Selecting a new Morgan dressage partner is an exciting adventure, yet it can also be frustrating. To help make your experience positive, take time before you start to look at horses to prepare for your search and above all remember to be patient. Here are several important preparations to make when you're ready to begin horse shopping:
First - establish your budget. At a minimum, include the cost for the horse, travel expenses and pre-purchase vet exam. If your funds are limited confine your choices within a local driving range, not across the country. While video tapes of horses are a great tool for determining whether or not to travel to see a horse, to fully evaluate if the horse is right for you, you must ride and handle it. So keep this in mind when you consider your budget and the distance you are willing to travel.
I also recommend that you have a pre-purchase vet exam plan in place so that the purchase is not delayed. If you are a first time buyer, have your local instructor or an experienced horse owner you trust help you decide on an appropriate vet exam and I strongly suggest you have your instructor/trainer evaluate the horse with you once you find a horse you like.
Second - establish a clear purpose you wish to use the horse for, and try the horse in that venue. For example, if you love dressage and also like to trail ride, ride the horse in an appropriate dressage frame for its level of training and in a ring, but also ride out on a trail!
Sometimes making a concise list of qualities you would like in your new horse is very clarifying; however, having a flexible idea of what you want is also important. It's good to have a basic idea of whether you want a "made" or "green" horse. But you need to remember if you buy a green or unbroken horse you must be experienced enough to give the horse a positive start or have a good trainer/instructor to help you start the horse correctly.
Often a green horse with a good temperament and a good trainer are a super match. On the other hand, a made, or trained horse, can be a wonderful teacher. Even though no horse will perform without the proper rider aids, a patient schoolmaster can really build your education and confidence. Both of these situations can work, but be honest with yourself about your time (green horses need more!) and your own goals. If you are anxious to start showing and attending clinics, and want to do "the tricks" no green horses! If you really want to start at the bottom and have the patience, your money might go further with a green horse.No matter which approach you select, it is essential to have the right help - in both evaluating and training - your new horse.
Third - be patient and be willing! Don't refuse to buy the first, second or third horse you see simply because it's early in your search, and don't worry if your search takes longer.
You will find there are many gray areas to horse shopping where compromises may need to be considered. Occasionally the seemingly perfect schoolmaster might need special shoeing or monthly medication that will increase your monthly costs. While these old campaigners are often a good bet, you need to consider if the monthly maintenance cost to keep him performing is within your budget. A compromise that is more risky is a young, unproven horse with a health issue. In this situation, there is no program established for his healthy work life so his ability to perform over time may be in jeopardy. Another compromise to keep in mind is always color. A horse of any color will do the job if it's conformation and temperament are suitable.
Many Morgans have the basic mental and physical qualities - uphill balance, free movement, and great minds - sought after in dressage. Specifically you should look for:
An uphill balance. A neck that is set on high out of the withers with a medium body coupling from the shoulder to the flank (not too long or short) - excessive length or shortness of the topline can be difficult to work with. The hocks should be set under the body with straight legs, and a sloping shoulder. A shoulder that is too straight - up and down - makes for choppy movement.
Free movement. A dressage horse needs good movement without excessive motion. The horse should have three good gaits - a four-beat walk, a free trot with suspension, and a three beat canter. A lateral walk, or canter (four beat) is a problem, as is a very constricted trot (i.e. up and down). Any dressage prospect should have some "float" or suspension in the trot and canter. A flat moving trot will be difficult to extend, while a very showy, suspended trot looks pretty, but will be hard to truly engage. A canter without suspension is usually four beat or lateral and this canter will be hard to extend and to do flying lead changes. Some Morgans have a flatter or four beat canter (as do some members of all other breeds!) and a horse with a truly flat four beat canter that cannot be improved at all should not be considered as an upper level dressage prospect.
Great minds. The mental qualities of the horse are also important. For dressage, where the horse must work closely with the rider, the horse must be compliant. It must be forward moving and interested in the work. Many horses have a good work ethic (which is good!), but like to learn and work patterns instead of taking directives. In dressage a horse must enjoy interactively taking directions as the horse is constantly being challenged to do transitions, turns, or move sideways. Any horse that seems to really hate this type of work will be hard to train in dressage. When you're trying to marry these basic physical and mental qualities with your "ideal" Morgan dressage partner, also keep these ideas in mind.
What Morgan temperament is the best? For dressage, - try to avoid a really hot Morgan which might be better suited to another discipline. Dressage horses must be forward moving, but they must be able to be still as well. A "hot" horse is not always spooky, but often has trouble focusing, being still, or performing transitions. These horses will show a lot of tension when you go from walk to trot to canter to trot a few times. Avoid them! But at the same time, don't pass by a horse simply because it is targeted or trained for non-sport divisions. Many horses bred for the show divisions are super athletes which, when coupled with a quieter temperament, make wonderful dressage mounts.
When looking at a green horse, look for a Morgan that is willing to move easily within the gaits without excessive tension. These are usually better suited for dressage. Consider the horse's past history and training and what you plan to do. Most sport Morgans can change sport divisions or easily perform within 2 or 3 different divisions all under the sport umbrella without complete re-training - i.e. hunter, dressage or carriage driving. However it may not be as easy to move from an English Pleasure or Park background to dressage without extensive re-training. It is very important to evaluate your abilities and your horse's past history. A Park or English Pleasure horse often can be re-trained for dressage by the right person, but that can be a more difficult task, requiring more expertise than retraining a hunter. It might not be the easiest route to take for someone just starting out in dressage.
COMMON PITFALLS
There are some common problems or pitfalls to avoid when making your horse selection.
First, be realistic about your abilities and time. Often a person will choose a fabulous horse - a great big mover, super uphill, show-off personality! Great! But if this is too much horse for the rider, then the trainer will be having all the good rides, while you watch from the sidelines. This is one of the most common traps people fall in when selecting a new dressage horse.
Another, though less common trap is to buy the horse that only you can fix - either mentally or physically. Horses with serious problems on the pre-purchase exam or that show dangerous behavior are no bargain. Avoid them! On the other hand, a not perfect horse (physically) with a manageable problem may be a very good match - just be sure you are educated in regards to the problem and understand the ramifications for long term maintenance.
One more issue to be aware of is the too green horse. Often a green horse with a super temperament, like many Morgans, can work well even for a green rider. However the correct and regular help of a trainer is really important in this situation.
To close, Morgans make wonderful dressage mounts, so take the time to find the right partner for you and enjoy your new Morgan! But to make the most of your partnership, make sure you have a good riding situation, good trainer/instructor, and a good vet standing on the sidelines to help.
* * * * * * *
The author is a professional dressage rider, trainer and teacher who lives and works in Germantown, Md. Cathy has trained and competed successfully on many breeds, including Morgans. She found her current FEI mount, Whippoorwill Ebony (aka Black Tie), as a very green, recently gelded 8-year-old, and now Cathy and her 13-year-old, 14.3 black gelding are winning at Intermediare II in recognized competitions with scores in the mid-60s. This article was written for the August 1999 edition of "The Morgan Horse" and is one of a series of articles that will appear periodically authored by Morgan Dressage Association board members on Morgans and Dressage.
Home |What is MDA| Membership Information | News and Articles | Mentoring | Awards for Morgans | E-mail discussion list | Board of Directors | Related Links | Classifieds | Sponsors | Contact MDA
Copyright 2000 @ Morgan Dressage Association