Morgans in Endurance--Was Endurance Clinic

["Linda B. Merims" <lbm@naisp.net>]

At this point in time, I don't think any conclusions can be reached

about which Morgan lines are more suited to endurance or

long distance CTR.  The sample is simply not large enough

to be significant.  That's sort-of my private mission:  to try

to find the genes still in the gene pool that lend themselves

to successful endurance performance.  The gene pool has

been carded-over and carded-over for the last 50 years

to produce long necks and show ring action; I want to

select for something else.  Of course, this is far too much

for any individual to accomplish, particularly one of limited

means and middle age, but I consider it a worthwhile pursuit

for the sake of the breed.

 

I don't think you can rely too much on an owner's assessment

of where their horse's good qualities come from.  I discovered

long ago that showing somebody a Morgan's pedigree was

like showing them a Rorsarch test:  their eyes find the horses

they like, even five generations back, and they attribute their

horse's good qualities to those individuals--and ignore everything

else on the papers.  (I'm as guilty of this as anyone :-)

 

Linda B. Merims

lbm@naisp.net

Massachusetts, USA