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I was wondering if anyone ever used the morgan horses for hunting. I know that thay are a little bit small but how do you think thay compare to the bigger horses. I have a 3yr old morgan right now that is doing great. Im just woundering how thay hold up to alot of hard riding in steep country. I have ben told they are the way to go. Any advice would be great.

Thanks

The old quote comes to mind. It is not the size of the dog in the hunt, it is the size of the hunt in the dog.


I have a small 14.1 hand mare that has more heart than the larger geldings we ride. she can go all day and is more nimble/athletic.

I am not real familiar with the Morgan breed, but I would not be concerned about their size.

I have known guys who LOVE morgans in the woods...Like anything else, find the "right" one

I rode one for ten years in rough country. Dang fine mount. I miss him.

A friend of mine in AZ uses nothing but Morgans and rides and packs in as rough of country there is. he loves them .

I'll stci with mules but a MorganX mule would get my attention!!!!

Gus - The place I lived in Missouri I was around some Morgans and Morgan/Percheron cross that the Amish had. They bragged on the way . . . Well, now, wait a minute. Hold up. These guys on here claiming Morgans are fine horses - they're lying to you. They're no good at all. I've got a pair of mules I ride, but just to be kind to you, you just tell me where you are and I'll come take that Morgan off your hands.

My Dad was big on Morgans and gathered a lot of mustangs using them. He said their feet and legs held up better than any of the hot bloods in the rocks.Ofcourse all in the strain maybe but they were old strain horses. Lots of bone and hair on the legs. The are stronger for their size than the hot blood being a bit more like a light draft type.

Back when I was cowboying way back on a big ranch in Montana me and another guy got hired to gather a big bunch of morgan mares and two and three year olds that had run loose in some big country since the old man who had them died a few years before. We go them gathered and the widow gave each of us one pick out of the bunch. Wade and I both chose 3 year old fillys and mine was a bay and his was a sorrel. They had never been handled but in three weeks time we were riding them outside and a few weeks after that working them and hunting off them too. I was very impressed with their level heads and sturdy nature. Many police horses in the cites are heavy in morgan blood for that reason.

I have a coming five bay morgan gelding right now I am working and he is doing very well. I packed him hard for a couple years and rode him some last year and this year I will really finish him and start to use him a bunch. He is a traveling dude.

We have a morgan and morgan\arab cross. They both are double tough. If you are looking at getting more always look for "western bloodlines" ie Flyhawk or any goverment bloodlines- these were the horses that they bred as remounts for the army. They tend to be bigger boned and have more of a level head. Some bloodlines from back east have saddlebred blood in them and are more refined. Some of my best wrangle and hunt horses have been morgans.

MKT

MKT,

Thanks for that information. I have had a few morabs as well and there was no bottom in them.


Here is some interesting history on morgans.

http://www.sportmorgan.com/families/index.html

Mike,

If you go to the members page I worked at both Statesman farm were I got to ride, teach lessons on and handle in the breeding shed Cheif of State. I also worked for Highland Springs Farm as well. This group of morgan breeders are truely keeping the good bloodlines alive! We are up in Cody, Wyoming and when folks find out that I am a die hard morgan fan, they think I am nuts! Many people think they are to hot and or dumb. I personally think it maybe their problem!

I would like to take this chance to say thanks for the great cat training info as well. We have used it on our last two pups and they are both going great.

MKT

Well thanks maybe somebody needs to tell rockcreek on the scent drag thread. LOL! He gets me hot now and then he is just a dumb kid but a lot of readers don't know that.


I have a coming 5 year old Morgan gelding that came out of Wyoming. I bought him from a girl that got him as an unregiserted colt on a horse swap. She is abarrel racer and lost interest in him I guess but she had him nice and gentile and actually very well started. He is a dark bay about 15 hands maybe a shade over. She didn't know excactly where he came from but she was thinking closer to Riverton. Anyway he haired up and nasty looking right now but when he shed out and slicks off I will take a photo of him and send it to you and see what you think. He is riding good and just needs the finsih handle put on him. He packs really good and has hauled elk, deer and bear with no problem. Smart little guy and really likes people. I watch him with the other horse mostly cutting bred QH and he moves as well or better than most and can springt, stop roll back over his hocks and is very agile. He looks like he would really be able to work a cow.I call him Tucker.

If he came from around Riverton, you may want to check out Trailhead Moragns on the web. I got my guy from there. Donna breeds some great horses. My guy is 15.2 hands and pretty green but going well. I have him for sale due to a surprise third kid on the way!! No time for greenies or hitting the ground. He is honest as the day is long, just needs a job. You can see him on utube just put in the search Trailhead Skeeter. He is in english tack here but don't let that turn you off. He will do anything you can toss at him!

MKT

I read on a Morgan site that Justin Morgan's horse was thought to be an Andalusian?

Andulusians generally have a a very specific head and ear shape and a rakish upright posture that is unmistakable. Remember some of those odd looking western horses in the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns? Those films made in Italy and some in Spain used primarily andulusians. Very fine mounts no doubt, excellent gaits and graceful. The original type horse of Justin Morgan had a much more cobby body I would have thought. Although some of them do have an arch neck carriage it seems to be less of a trait of the Govt. type western horses of the breeds.


I know one thing they live longer than any other horse and have a longer useful life much more like a mule. Commance the famous survivor of the Battle of The Little Bighorn was a Govt. bred morgan horse.

Before I bought my Andalusian, I almost bought a Morgan. Here's what I found in a Morgan horse.