Group provides horses homes - Tuesday, 17 April 2012

Tuesday, 17 April 2012 16:20 By CLAY COPPEDGE, Country World Staff Writer March 22, 2012 - The original Morgan horse, born in 1879, was a stallion named Justin Morgan in recognition of its owner, a mild-mannered school teacher and farmer. The horse Justin Morgan's ancestry was uncertain -- either Dutch, Thoroughbred or Arabian. The Justin Morgan who owned the horse (which he originally named Figure) tried to sell him, but found no buyers. "Too small," he was told. [Forever Morgans helps rescue, care for and place Morgan horses in need of a home. -- Courtesy photo] Forever Morgans helps rescue, care for and place Morgan horses in need of a home. -- Courtesy photo So Justin Morgan, the father of all the Morgan horses in America today, went to work for the next 30 years on Morgan's farm. Tireless, sturdy and prepotent -- he passed along his genes to any horse bred to him -- Justin Morgan was fast enough to beat the fastest racehorse in Vermont, which soon became known as the second fastest horse in Vermont. The legend grew, and so did the number of Morgan horses. The Vermont Cavalry rode Morgans in the Civil War, and so did Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. A Morgan named Comanche was the only creature that survived the Battle of Little Big Horn. Today, the Morgan survives as a versatile and sturdy breed that has a reputation of doing almost anything it's asked to do. Tricia Jumonville has been fascinated with Morgans ever since she read the children's book "Justin Morgan Had A Horse." Years later, she started breeding them. "One of the characteristics of the breed is their individual versatility -- not their breed versatility," she said. "A rider who wants to switch disciplines doesn't have to get another horse. The original Justin Morgan is a good example. Originally, they drove him. And then they raced him. And they worked him. Their versatility is the reason they have contributed to nearly every other breed." Jumonville recounted one experience where a Morgan that she knew had never seen cattle spotted some bovine escapees from a neighbor's place and with nary a command dashed into the woods to drive the trespassing cattle back from whence they came. "They know what behavior is appropriate and when," she said. "If you ask a Morgan to do something, it will give you 200 percent, but only after it makes sure that you know what you're doing -- that you won't do something that will hurt them." Seeing the current situation in the horse industry developing nine years ago, Jumonville stopped breeding Morgans and turned her attention to saving them. "I saw the writing on the wall," she said. "The situation kept growing. Every year there were more horses in need." Jumonville and others who eventually formed Forever Morgans worked with the non-profit group Another Chance 4 Horses, Inc, which was formed 10 years ago as an alternative to auctions and slaughter. They raised funds to buy Morgans, usually from an auction barn in Pennsylvania, and place them in foster or adoptive homes. Originally a Yahoo Groups list, the Forever Morgans board formed in May of 2008. Currently, the group has 43 foster homes for Morgans in 17 states, with the list growing every day. This is the situation Jumonville saw coming years ago, when irresponsible and short-sighted practices like speculative breeding -- breeding as many foals as possible without having buyers in place -- and breeding a mare simply because there was a stallion just down the road, began to have an effect on the horse market, and on the horses. "Somebody will breed 50 mares in hopes of getting one great foal, but they don't think about the impact of the other 49 on the horse market or the impact of the market on those other 49," she said. The economy and the drought have also taken a toll on horses and horse owners, and a 2007 Congressional ban on horse meat inspection closed the last three horse slaughtering plants in the country, including two in Texas. The 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, signed into law by President Obama, lifted the ban. Jumonville said the original ban was short-sighted because it left out provisions for what to do with horses that otherwise would be slaughtered. Before such a ban can even be considered, Jumonville believes several things have to be done, beginning with beefing up or at least enforcing transport laws for all animals headed to slaughter, not just horses. She also advocates free or low-cost gelding, spaying, euthanasia, and carcass disposal resources. "People often send their horses to the slaughter auction because they can't afford to put them down humanely -- and no one should consider a bullet to be humane unless they absolutely know what they're doing and are experienced at it -- and they have no other option than to do that or let them starve," she said. None of the proposals to ban horse slaughter so far have dealt with how to account for the horses that would have gone to slaughter. Nor have the mandates been funded. "None of the bills I've seen do either one of those things," she said. "That tells me that the people pushing those bills aren't thinking about what's best for the horse. They want a short-term warm and fuzzy feeling about 'saving the horseys', but in the end they haven't done that." In the meantime, she said, Forever Morgans and other qualified horse rescue groups are working to help abandoned and neglected horses find good foster or adoptive homes. For more information, go to their website forevermorgans.org or email the group at ForeverMorgans@hotmail.com.

The 54th Annual Circle J Regional Championship Morgan Horse Show - July 5-8, 2012

July 5-8, 2012 National Western Events Center Denver CO http://www.circlejmorgan.com/uploads/2012_Circle_J_Premium_Book_Final.pdf

Horse saved by good old-fashioned ingenuity and a fire hose. -

A couple using ingenuity and an old fire hose have saved the life of a 26-year-old retired Morgan show horse. http://bit.ly/Aly9ep