ing prepared the organizers for the tremendousturnout. Most attendees had never seen or evenheard of dressage and were curious. According tothe rider, it was the largest and most appreciativecrowd for which she had ever performed.
The conductor chose the music after watchingvideos of the horse. He then worked with the riderand her choreography, adjusting the audiotapetempo to match the horse's particular rhythms. Healso prepared his musicians for these variations. Ashort description of the movements was writtenallowing the audience to appreciate a magnificentperformance.
Similar events can provide a symphony orches-tra which plays while horses are worked loose in anarena or trotted up the rail in a simple pattern. Addsome spotlights and ringside decorations, and youhave an elegant presentation of Morgans inmotion.
MUSICAL MORGANS
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Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a strong, lightweightmaterial used to make plumbing pipes. Lengths ofPVC pipe, the four-way crosses and caps can befound at hardware stores, plumbing supply houses,and some discount department stores. To constructa 60-foot x 100-foot ring, you’ll need to purchase:
• 30 three-foot lengths of 3/4” PVC pipe
• 120 one-foot lengths of 3/4” PVC pipe
• 30 PVC caps for 3/4” pipe
• 1 400-foot length of 1/4” nylon rope
(all quantities and lengths are approximate andshould be used as guidelines)
The ring should cost about $100 and will take twopeople 1 to 1 1/2 hours each to construct.
CONSTRUCTION
1) Using a saw, cut two notches on one end of eachthree-foot pipe. This is where the rope will fit.
2) When you assemble the ring on site (you shouldmake sure that everything fits in its properposition several days in advance), fit eachthree-foot pipe into the upright opening of thefour-way cross, notches facing up.
3) Fit one-foot lengths into the other openings ofthe four-way cross. This adds stability to your"base."
4) Position these bases approximately 12 to 15 feetapart to form an oval large enough to accommo-date a horse and buggy.
5. Position the rope into the notches of each three-foot upright pipe.
6. Top each three-foot pipe with a PVC cap.
A TRAVELING DEMONSTRATION RING
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1/4” nylon rope
3/4” PVC pipe 3’ length
10’ - 15’
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On the grounds of a California elementary school, a younggirl timidly approaches a horse. It's obvious from her reac-tion that she has never been near a horse before and isn'tsure what to think.
"It's OK, Morgans are gentle and friendly," says thehandler. Reassured, the little girl begins to pet the horse,cautiously at first, then gaining confidence as he continuesto stand quietly. Within minutes, they are fast friends."I'd love to have a horse like this," she says.
Morgans can be introduced to hundreds of chil-dren at a time through versatility demonstrationsand other activities at local schools. These eventsmight include showing a Morgan videotape, dis-tributing Morgan literature, riding and drivingdemonstrations, time for children to pet theMorgans, and/or a poster contest in which theydraw their impressions.
These activities always thrill children, teachers,and school officials. They also leave a lastingimpression of the breed.
APPROACH THE SCHOOL
First, visit the principal of your local school (oryour child’s teacher if you have children takingclasses) with a written proposal. It should beemphasized that your presentation will be fun, edu-cational, and beneficial to the children. A sampleintroductory letter follows this article if a littlemore influence is needed.
Agree upon a date. The promotion committee canmeet with club volunteers to determine horses andowner assignments. Well-mannered horses should beused. Generally, each owner handles his or her ownhorse and is expected to prepare a short speech onthe animal and activity being demonstrated.
BEFORE ARRIVING
Before you bring Morgans, ask the teacherinvolved if he or she would like to incorporateMorgans into the week’s lesson plan. Using basichorse terminology, you can incorporate Morgansinto art, math, English, and science classes. A sug-gested lesson plan follows this section. A few infor-mational pieces can also be provided in advance,including a safety sheet to teach the children beforeand when your Morgans arrive, a copy of the bookJustin Morgan Had A Horse, available in the AMHA
Gift Catalog, and historical pieces of information.
PREPARATION
Make your presentation lively. If you can start withsomething like a park horse, a reiner sliding to astop, or a hunter jumping into the demonstrationarea, all the better. A demonstration theme may behistorical, with the Morgan shown as a work, rac-ing, and pleasure horse. You can stress that theyare a breed capable of many things.
Each volunteer is responsible for his or her ownrehearsals. A few days before the presentation, allparticipants should meet at a central location for adress rehearsal.
Try to arrange to have a Morgan video shownat the school prior to the event. Doing so buildsexcitement and anticipation.
Educational literature can also be passed out atthis time. Be sure to order promotional materialfrom the AMHA well in advance. In addition, thebook Justin Morgan Had a Horse is an importantpiece of literature that should be available in theschool library.
Be sure to check on liability insurance. Doeseach owner's personal or farm policy cover contin-gencies, or does the school's umbrella policy coverindividuals, animals, and equipment while onschool grounds?
THE DEMONSTRATION
The day of the demonstration, horses should begroomed to look their best. Tack should be cleanedto perfection. If some type of barrier is desired, agood ring can be constructed with PVC pipe andnylon rope (see Ring Building Guidelines in thischapter). When the show ring is in place, childrencan sit in designated locations.
A master of ceremonies can open the programwith a speech on Morgan history and a few pointsabout today's Morgan. As each horse performs, act asa narrator.
Using young riders whenever possible is ideal.It enables children to dream that they could be rid-ing that beautiful, gentle Morgan horse.
Many children will never have seen nortouched a horse and are thrilled with the chance to
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59do so. When a large number of students are pres-ent, limit the number invited to touch the horse atonce. All the children can also be invited to attendupcoming shows within the area. It is a good ideato furnish them with written particulars to takehome.
FOLLOW-UP
In California, the San Diego Morgan Club inviteslocal students to enter a poster contest at theDiamond Jubilee Morgan Show. The response hasbeen so strong that more than half the local studentbody participates. During the show, a winner is
selected from each class and receives a blue ribbon.An overall winner also is chosen. He or shereceives a grand champion ribbon and an invitationto present a class trophy during the show.
In addition to promoting the breed to students,this type of event can gain large-scale publicity.When demonstrations receive media coverage,chances are good that officials from other schoolsor organizations will be interested in hostingMorgans.
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You can introduce Morgans to your communityand help your local school system get a leg up oninspiring students in history, reading, and art. If it’spossible to bring your Morgan to school for an houror two presentation, consider providing your schoolwith this outline of how to lead up to it. UsingMorgans and materials from the AMHA can pro-duce a fun-filled week of education for students.
DAY 1-MORGANS IN ART
Use the “Puzzle-It-Out” page or the “MorganColoring Poster,” available from AMHA. Studentscan color in the one-page puzzle and return toAMHA. In return, they will receive a new puzzleand a special prize, such as a Morgan pencil, ruler,button, photo, etc. The Puzzle-It-Out series hasten puzzles and prizes, with a certificate providedto each student who completes the series. TheMorgan coloring poster shows pictures ofMorgans in various disciplines which students cancolor in. The back of the poster includes historyand information about the Morgan breed. Theinformation can be read aloud by students in classand the information used for quizzes, spelling, orhistory.
DAY 2-MORGANS IN HISTORY
Morgans provide students with a living glimpse ofhow history stays with us. Use the “History of theMorgan” handouts from AMHA to see how
Morgans contributed to the Civil War, the PonyExpress, and were used by the U.S. Government inthe 1900s to breed better cavalry horses. Studentscan read from Civil War diaries about conditions inthe battlefield and the value of the soldier’sMorgan. They also can learn about the battle ofNorth and South, and how despite the differences,both sides valued the Morgan’s traits of being ahard worker, loyal, and able to survive by beingefficient. Use the “Morgan Horses of the CivilWar” article by Dan Cunningham, an 8th grader,to introduce the Civil War.
Questions to ask:
How old was the United States when JustinMorgan was born in 1789?
Can you find where he was born, inSpringfield, Massachusetts, on a map?
How many other breeds did Morgans con-tribute to? (see “The Morgan Horse, An AmericanLegend” or the National Geographic article).
DAY 3-MORGANS & ENGLISH
Students can write a letter to AMHA asking forinformation about the Morgan breed. They canalso visit the website at www.morganhorse.comand search for information on Morgan farms intheir area. For a class activity, they can read fromJustin Morgan Had A Horse by Marguerite Henry,read historical information from the AMHA, or dohorse research in the library.
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60DAY 4-MORGANS IN MATH
Use horse measurements in a math forum.
• Horses are measured in hands instead of feet.Four inches equals one hand.
• How many hands in a foot?
• Justin Morgan was 14 hands tall, how manyinches high is that?
• A horse weighs 900 to 1,000 pounds when full-grown. If you weigh 80 pounds, how many kidsweigh the same as a horse? Do you think agame of tug of war would be fair? How manypounds would be supported by each leg of thehorse?
• Have you ever heard the phrase, “Hungry as ahorse?” A horse can eat a lot. Morgans generallyneed very little feed to stay healthy, but otherhorses need much more. For instance, a younghorse who is still growing, like you are, needs onepound of grain for every 100 pounds he weighsIf you were a horse and weighed 500 pounds,how many pounds of grain would that be?
• How many bowls of cereal can you eat at once?If an extra large box of Cheerios weighs 2-pounds how many boxes of Cheerios would youeat each day if you were a 500 pound. horse? (21/2)
• A horse can drink 15 or more gallons of water a day.How many 12-oz. cans of Coke does that equal? (64oz in a gallon, about 26-1/2 cans of Coke).
• Does anyone remember what year the firstMorgan was born? (1789)
• If Justin Morgan was still alive today, how oldwould he be? (Current year minus 1789)
• Most Morgans live for about 30 years. Howmuch older would that be than you are?
DAY 4-MORGANS IN THE SCHOOL
Bring your Morgan to class for an afternoon.Before beginning any activity with the horse besure to review some basic safety rules with the stu-dents. A safety hand out can be found in theScripts & Handouts section.
Depending upon the age of students, your pres-entation can include:
SAFETY
The first lesson you need to know around horses isto ALWAYS be safe! They weigh ten times more
than you do. And while they can be very good, theycan get frightened if they don’t know where youare or what you are doing. So there are rules wehave to follow. First, be sure your horse can alwayssee you. If you can see his eyes, he can see you.Sometimes we have to step behind the horse. Awell-trained horse won’t kick you, but if he doesn’tknow that is you behind him, he might get fright-ened and kick out. That is why we always put ahand on the horse while we walk around, so he canfeel where we are. And we also talk to him so hecan keep track of us with his ears. A horse’s eyesaren’t like yours. His eyes are on the side of hishead, instead of the front. So he can see well toeither side of him, but he can’t see well right aheador behind.
GROOMING
Who has dogs or cats for pets? Do you brushthem?
We try to brush our horses every day so they’llhave healthy coats. Sometimes we don’t have timefor that, but we always brush them before we aregoing to ride. Can anyone guess why?
If we put a saddle on a dirty horse, there will bepressure on his back. That hurts! Have you everhad a little tiny pebble in your shoe that you had totake out because it hurt so much? That’s what thatdirt on the horse’s coat feels like, and if it hurts, hemight buck or try to run away. So we take care ofhim so he’ll take good care of us.
Then we clean his feet out, because rocks getcaught in his hooves.
And we put shoes on his hooves to protectthem. If you’ve ever walked on your gravel drive-way with bare feet, you know how much better itfeels if you have shoes for protection. So we protectour horses feet the same way if he’s going to go rid-ing on hard surfaces like that.
Another thing we do is very carefully pick thetangles out of his tail. Can anyone guess how longit takes each hair from the tail to grow to theground? (three years!) So we try not to break anyof the hairs off so that they won’t get short andfrizzy. That would be a bad hair day.
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61RIDING ATTIRE
Western AttireIf you were out on the range, herding 1,000 cattle tothe railroad station, and you were days away fromhospitals and roads, and had to sleep on the groundat night, and carry everything you needed on yourhorse, what would you bring? Who has an idea ofwhat would protect your head from the rain andsun? (hat) Why would a hat do that? (brim) Nowyou have to chase cattle through brush that can tearyour clothes, what would protect your legs? (chaps)Do you know why we call these chaps? From thename of the brush that it protects you from, which isHigh Chapparel. Now let’s say you get off yourhorse to make a fire, and discover you’ve stepped ona snake. What would protect your leg from itsfangs? (boots) And when it gets dusty what wouldkeep the dust from getting into your nose andmouth? (bandanna) Who knows why you wouldwant to wear a shirt with long sleeves and a collar?(dust, bugs, brush, sun protection)
Hunter Seat (and Dressage) AttireNow I’m across the sea in England and a popularactivity there is jumping fences. I have to dressappropriately there as well in case I fall off or gethurt. If I did fall, what would protect my head?(helmet) What are some things you wear helmetsfor today besides riding? (biking, roller blading,skiing, skateboarding). Now my horse goesthrough some brush and scratches his leg. Whatpart of my clothing would be perfect for a bandage?(long stock tie) And how would I fasten the band-age? (stock pin), while I’m riding, my horse willprobably get sweaty, and I don’t want my nice
clothes to get dirty because we have to wash every-thing by hand. What will keep the sweat on his bar-rel from soaking into my breeches? (high boots)
Saddle Seat AttireFinally, I’m working in New York City, and I wantto enjoy riding in the park during my lunchtime. I’mvery proud of my beautiful Morgan, so I want toshow off a little by really trotting up a storm. I alsohave to dress so that I can go right back to work.What would business people wear today when theywant to make a good impression (suit). And if Iwant to be proper, what do I wear on my head?(hat) And of course I can’t go back to my office withdirty hands! So what would I wear? (gloves)
GaitsIntroduce the various gaits, and pick two to threechildren to be Simon for “Simon Says” and havethe horse perform the gaits they call for.
TackDemonstrate how leverage is used with a curb bitand how direct pressure is applied with the snaffleas a basic Physics lesson.
DAY 5-LEARN MORE ABOUT MORGANS
Students can go to the library to find books on theMorgan breed such as Justin Morgan Had A Horse byMarguerite Henry. They can search for descriptionsof the Morgan in the encyclopedia, Internet, andhorse history books. They can also locate otherhorse-related books such as Walter Farley’s BlackStallion series and other books by MargueriteHenry.
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Your Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone
Date
Principal or Superintendent Name
School Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Principal (name):
This note is to follow up on my phone call last week regarding the Morgan horse presentation foryour grade school. As we discussed, I have included a presentation outline and safety
guidelines for your consideration.
With your approval, we will take the next step to arrange a presentation date and time for yourclasses, and to provide copies of Justin Morgan Had A Horse for classroom reading.
Thank you again for your interest and enthusiasm!
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
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Dear (teacher’s name):
Enclosed are copies of the book Justin Morgan Had a Horse and an outline of how horse informa-tion can be incorporated into your lesson plan prior to the Morgan demonstration on (date).Also enclosed is a safety sheet, which the students should review right before the demonstrationto ensure that everyone learns as much as possible during the demonstration.
We are excited to be visiting your class and will look forward to the visit!
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
SAMPLE SCHOOL LETTER
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In preparation for the Morgan horse demonstration,please review this safety list concerning horses.
1. Do not make loud noises around the horses.
2. Do not make sudden movements around the horses.
3. Do not run up to the horse; we will bring him to you.
4. NEVER stand behind the horse; he cannot see you
back there.
5. Always pat the horse on the neck or shoulder, not the
nose or face.
6. Remember that the horse might move while you are
petting him, so watch your (and his) feet.
7. Always let the horse know that you are there by
speaking to him and approaching him from the front orside so that he can see you.
8. Stay behind the ropes with your class during the
demonstation.
9. You will be able to see the horse up close in small
groups after the demonstration. Stay behind the ropesuntil your group is called.
SAFETY FIRST!
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Bringing Morgans to a major shopping mall is agreat way to promote the breed. As you can imag-ine, however, it is something that will take a greatdeal of planning and preparation. In addition to thework of coordinating schedules and locations withmall management, you will need publicity, horses,volunteers, promotional material, and more.
For the work and time that an event like thistakes, the amount of publicity that can be gained iswell worth it. Think of the number of people whoare in a large mall on most weekends, and think ofthe media response to the idea of a live horse in themiddle of a mall!
PLANNING
First, find a shopping mall that has a large openarea where a portable ring and stalls can be assem-bled. Reserve the mall for your promotion as muchas one year in advance. Your event should be slat-ed for a weekend that will have lots of shoppers(such as the weekend following Thanksgiving).
Three months before the event, find out whereyou can rent portable stalls, astro-turf, and sectionsof fence for privacy. Arrange to drape the stalls fora polished look. Also arrange for hay, straw, andshavings. Next, find out if the mall has a publicaddress system. If they do not, arrange for rentalequipment.
FUND RAISING
To raise money for expenses, the Michigan JustinMorgan Horse Association does four things:
1) Raffle horse related items such as artwork,
tack, grooming items
2) Take photos of a child on a Morgan at the mall
for the parents to purchase (you can also do
what the University of Connecticut has done
for their Christmas open barns, which is to
dress the horse with fabric antlers and sleigh
bells).
3) Sell promotional items.
4) Sell commercial exhibit space.
The Michigan Club has made the event a chari-ty benefit, with any proceeds going to a chosenorganization. This not only makes the mall project aworthy cause, but generates favorable publicity.
Publicity for the event should include:
• Press releases
• Flyers
• Posters
• Public service announcements
• Media kits
Mall management should be willing to postsigns and banners well in advance of the show. It isto their advantage to promote the event, as it canattract more shoppers.
The night before the event, set up the demon-stration area. Mall management should allow youto begin shortly before closing time and stay untileverything is complete.
Begin by positioning heavy-duty plastic on thefloor where stalls will be. Next, sheets of plywoodare layered over the plastic. The individual sheetsare fastened together with metal clamps. Theportable stalls are assembled and bedded and thedrapes hung.
While this is going on, other volunteers will setup the Morgan horse display (which can be bor-rowed from AMHA). Morgan literature will be dis-tributed from this booth and promotional materialscan be sold. The youth group and other exhibitorscan also be setting up displays at this time.
The next day, the horses are brought in earlyand settled and groomed before the mall opens.The public is welcome to look at the horses in theirstalls, but discourage them from touching unless ahandler gives permission.
During your demonstration, Morgans can beshown under saddle, in-hand, and in harness. Thistype of promotional event has been very successful.Training techniques, basic horse care, and historycan be discussed during performance intervals.Raffle winners can be drawn and donated itemspresented to winners.
Tangible rewards may include increased clubmembership, horse sales, and new clients.
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In Germany, they say “Guten MORgen” to say, “good morning.” But in the United States,
we say “GOOD Morgan” anytime we see a quality Morgan horse. Today we have (#) good
Morgans on hand to introduce you to America’s oldest and most versatile breed of horse.
The Morgan horse was born more than 200 years ago with the birth of a stallion named
“Figure,” in 1789. The small bay colt was used to clear fields in colonial New England. And while
he could work with the draft horses all day, he was still strong and agile enough to beat all com-
ers in both harness and saddle races in the evening—at the gallop, trot, and even the walk!
Before long, he was being referred to as Justin Morgan’s horse for the man who owned them.
In time, Justin Morgan became the stallion’s name as well.
This powerful little stallion quickly gained a reputation among the horsemen of Vermont,
who brought their best mares to breed to him. He was of unknown parentage, but was such a
genetic gold mine that no matter WHAT type of mare he was bred to, the offspring always had
his characteristics. They included an upright neck; a laid-back shoulder; a short, compact back;
a powerful hip; and an intelligent, beautiful head. In addition, his foals were extremely intelli-
gent and quick to learn. They had the stamina to work all day. And their hooves and legs were
exceptionally strong and remained sound in the harsh conditions they faced in colonial America.
Two hundred years and some twenty generations later, the offspring of Justin Morgan
remain true to his form. Today is a “good morning” for Morgans, as we are joined by (#) cham-
pion Morgans from (location).
Representing the (riding style name) Pleasure Morgan is (name).
(nickname), as he is called, is a (age)-year-old (sex). He is ridden by his owner, (name).
(owner name) has owned (horse name) for (# years), and they have quickly formed a partner-
ship that allows her to ride him in many situations. (add any interesting personal notes such as
horse is also ridden by 4-year-olds, works cattle, does search patrols, breeds mares and still has
a sweet disposition, etc.)
Our other Morgan representative is (name), a (age)-year-old (sex) ridden by (riders name).
“(nickname)” is a multi-champion in (discipline) pleasure. He shows the Morgan’s true versa-
tility in his willingness to quickly and easily switch from one discipline to another with ease.
The Morgan horse is known for many things. He is recognized by old horseman for his abil-
ity to work cattle in mountainous terrain all day, when other horses are ready to quit after a few
hours.
The Denver, Colorado, mounted patrol swear by their Morgans because their feet and legs
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1stand up to hours of working on hard pavement without the splints and foot problems they expe-
rience with other horses.
The Morgans’ kind, gentle dispositions make them popular mounts in therapeutic riding pro-
grams.
Their stamina and agility make them the premier choice for carriage driving, where they have
successfully represented the United States in numerous World Championships over the last sev-
eral decades with great success.
Their ability to thrive on limited rations; to remain level-headed under fire; and to march all
day without becoming lame made them the favored mount during the Civil War. The U.S.
Government was so impressed by these characteristics that they bred Morgans for the U.S. cav-
alry until 1951, when the breeding herd was disbanded and the cavalry was turned over to jeeps
and tanks.
Anyone who has owned a Morgan can tell you of their incredible personalities. They love
their owners with the same loyalty we associate with our favorite dogs, and since most Morgans
live well into their 20s and beyond, they are like members of the family for their owners.
The Morgan influence can be seen in every American breed of horse. Countless Morgan
brood mares were absorbed into Quarter Horse programs during the early 1900s. The founda-
tion stallion of the Tennessee Walker, Allen F-1, was a Morgan grandson. Most of the founda-
tion stallions of the American Saddlebred were Morgan offspring. And the American
Standardbred was influenced by Morgan ancestors when it was started in the 1800s.
The contributions of the Morgan horse to the other breeds of America, and to his owners
today, make it easy to see why a good Morgan can lead to a “guten morgen” when you own one!
They are a people-loving horse; they would love to meet you in person!
The (club name) can provide you with details in booth number (#). Come over and visit, and
be sure to stop and visit (nicknames) as they leave the ring this morning!
(horses walk to rail or pause at gate if allowed by the exposition for horses to be petted and questions asked.
For real fan appeal, riders should spot any small children at the back of the crowd and say with a big smile, “I
think we have a young lady in the back who would like to get a little closer!”)
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Demonstration ScriptIn 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States. The U.S.
Constitution was signed into law. And in Springfield, Massachusetts, a small, bay colt was born
who would help build the new country and found America’s original breed of horse, the Morgan
horse.
Called “Figure,” the colt’s parentage was a mystery. Some thought he was sired by a
Thoroughbred. Others claim the sire was a Dutch-bred stallion. While these details are lost to
history, his style, beauty, intelligence and good sense guaranteed that he would not be forgotten.
In the years to come, the accomplishments of the little bay stallion became legendary. His
ability to work hard all day, move with agility over rocky fields and through dense woods, and
still be fresh when the work was done, made him a popular stallion to breed mares to. His leg-
end only increased as the offspring of these mares displayed the same remarkable characteristics
as their sire. In the process, people referred to him as “Justin Morgan’s horse” in reference to his
owner. Before long he also became known by the same name as his owner, Justin Morgan.
Today, 20 generations have passed, but the offspring of Justin Morgan still share his remark-
able traits.
The Morgan’s intelligence and good sense make him a perfect companion. His willingness and
even-temperament make him easy for all to enjoy: children or adults, individuals or families, ama-
teurs or professionals. His soundness, athleticism, and stamina make him a horse that gets the job
done. The Morgan’s thriftiness and longevity have made this breed a bargain for more than 200
years, a horse that is easy to love and affordable to own. He is an aristocrat of the horse world,
yet realistically priced.
The beauty of the Morgan horse lifts the heart. With his proud carriage, upright and grace-
ful neck, intelligent face, and kind eyes, he exists today because he has pleased his owners over
the last two centuries. To please people is the Morgan’s heritage.
In bygone days, the Morgan earned his keep by clearing wooded mountainsides in Vermont.
After a full day of work, he could out walk, trot and run his challengers, under saddle or in har-
ness. His strong, ground-covering gaits made him perfect for travelling long distances in the new
world, and his willingness to take on new challenges established his value with men who appre-
ciated a good horse.
Today, these same traits make the Morgan just as valuable to modern man. Horses today are
asked to specialize more often than they are asked to do multiple tasks, but the versatile Morgan
is a breed that can fill any role with the greatest success. You will find today’s Morgans winning
in every arena of competition. Whether you ride or drive a Morgan for pleasure at home, or in
competitions at the local, national, or international level, the Morgan is the perfect horse.
In the 200 years since Justin Morgan was born, Morgans have contributed their best char-
acteristics to all the major breeds of the United States.
The agility, stamina, beauty, and intelligence the Morgan is known for have been inherited by
the American Quarter Horse. Popular Quarter Horse stallions such as Joe Bailey, Yellow
Jacket, Royal King, and Joe Hancock were half or full-blooded Morgans. Old timers present at
the time can still tell you of the train cars full of Morgan mares unloaded on the plains of the King
Ranch in Texas to add Morgan traits to the ranch’s cattle horses.
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2The Saddlebred world used an abundance of Morgan blood to develop this showy breed.
Ninety-percent of today’s Saddlebreds still carry Morgan blood and the spirited attitude and
flash needed to win in competition.
The Tennessee Walking Horse foundation sire, Allen F-1, had Morgan sires on both his sire
and dam’s side. Today’s Walking Horses still have the proud look, endurance and personality the
Morgan is known for.
The American Standardbred drew on Morgan sons and daughters to add stamina, substance
and purity of gait to their trotting lines.
Each of these breeds has benefitted from the Morgan’s contributions of sound feet and legs,
beauty, intelligence, and endurance.
The Denver Police Department depends upon Morgans to help patrol the streets and con-
trol crowds. According to their officers, the Morgan has an above average intelligence and will
let you talk him into situations. They also have the best legs and feet of the entire horse world.
They have had no problems whatsoever with feet and legs. They don’t have the lumps and bumps
like most patrol horses get, they just go, go, go. One Denver officer has said, “I believe that my
patrol horse should go wherever I say to go, whether it’s upstairs, downstairs, whatever. And the
Morgan is that kind of horse. If I wanted him to swim the ocean, he would.”
Are YOU looking for a horse that can do it all, and do it with style, balance and a winning
attitude? Then you are looking for the Morgan horse.
Perhaps your interests lie in enjoying a quiet day on the trail. Or maybe you would like to
enter the show ring and enjoy the animated excitement of the park class, the mannerly English
pleasure, pleasure driving or classic pleasure horse, the ground-covering action of the hunter
pleasure horse, or the easy going western horse. The Morgan fills all of these categories with a
winning style. You will also be reminded of bygone days, when horses and buggies ruled the
road, by taking part in the exciting roadster class.
If your interest lies in the sport disciplines, the Morgan is your horse again.
Morgans are unmatched in carriage driving. They have represented the United States in
multi-world-class competitions and have come home with numerous honors. Their speed, stam-
ina and willingness to obey their driver in demanding situations makes the Morgan the most
popular breed of carriage horse in the United States.
In the elegant world of Dressage, Morgans have earned top honors against all breeds in
national competition. They are naturally balanced and collect for precise movements with ease.
Their medium size makes Morgans especially suitable for riders who want to enjoy all aspects of
working with their dressage horse.
This same balance makes the Morgan uniquely qualified for the exciting world of reining.
Their agility and power produce winning sliding stops, spins, and reining maneuvers.
If you prefer galloping cross country, Morgans excel in the world of eventing and competi-
tive trail. The Morgan’s compact size allows him to get in and out of tricky jumping combina-
tions safely. His stamina and endurance make him a champion in both combined training and
competitive trail rigors.
The Morgan’s agility and power make him an exciting mount in the jumper ring. And few
can match his courage and intelligence when faced with jumping challenges.
If you are interested in a horse that has proven himself through the rigors of time, you need
a Morgan horse. Stylish, sound, sensible, intelligent and beautiful, the Morgan breed has proven
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itself a horse for all ages.
The American Morgan Horse Association, headquartered in beautiful Shelburne, Vermont,
can provide you with Morgan information and assistance in finding Morgan farms near you. If
you are visiting Vermont, be sure to stop and see the National Museum of the Morgan Horse.
Your call or visit is always welcome, with the headquarters of America’s original breed, the
Morgan horse.
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3Demonstration Script
VersatilityOrder of Go (entering the ring)1. Brief intro, mostly music, when finished, line up by two’s at either side of the ingate.
2. All enter at a brisk trot
a. Reiner with flag down center, turn left and circle the ring
b. Park down the center, turn right & circle the ring going reverse
c. English pleasure down center, turn left
d. Pleasure driving down center, turn right
e. In-Hand enters & poses in center
f. Western Junior down center, turn left
g. Western Senior down center, turn right
3. Continue circling the first way of the ring until the final person enters, then proceed to thegate end of the arena and line up facing the center of the arena.
PARK - insert rider name
ENGLISH PLEASURE-insert rider name
PLEASURE DRIVING-insert driver name
HUNTER PLEASURE-insert rider name
WESTERN PLEASURE-insert rider name
REINING-insert rider name
IN-HAND-insert handler name
DemonstrationAt the start of the individual demos, find a place on the gate end of the arena and face the
center of the ring to watch the demos. When your name is read, do free form demonstration,being sure to include canter, trot, extended canter or trot, using the center of the ring and avoid-ing the horses on the rail.
Single Horses Demo:
Be sure to use each side of the ring and go across the diagonal at least twice. Keep it fastpaced using the gaits that set your horse off best. We’ll have a lively selection of patriotic march-ing tunes, so the trot will be an easy gait to work with. As an outline,
Go up the center at a trot or canter.
Halt in the middle of the arena for a moment.
Continue at trot or canter to far end.
Turn left, go to corner, turn left and come across the diagonal to the opposite corner.
After the corner, turn right, pass in front of the lineup.
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Turn right in corner after group, go across other diagonal, turn left at opposite corner.
Come down center of arena.
Halt in middle.
If time permits, do a small figure 8 touching each of the rails.
When you hit the center of the 8, return to the lineup.
Dual Horse Demos:
Leave the line up, go up the center as a pair.
When you get to the middle of the ring, break apart and make a small circle to the rail, meetback in the middle.
Trot from the middle to the far end of the arena.
Split apart from each other as you approach the rail.
Jog down opposite sides of the rail back toward the group.
Before reaching the group, turn toward each other, pass left to left.
At the corner, pick up a canter, go up the long side of the ring.
Half way up, do a circle to the other rail, passing each other right to right twice before return-ing to your rail. Return to your rail, continue to the far end of the ring.
Trot at the corner, meet at the center, turn towards the group, trot together down the center,at the middle, break apart and do a small circle to the rail and back, continue to trot back to theline-up.
Driving horse use a road trot in place of a canter.
Order of Go (exit same as for entrance)When the In-Hand horse finishes its demo, play to the crowd by going toward the rail on both
sides of the arena. Move toward the center of the arena so that the other horses can circle on therail and leave.
1. At conclusion when announcer says, “And There You Have It, The American MorganHorse...” performance horses and quadrille members turn right, circle the ring once and leavering at an animated trot.
2. When they exit, the In-Hand horse trots out.
3. Remember this is a crowd-pleasing demonstration, so wave, smile, look happy, pat yourhorse, and have a blast. When you do your individual demo, show why Morgans are so great byshowing your horse with its most distinguished performance characteristics.
Be On Time, Be Prepared, Be Cooperative
10-MINUTE PROGRAM
As the horses are at the ingate, announcer says:
HERE COME THE MORGANS!
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CHILDREN AND FELLOW HORSE LOVERS, THE
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3AMERICAN MORGAN HORSE ASSOCIATION IS DELIGHTED TO PRESENT THEHORSE THAT HELPED TO BUILD OUR COUNTRY, THE PRIDE AND PRODUCTOF AMERICA, AND OUR FIRST BREED... THE AMERICAN MORGAN HORSE!
Start Cassette Quadrille Music
THE MORGAN’S INTELLIGENCE, AGILITY AND STAMINA MADE THEM AFAVORED MOUNT IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES. SO MANY THOU-SANDS OF THIS WONDERFUL BREED GAVE THEIR LIVES DURING THE WARTHAT THE MORGAN WAS NEARLY EXTINGUISHED. IN HONOR OF THE MANYMORGANS WHO FOUGHT IN THE WAR THAT DEFINED OUR COUNTRY, WEPRESENT TO YOU A TEAM OF MORGANS AND THEIR RIDERS.
Reiner enters with flag
THE FIRST MORGAN HORSE WAS BORN IN 1789, MORE THAN 200 YEARSAGO AND THE SAME YEAR GEORGE WASHINGTON BECAME PRESIDENT.DARK BAY IN COLOR, WITH AN ABUNDANT MANE AND TAIL, SMALL ANDALERT EARS, AND A KEEN EYE, THE FIRST MORGAN WAS NOTED FOR HISMARVELOUS DISPOSITION AND INCREDIBLE FEATS OF STRENGTH ANDENDURANCE.
Park horse enters center of ring at a brisk trot.
ALTHOUGH SMALL IN STATURE, STANDING 14 HANDS AND WEIGHING 950POUNDS, JUSTIN MORGAN COULD OUT WORK, OUT PULL AND OUT TROTALL COMERS. AND HE WAS BEAUTIFUL, WITH HIS UPRIGHT HEADSET ANDFINELY CHISELED HEAD AND MUSCULAR BODY.
English Horse Enters
MORGANS COMMAND A PRESTIGIOUS PLACE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. AMORGAN NAMED COMANCHE WAS THE ONLY U.S. SURVIVOR AT THE BATTLEOF THE LITTLE BIG HORN. FREDERICK REMINGTON, THE FAMOUS WESTERNARTIST, CALLED THE MORGAN THE BEST ALL-AROUND HORSE THIS COUN-TRY EVER DEVELOPED.
Driving Horse Enters
MORGAN TROTTERS WERE THE FASTEST IN THE LAND. AND THEY HADTHE STAMINA TO PULL A BUGGY OR MAIL COACH THE 125 MILES FROMBOSTON TO VERMONT IN A SINGLE DAY.
In-Hand Horse Enters
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MORGANS ARE THE FIRST DISTINCT BREED OF AMERICAN HORSE.UNLIKE OTHER BREEDS WHICH FORMED BY CROSSING HORSES OF SIMILARTYPES, MORGANS ALL CLAIM LINEAGE TO A COMMON ANCESTOR, JUSTINMORGAN. THIS TYPE OF BREEDING MAKES THEM VERY PREPOTENT IN PASS-ING ALONG THEIR TRAITS. THE MORGAN’S CHARACTERISTICS HAVE BEENSO DESIRABLE IN THE PAST 200 YEARS THAT THEY WERE USED IN THE FOUN-DATION STOCK OF THE STANDARDBRED, QUARTER HORSE, SADDLEBRED,AND TENNESSEE WALKERS, AMONG OTHERS.
Western Pair Enters
TODAY THERE ARE MORE THAN 100,000 LIVING, REGISTERED MORGANSAROUND THE WORLD.
THE MODERN MORGAN IS VERSATILE. IT RIDES AND DRIVES EQUALLYWELL. IT IS SHOWN IN DRESSAGE, AS A JUMPER, AND AS A SHOW HORSEBOTH ENGLISH AND WESTERN. MORGANS ARE WORLD CLASS DRIVINGHORSES, WINNING MANY INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS. OUT WEST, MOR-GANS ARE USED ON RANCHES AS CUTTING HORSES AND ON PACK TRIPS.MOST IMPORTANTLY, THEY ARE THE PERFECT BACKYARD HORSE, BEINGAFFECTIONATE, SOUND AND GENTLE. AND THEY ARE TERRIFIC AS HARDYTRAIL HORSES. THE MORGAN CAN DO IT ALL!
Horses each make a small, 10’ circle where they are on the rail. Continue to entrance of ring and line up.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 32 WAYS YOU CAN RIDE AND DRIVE HORSESAND THE MORGAN EXCELS AT MOST OF THEM. WE ARE PLEASED TO HAVESOME OF TODAY’S MOST POPULAR STYLES OF RIDING DEMONSTRATED INTHE RING, SO LET’S LOOK AT MORGANS IN ACTION!
Wait briefly for horses to reach the gate end of arena.
IF YOU WANT TO PUT ON A SHOW, YOU CAN’T BEAT A HIGH-STEPPINGPARK HORSE.
Park horse steps away.
THE PEACOCK OF THE HORSE WORLD, HORSEMEN KNOW THAT YOUDON’T MAKE A PARK HORSE WITH TRAINING, THEY ARE BORN THAT WAY.Horse’s name PERSONIFIES A GREAT ONE. Insert info on horse’s show/owner/rider history. IF WECAN GET A BIG REBEL YELL FROM THE AUDIENCE WE’LL SEE WHAT A PARKHORSE DOES WHEN HE’S IN THE SPOTLIGHT! HOW ABOUT THAT PARKHORSE?!?
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3THERE WE GO!
SOME HORSES ARE JUST A BIT MORE LAID BACK, BUT STILL LOVE TOSHOW OFF FOR THEIR RIDERS AND DRIVERS, AND AN APPRECIATIVE AUDI-ENCE. THESE HORSES MAKE FANTASTIC ENGLISH PLEASURE AND PLEASUREDRIVING HORSES.
Pleasure Driving & Saddle horse leave lineup
IF YOU LIKE TO RIDE A SHOWY HORSE, insert horse name IS SHOWING YOUHOW IT’S DONE. Insert info on horses show/owner/rider history. LET’S HAVE A BIG CHEERFOR THIS CLASSIC MORGAN, insert horse’s name!
BEING A BACK SEAT DRIVER HAS A WHOLE NEW MEANING WHEN YOUARE DRIVING A MORGAN. Insert horse’s name TAKES ORDERS JUST FINE FOR HISDRIVER, insert driver name. Insert info on horses show/owner/rider history. THEY ARE A PERFECTEXAMPLE OF HOW MUCH THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN ENJOY THE MORGANHORSE, WHETHER YOU LIKE TO RIDE OR TAKE A SOFTER SEAT IN THEBUGGY. THE DRIVING HORSE IS A JOY FOR DRIVERS OF EVERY AGE ANDEXPERIENCE IN THE SHOW RING AND TROTTING ALONG A COUNTRY LANE.HOW ABOUT A HAND FOR THIS SPORTY PLEASURE DRIVING MORGAN!
STALLIONS MUST ALWAYS BE HANDLED WITH CARE, BUT AS A BREED, THEMORGAN’S PERSONALITY ALLOWS MOST OWNERS TO ENJOY THEIR STAL-LIONS WITH PROPER TRAINING.
Western Pair Leaves Lineup
WE HAVE TWO STALLIONS DEMONSTRATING THE MORGAN WESTERNAND HUNTER HORSE THIS AFTERNOON AND SHOWING WHAT GREAT PER-SONALITIES THEY ARE FOR EVERY AGE.
THE HANDSOME stallion name IS A SEASONED SHOW CAMPAIGNER, (rider wave toaudience) Insert info on horses show/owner/rider history. WITH THAT SMOOTH, STEADY, WEST-ERN JOG, YOU CAN SEE WHY THIS GREAT STALLION CAN BE RIDDEN ALLDAY.
A VERSATILE EXAMPLE OF MORGAN PERSONALITY AND ATHLETIC ABILI-TY, OUR OTHER WESTERN MORGAN, horse’s name, (rider wave to audience) Insert info onhorses show/owner/rider history, AND IS A STEADY RIDE FOR rider name IN THE HUNTERDIVISION.
BOTH OF THESE STALLIONS ARE NOT ONLY RIDDEN IN THE SHOW RING,BUT USED IN THE BREEDING SHED. AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY HAVE NO PROB-LEM MINDING THEIR MANNERS!
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THEY CAN JOG ALL DAY AND PUT ON A SHOW, BUT IF YOU WANT THE
REAL SPORTS CAR OF THE MORGAN BREED, REINING IS WHERE IT’S AT!
Reining horse comes forward
THIS HANDSOME MORGAN REINING STALLION IS horse name Name Insert info on
horses show/owner/rider history. HOW ABOUT THOSE SPINS?
Pause for Reining horse to return to lineup
YOU’VE SEEN THEM AT WORK, NOW LET’S TAKE A MOMENT TO ENJOY THE
MORGAN IN ITS NATURAL BEAUTY.
In-Hand Horse comes forward
Horse Name IS A LOVELY EXAMPLE OF MORGAN TYPE AND CONFORMATION.
Insert info on horses show/owner/rider history. HIS EXPRESSIVE FACE, BALANCED CONFOR-
MATION, AND KIND DISPOSITION ARE THE TRADEMARKS THAT MAKE MOR-
GANS A JOY TO WORK WITH AND OWN.
All horses come forward. Half way up, the middle horses halt. The outside horses continue up the rail and
turn down the center toward the gate. Inside horses turn toward them and follow. Lefthand horse will take the
lead and leave the ring single file. The horse who is on the left, WHEN FACING THE GATE, will take the
lead over the one on the left.
Everyone wave, smile, and pat your horses as you leave.
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, THE AMERICAN MORGAN HORSE! WE WEL-
COME ALL OF YOU TO VISIT OUR DEMONSTRATION HORSES AND MORGAN
FOALS BACK IN THE STABLES AND IN BOOTHS insert Booth number & building
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The Morgan Horse
America’s Pride and ProductThe Morgan breed began more than 200 years ago in Springfield, Massachusetts, with the
birth of the breed’s foundation sire, Justin Morgan. All Morgan horses trace their lineage to
Justin Morgan, the only horse to have a breed named for him. While little is known about Justin
Morgan’s parentage, this beautifully symmetrical, stylish, and vibrant animal was a popular stal-
lion in his day. His ability to produce sons and daughters in his image was legendary. All
Morgans trace back to this single horse.
The Morgan is easily distinguished from other breeds by an upheaded appearance, beautiful
head, compact body, and long, thick mane and tail. The height of a Morgan horse ranges from
14.1 to 15.2 hands, with some individuals over or under. The Morgan’s body is of medium length,
well-muscled, smooth, and stylish. The Morgan has clean, dense bone and well-developed joints
and tendons. The most predominant color is chestnut, followed by bay, brown, and black. A few
individuals are gray, buckskin, creme, or palomino.
Today’s Morgan is known for its kind disposition and athletic ability. Morgan horses are fill-
ing the show rings of the nation, competing within the breed as well as with other breeds. The
Morgan is equally at ease in harness or under saddle. They are successful as stock horses,
endurance and trail competitors and in western, jumping, and Dressage classes. As a driving
horse, they are used for pleasure and combined driving; and as show horses, they are winning in
pleasure driving, park, roadster, western pleasure, Dressage, and jumping classes.
Morgans also help teach countless children and beginning adults to know and love horses.
The kind and willing nature of the Morgan makes him the ideal mount for the beginning horse
enthusiast. The breed’s tractability and good spirit make it a pleasure for experienced horsemen.
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Into the FutureHe was America’s first breed of horse and was a legend in his own time. His offspring held
racing records and have contributed to every other American breed of horse. Today, Morgans
win in nearly every type of competition, from trail and jumping to reining and Dressage. Their
breed is neither a fad nor status symbol, but the sort of prized possession that makes even his
first-time owner an undying promoter of his fine points.
The Morgan horse is known for its versatility. Its role and service to mankind has adjusted to
the changing times created by evolution. Today the Morgan horse is many things to many peo-
ple, from a working range horse and scholar of obedience, to a breathtaking, animated creature
of precision, unparalleled in equine beauty. He excels in and out of the show ring, under saddle
or in harness; as a trail horse, roadster, or jumper; with precocious youngsters he can be relied
upon to have the patience of job; and is willing to tolerate newly acquired masters during their
apprenticeship in basic horsemanship.
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One Horse, Many Talents
The Morgan horse is truly a pioneer in American breeds. It takes its name from Justin
Morgan, the legendary stallion of the 1700s, who was the sole founder of America’s most versa-
tile breed. Justin Morgan was said to have been sired by a stallion predominantly of eighteenth
century Arabian or Thoroughbred blood, out of a mare with similar breeding. Although no
records exist as to his actual breeding, this single stallion was of such quality that all of his off-
spring displayed the remarkable characteristics which have made the breed great.
Morgans have great speed and endurance, with a gentle, willing disposition. Morgans are
especially effective in crowd control efforts and are used by many metropolitan police forces.
Because of their great disposition, they are used as mounts in therapeutic riding programs as
well.
The Morgan excels in the show ring. He is strong in harness and excels as a pleasure and car-
riage driving horse. This American breed has retained its popularity and value through the
changing society in the United States for more than 200 years.
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T Ways to Use MorgansThe Park and English pleasure horse is the peacock of the show ring. In days gone by, busi-
ness men would spend their noon hours parading about the park on their fanciest horse. The
Morgan’s brisk pace, snappy action, and elegant carriage made him a popular choice for these
park outings. Today, the Park horse epitomizes that type of horse. These fancy, high-stepping,
snorting horses are so keyed to their performance that their hooves barely touch the ground as
they prance around the ring.
The park horse’s fiery presentation is the opposite of his country cousin, the carriage horse.
The carriage horse must be able to pull a heavy vehicle up and down hills, navigate twisting turns
and obstacles, and even stand quietly if, heaven forbid, his driver errs and needs to unhook after
getting caught on an obstacle.
In the world of carriage driving, the Morgan is surpassed by no other breed. The Morgan’s
tractable temperament allows it to excel in both single and multiple hitches. Morgans have won
the United States Equestrian Team Pairs Driving Championships six times, and Morgans dom-
inate in the singles division Morgans. Their sound legs and hooves cover miles of rugged terrain
with no complaint. Their intelligence and courage are ideal for overcoming obstacles that would
have many horses turning in fear. And their strong, ground covering gaits and stamina help them
to cross the finish line as quickly as larger horses.
When cattlemen needed a horse they can ride in the range for days, that will never take a lame
step, and can survive on modest rations, they turn to the Morgan. Today, the western pleasure
horse mirrors his ancestors’ appealing ways, with a ground-covering walk, easy jog and rocking
horse canter. When other horses have put in a full day’s work and are ready for a rest, the
Morgan will still be working at a steady pace. The breed’s natural balance allows it to easily pick
over rocky slopes, narrow trails, wooded hillsides, and anywhere a sensible athlete is needed.
Today, these abilities are observed in the reining class, where the Morgan is called upon to go
from a halt to a full gallop, stop just as quickly, turn on a dime, and then start and go the other
way, just as he would to run down a stray cow on the range.
The Morgan’s grace and agility also are called upon in the Dressage ring. The equine equiv-
alent of human ballet, Dressage calls upon the horse to gather himself for precise movements and
then powerfully thrust off in extended gaits at the walk, trot and canter. Dressage Morgans have
proven their abilities by placing annually in the top 20 in national year-end results. Their size
makes them ideal for ladies or youth to enjoy at home and in competition. Their desire to please
makes them a pleasure to work with during the long hours spent practicing the intricate move-
ments of Dressage.
When a rider prefers a speedier event, he can turn his Morgan to the sport of eventing. The
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Morgan’s powerful build and try-anything attitude allow him to hurdle the fences and obstacles
that are the ultimate test of a horse’s courage, soundness, and training. His strong legs, heart, and
lungs also allow him to maintain steady, forward progress over the most demanding courses.
Hunter and jumper horses are called upon to display their jumping abilities in the ring. The
hunter is expected to jump at a steady, calm pace. The jumper, on the other hand, is judged sole-
ly on his speed around the course. Once again, Morgans can take the prize in either ring.
When a rider prefers to show off his hunter’s pleasant way of going, he can turn to the pleas-
ure class, where entries are judged on their movement and conformation. This class is an ideal
way for riders to learn to deal with “show nerves” of turning in a perfect performance under the
judge’s eye.
In the 1800s when the United States had developed a road system, a horse and carriage was
the best way to get from one point to another. Naturally, the travel would be much more excit-
ing if a person had a horse quick enough to challenge other horses he met to a quick “brush” or
race along the road. Morgans excelled at these brushes, and when several horsemen gathered to
match their horses against each other, one Morgan reigned supreme. His name was Ethan Allen
50. A great grandson of Justin Morgan, he sired a dynasty of horses in his image.
Today, Morgans can still be found challenging each other in harness. But instead of racing
on the road, they can be seen in the show ring in the roadster class.
If you prefer a more relaxing, casual day at the reins, the same Morgan is ready for the job.
A pleasure to own, to take on the trail or in the show ring, America’s first breed is up to the task.
No matter what your interests are, be it driving cross country, leaping formidable obstacles
on a jumping course, taking the rail in your favorite pleasure class, or just enjoying the compa-
ny of a personable horse on the trail, Morgans are bred for the job. Beauty, intelligence, and
soundness will take you where you want to go on a Morgan horse.
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T The Perfect
Family HorseA little “horsing around,” many families find, can be great fun, great exercise, and great at
bringing family members closer together. Those families have discovered the joys of riding
Morgan horses.
Popular as champion trotters more then two centuries ago and long famous for their special
love of people, Morgans have been called “the perfect family horse.” America’s oldest light horse
breed, they are easily distinguished by their compact, muscular, yet fine and graceful bodies;
their expressive heads and large, prominent eyes; their upheadedness and proud manner of car-
riage; and their alertness, stamina, animation, adaptability, and kind dispositions.
To add to the fun of riding Morgans, thousands of families who either own Morgan horses
or ride them at riding clubs join the American Morgan Horse Association. AMHA works with
more than 120 recognized local and international clubs and National Service Organizations and
youth clubs in the United States and abroad. AMHA also sponsors a variety of programs for
their members including those that recognize participation in competition against other breeds,
riding or driving for enjoyment, and a special program just for youth.
As American as apple pie, the Morgan was instrumental in building our great nation and con-
tinues to be a great horse for building family dreams today.
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America’s Oldest BreedThe Morgan breed can be traced to one phenomenal eighteenth century stallion owned by
the schoolmaster, Justin Morgan. This horse’s reputation for strength and endurance spread
throughout the land, and soon early Morgans were invaluable for clearing fields in colonial New
England and then beating all comers in trotting, running, pulling, and even walking races after
a hard day’s work. The Morgan is unlike other American breeds that are based upon a founda-
tion sire later in history, or upon a group of horses chosen for similar traits such as gait, color, or
speed, in that it can trace its roots back to an earlier starting point than any other breed.
The Morgan’s soundness, strength, stamina, and irresistible disposition allow the breed to
continue excelling at a world-class level today. The Morgan is an all-around horse, happy under
harness or saddle, in a competition arena or on the trail. Morgan horse clubs across the country,
recognized by the American Morgan Horse Association, sponsor a variety of activities including
group trail rides and horse shows.
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T AMHA Programs• Breed Registry—The focal point of any breed association is the maintenance of accurate
records of bloodlines. The American Morgan Horse Registry processes and maintains the
records of more then 110,000 living registered Morgans and 45,000 Morgan owners.
• Breed Journal—The Morgan Horse is published nine times a year with, on average, 6,500
issues being distributed nationally and internationally. Through the pages of the magazine, the
breed is promoted and history is preserved. AMHA maintains its own editorial and production
staff to maintain the quality of the publication.
• Youth Program—More than 1,400 youth belong to the AMHA Youth (AMHAY) Program.
AMHAY offers many achievement and educational programs for Morgan youth. Through these
programs, AMHA is able to improve the quality of Morgan care and showmanship, creating a
greater appreciation of the breed and helping to ensure its future.
• Breed History—To preserve the history of the Morgan horse and its many contributions to
the foundation of early America, the National Museum of the Morgan Horse was built as part of
the permanent headquarters in Shelburne, Vermont. The American Morgan Horse Institute col-
lects all types of Morgan-related artifacts, memorabilia, works of art, books, and resource items
to place on permanent exhibit.
• Breed Promotion and Public Relations—The promotion of the Morgan breed through
brochures, videos, and advertisements is an important responsibility of AMHA. Regular news
releases, promotional items, and coordination of breed marketing programs are a part of this
effort.
• Recognized Morgan Clubs—AMHA has granted recognized status to more than 120
Morgan clubs. These clubs receive assistance in promotional and educational Morgan activities
as well as information from the AMHA office on current developments in AMHA and the horse
industry.
• Establishment of Morgan Judging Standards and Show Rules—The AMHA Judging
Standards Committee constantly reviews show rules and judging standards to guarantee that the
Morgan retains his versatility, good conformation, substance, mind, and kind temperament.
Morgan show division rules are published in the bi-annual United States Equestrian Federation
(USEF) Rule Book. Morgan Judges Schools are conducted annually by AMHA to ensure the
highest quality of judges in the show ring.
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The History of theMorgan Horse
In 1789, a small bay colt named Figure was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Given toVermont schoolteacher Justin Morgan as payment for a debt, he was destined to play a dramat-ic role in the development of our nation.
During his life, Figure’s versatility as a working horse and prepotency as a sire earned himgreat respect in colonial New England. In keeping with the custom of the time, he also becameknown by his owner’s name, Justin Morgan.
From this one stallion and three of his offspring (the stallions Woodbury, Bulrush andSherman) emerged a breed of horse that would secure a prominent place in American culture.Used as light draft and stage coach horses in the 1800s, Morgans became known for their sub-stance and stamina. As their fame spread, the breed moved westward, becoming popular asranch and Pony Express horses where their intelligence and ability to work all day were valued.
When war divided the nation, the Morgan horse was the United States Cavalry’s mount ofchoice. Vermont troops mounted on their Morgan horses were so envied that raids were stagedto capture the horses for Confederate use. Union General Philip Sheridan rode his MorganRienzi into history at the battle of Winchester, which was put to poetry by Thomas BuchananRead’s poem, “Sheridan’s Ride.” Confederate General Stonewall Jackson rode Little Sorrel, aMorgan captured by Confederate troops and ridden by Jackson until he was killed in battle.
So well were Morgans suited to cavalry work that in 1907, the United States Governmentestablished an official Morgan breeding farm in Weybridge, Vermont. The Morgans bred herewere transferred to “remount” stallions stations across the nation, where they were bred to localmares to improve the quality of the offspring and ensure quality horses would be available in timesof war.
When mounted units were being phased out in the early 1950s, the Government farm wasdeeded to the University of Vermont, where the Morgan breeding program continues. It is the old-est continuous breeding program of any breed of horse in the United States today.
The Morgan was the first recognized horse breed in the United States. Other breeds haveclaimed existence in colonial times, but today, only Morgans can trace their ancestry to a com-mon ancestor, while other breeds identify their foundation stock to horses alive at the turn of thetwentieth century, a full 100 years after the Morgan breed was born.
Morgans have also made major contributions to the development of other breeds, includingthe American Saddlebred, Standardbred, Tennessee Walking Horse, and Quarter Horse.Saddlebred foundation stallion, Peavine, was a grandson of the Morgan Stockbridge Chief, andCabell’s Lexington was a grandson of Morgan Blood’s Black Hawk. Allen F-1, the foundationsire of the Tennessee Walking Horse, was out of the Morgan mare, Maggie Marshall. Allen F-1was bred to the mare Gertrude, who is attributed to have Morgan sires in her pedigree, and pro-duced the influential stallion Roan Allen F-38. Countless Morgan mares were moved West toproduce working cattle horses and in the process contributed to the early Quarter Horse lines.
In the late 1800s, D. C. Linsley, a native of Middlebury, Vermont, researched the Morganbreed and compiled an essay on its history and genealogy. Using Linsley’s work as a basis,Joseph Battell published the first volume of The Morgan Horse Register in 1894.
The Morgan Horse Club (now the American Morgan Horse Association) was organized at
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Tthe 1909 Vermont State Fair (the fair was the national Morgan horse show of the early twenti-
eth century, drawing entries from as far west as Illinois). The purpose of the club both then and
now is to maintain accurate breeding records on all Morgan horses and to promote the continu-
ation of the Morgan as a distinct and significant breed.
THE MORGAN TODAY
Today, more than 155,000 Morgan horses have been recorded in the official register and they can
be found throughout the United States and in 17 foreign countries. Registries also exist in
Canada and England.
The Morgan is best known for its distinctive type, which is still very much the same as that
of Figure. Morgans can be distinguished from other breeds by their compact and muscular, yet
refined bodies, their large expressive eyes, and chiseled face. Morgans’ “upheadedness”—a
proud, upright head carriage—and stylish, spirited gaits are also recognizable traits of the breed.
Morgans are usually between 14.1 and 15.2 hands in height with some individuals being over
or under that height. Morgans are usually bay, brown, chestnut, or black in color, but can also
be buckskin, gray, creme, or palomino. Horses with white markings on their body or blue eyes
can also be registered.
Throughout history, Morgans have been known for their short, strong backs, agility, and
powerful hindquarters. These features have made them capable of carrying and pulling consid-
erable weight while still being light enough for riding. Today Morgans are rarely used for pulling
heavy loads, but can be found on the world championship carriage driving competition as singles
or pairs. The same willing and gentle dispositions which made them an outstanding farm horse
make them excellent mounts for children and beginning riders of all ages, not to mention expe-
rienced riders looking for a competitive mount.
The Morgan horse is a user-friendly horse. Their athletic ability, coupled with a loving and
tractable temperament, results in an easy-to-ride, easy-to-train mount for a multitude of uses.
Entire families enjoy the Morgan by taking part in activities and competitions in various eques-
trian sports. For example, the Morgan can shine equally as a thrilling, high-stepping show horse
with flash and crowd appeal, or as a low-key, safe, and willing trail horse. They can be found
excelling in world caliber carriage events; as pony club eventers; winning at all levels of
Dressage; reining with the best of horses; working the mountains in search of stray cattle or
packing hunters to their game; and anywhere an intelligent, sound, and athletic horse is needed.
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The American Morgan
Horse AssociationServing more than 10,000 members throughout the United States, the American Morgan
Horse Association (AMHA) is located in Shelburne, Vermont. A staff of 14 provides members
with a range of services, including registering horses and promoting the Morgan breed. The
Association also produces two publications. The award-winning magazine, The Morgan Horse, is
the official journal of the breed, providing the Morgan community with valuable news, events,
and features. The Network is a bi-monthly membership newsletter.
Visitors to the AMHA headquarters can also enjoy the National Museum of the Morgan
Horse, which is run by the American Morgan Horse Institute (AMHI), a charitable organiza-
tion dedicated to educational and historical Morgan activities. The AMHI also sponsors the
Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show, the premier event of the Morgan
show season, held each October in Oklahoma City.
Also affiliated with the AMHA are more than 120 Morgan horse clubs, which provide their
members with numerous Morgan-related activities including educational programs, shows, clin-
ics, and fun days. Morgan horse club members are active in every state and several foreign coun-
tries, and can be found through listings available from AMHA. Other types of Morgan clubs rec-
ognized by AMHA are National Service Organizations. These clubs support a specific type of
Morgan activity and promote their interest on a national level. Their interests include reining,
cutting, dressage, driving, eventing, trail riding, and breeding.
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