Sounds like a simple enough title, eh? But her hooves sure don’t seem simple to me. I’ve never seen feet like these before….of yeh…in pictures, but not up close. ‘Sugar’s’ owner said they were much worse when she bought her. Her feet had basically been neglected and it took many months of trims every 5 weeks to get them ‘better’.
Colleen and the vet all agree that ‘Sugar’s’ feet are a mess and unbalanced. When I rode her yesterday I noticed that she stumbled and tripped several times. We were just walking over gravel, dirt, some short grass, a couple railroad ties and some muddy places, all flat work.
But I did notice that she is moving better, probably due to her chiro work. She really likes to step out sometimes and when she does, her Morgan Horse breeding really shows.
Several folks, including some knowledgeable blogger friends, have told me that ‘Sugar’s’ conformation reminds them of a Morgan. Even a breeder of beautiful Morgan Horses told me they wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Sugar’ was a half breed or even a full bred Morgan. The vet, upon seeing ‘Sugar’ for the first time, said, “Oh ! You’ve got a cute little Morgan there”. She said that explains ‘Sugar’s’ cresty looking neck (after finding nothing to suggest thyroid or IR issues) and ‘Sugar’s’ other Morgan-like conformation.
I was surprised because I just assumed that all Morgans only came in solid colors, but the vet said they come in many other colors, including Splash White, like the famous Morgan Stallion War Paint and the lovely Morgan Mare Shahaylee.
‘Sugar’ has a very forward, quick, smooth, little flat walk. I took her for a walk up and down the road from Colleen’s the other day and I had trouble keeping up with her on the lead. Unlike Baby Doll’s rambling, slow, peanut-pushing slow walk, ‘Sugar’ keeps her head up, ears perked forward, and her legs stepping up high. She reminds me of some of the videos I’ve seen of the Paso Finos and Peruvian Pasos. I’ll have to get some video soon. I had no idea that Morgans could be gaited, but I did find a great website devoted to gaited Morgans that was very helpful.
Oh and other interesting news is that ‘Sugar’s also not requiring any kicking to move up into a trot or a canter now either. Colleen got her into a canter with just a kiss and a squeeze. She’s much more cooperative.
The vet did a flex test on ‘Sugar’ and she has a slight range-of-motion/ability-to-bend issue in her right front, but otherwise she doesn’t have any other weakness and her feet weren’t sensitive at all. She’s a good girl with her feet, too. She’ll hold them up patiently for as long as I’m holding a pastern in my hand, except that right front. After a minute or two she asks me to please put it back down, especially if I’m holding it fairly high up. ‘Sugar’s’ owner said that she is 12 years old, but the vet believes her to be closer to 9 yrs old, according to her teeth (which are desperate need of a float).
I asked Mrs. Mom of Oh Horse Feathers if she could take a look at ‘Sugar’s feetsies and let me know what she thought and give me her opinions and advice of what ‘Sugar’ requires to get her feet looking and feeling better. My own farrier did an awesome job on my mare Baby Doll’s feet in the 2 1/2 yrs I owned her, and she never had to wear shoes, never had any tenderness or lameness, and her feet were beautiful, big, strong, and hard as rock. So I know he’ll know what to do, if I decide to keep ‘Sugar’, to improve her feet.
Mrs. Mom was awesome enough to take a quick look at the photos and let me know she didn’t see anything in her hooves that should dissuade me from purchasing her. Her feet are way overgrown, including the bars, walls and heels and she has some thrush to get control of, but nothing a few routine trims 5-6 weeks apart shouldn’t take care of. (Thanks Mrs. Mom! You Rock!)
Along with the trims and some better nutrition I think she’ll be looking and feeling much better, too. Colleen keeps her well stocked with hay 24/7 and ‘Sugar’ is getting Senior Feed every evening. And with the carrots, and apple cookies we all give her, it’s no wonder she’s got a spring in her step now.
I took photos of her hooves to show y’all, after a quick clean up yesterday. I should have done a better job cleaning her feet, but it was windy and cold and wanted to get in some riding before dinnertime. Jenna insisted on being led around a few times, too.
I hope enough of the hooves are visible and clear enough to get a good idea of what is going on.
Here ya go:
Front left:
Front right:
Rear left:
Rear right:
Ranchman John was there and happened to take another shot of that right rear hoof from a different angle:
36 comments :
Sounds good , the ROM issue might not be huge as it could be related to the lack of hoof care , so when do you decide?
Don't know much about hooves...but I know you're sounding a bit more excited about Miss Shug! My little lightbulb went off when I read "Morgan," and I said, "Oohhhhh...yeah." I thought her hindquarters were very nice-looking, but her front looked so heavy in comparison. Now it all makes sense. And how exciting that you're already seeing such improvement in her movement (lol, poem unintended!)
Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff to make a good decision.
Gaited morgans are those that have been crossed with TWH somewhere in their lines.
Love the foot pics, especially that last one. The earlier pic of it, I was thinking, something not right there.. but I think it's just the pic. Nothing that good trims can't take care of.
So is she yours now?
I'm so glad Sugar is fitting into your life. I'm thinking it's not if you by her but when.
Actually Sydney, that's not quite correct.......
The stamina and spirit of the Morgan, combined with its build and way of traveling, contributed to the formation of other American breeds, such as the Standardbred, Quarter Horse, Tennessee Walking horse, and American Saddle Horse. The first Morgan Horse Register was published in 1894.
While the The Tennessee Walker registry was formed in 1935.
As America grew so did the feats of the Morgan. New England men answered the call of gold and headed for California on Morgans.
In the Civil War, the famed Vermont Cavalry was mounted on Morgan horses. Not only did the Union's General Sheridan ride his
Morgan Rienzi, Stonewall Jackson rode his Morgan, 'Little Sorrel,' for the Confederacy as well! In the Indian Wars, the only survivor
in the Battle of the little Big Horn was Keogh's Morgan-bred horse Comanche. If the pathways of history are paved with the bones of
the horse, surely America's are paved by Morgans.
While the offspring of Justin Morgan were taming the wilderness and building the country, they were also creating the standards by which other American breeds would become known. The stamina and vigor of the Morgan together with his excellent conformation and way of going helped make other American light horse breeds what they are today. The great speed of today's racing Standardbreds was produced by crosses to the fastest Morgan blood. in the 1860s, the Morgan stallion Shepherd F. Knapp was exported to England where his trotting speed became a byword. Today, many English Hackneys carry his name in their pedigrees. In American Saddlebreds, such famous champions as Edna May, Bourbon King, Rex Peavine, and Wing Commander trace to Justin Morgan. The foundation sire of the Tennessee Walking horse, Allen F-1, was a grandson of the Morgan
stallion Bradford's Telegraph. In addition, many good Morgan mares were sent to Texas only to lose their breed identity in Quarter Horse bands, and to make the breed greater for it. The oldest of all American breeds the Morgan was strong enough to contribute greatly to almost every other American light horse breed while retaining its own identity across two centuries.
The Quarter horse stallion Joe Bailey was a son of Headlight Morgan. Jubilee King, a famous Morgan, was also registered under the Quarter Horse name of Yellow Jacket. Yet another well-known Quarter Horse sire, Joe Hancock, was sired by Redolent, a son of the Morgan Red Oak.
Ninety-percent of today's Saddlebreds carry Morgan blood. Tennessee Walking Horses owe much to early Morgan blood.
http://www.walking-horse.com/past/thebreed.html
My late uncle always swore by Morgans.
I know nothing of feet but I can hear the hoof beats in your heart. I think you will find nothing wrong, you might as well, take her home and get her settled in.
Hey Lisa...you are paying close attention to all the details....good!
Sugar looks better and better everytime I see her.
Lisa- I am talking about the old style morgans vs the new style ones (we have bred morgans for years and three of ours are currently morgans but the old style with literally no twh or saddlebred in them) old style have no twh in them, the new style has quite the bit. There has been some crossing in there to contribute to a greater number of gaited morgans.
Maybe I'm not understanding it correctly, but with there being 41 years between the development of the Tennessee Walkers and the beginning of the Morgan Horse, I would have to believe there were gaited Morgans much earlier than 1935, when the Tennessee Walkers were recognized as a breed.
~Lisa
Hi Lisa! Just been catching up on your blog a bit and I love the pictures of Sugar. I don't know enough about horses to grasp all the finer points about feet and Morgans and whatnot, but I sure hope Sugar turns out to be sweet for you!
I too was not aware that there were any pinto lines in the Morgan breed (seemingly because they were not allowed to be registered if the "excessive white" showed up). But her conformation sure looks like the older style Morgan.
As for her feet, I agree, I don't see anything there a little TLC and regular trims won't clear up. Is this post "first" trim? 'Cause they sure look round and sturdy (no cracks or ships) but the heel/bars are sure long. It will be interesting to see how well she tracks with some of that excess taken off.
Sounds like Miss Sugar (I like "Shug") is earning a possible forever home!
Hey Sydney,
I just found this:
Unofficial breed estimates states that from 10 to 20% of all Morgans perform some sort of intermediate gait! History shows that there were many Morgans used in the Calvary remounts breeding program by government stables. A good percent of these were smooth traveling, coveted singlefooters. General Stonewall Jackson's favorite horse was a ground covering, smooth gaited Morgan, "pacer" which was often a term used at that time for a singlefooter. The Morgan Horse has contributed to the formation of most American gaited breeds.
The Morgan Horse is a source of the gait gene. The intermediate gait is well documented in the history of the Morgan horse.
Due to the recessive nature of the gene, it will never be lost. It is in every family of the Morgan breed and can crop up unexpectedly; to the delight of some and to the horror of others.
In the past, this has confused some Morgan owners, breeders and trainers, but rest assured there is a place for the Gaited Morgan. The singlefoot is there, and has been since the first generation of Morgans.
http://themorganhorse.blogspot.com/2005/08/is-morgan-horse-gaited-breed.html
Lisa,
The hooves definitely need work and I might recommend a trim every 4 weeks at the beginning.
I was surprised to hear she was on senior feed. At her age I wouldn't think she would need that.
And a bigger concern is some senior feeds contain molasses which is not good for hooves. Molasses can lead to founder in some horses.
Unless the vet definitely recommends it for some reason, I would take her off the senior feed.
Also, I would only feed her grass hay -- not alfalfa as the high protein in alfalfa can also be problematic for hooves.
Grass hay plus a good hoof supplement would be the basis of what I would feed her.
You could add a little (very little - about a cup) grain (oats or rolled barley) to carry the hoof supplement. You can also add ground flax (omega 3 oils) for her coat. We also give diatomaceous earth with the grain so we don't have to worm our horses.
Just my two cents worth.
Dan
I've seen a few gaited morgans (usually just the flat walk) on CL and Dream horse.
Canyon used to trip - a good farrier fixed that.
She sounds great, Lisa.
Looking forward to hearing your final decision.
Wow, great information, sounds like the vet was very helpful!
My mom's gelding Dusty is part Morgan, and you can see it in his more refined face. I can see it in Sugar's, too. Do you know if she is purebred, though? I have never seen a pinto Morgan, even in one their breed magazine. Not sure they can be registered if they have pinto markings. I would think if that were possible, they would be highly marketable and you would see them advertised since pintos/paints have been all the rage and are pretty popular among the 1/2 Arabs and Saddlebreds.
Morgans can be gaited, my mom's frend has a beautiful, typey, purebred gaited Morgan that I got to ride once, he was very smooth! I just love Morgans, as you have probably read about on my blog! :)
Good luck as you continue this process, keep us posted on what you decide!! :)
Sugar sure is a cutie, her feet look pretty good, no splits and cracks and she has wide heels, a good thing! My part Morgan mare tends to have contracted heels, she has been much better off barefoot, it lets her heels spread.
If she is as quiet and solid minded as you say and the vet says she has no major problems?? sounds like a good one to me :0)
seeing the sideview of Sugar reminds me of my very first horse. He was Morgan/Quarter Horse and was a great horse temperment wise. He was also a great trail horse as that's all we did on him.
Cass' hooves were not the best either, but she has improved so much with 6 week farrier care. Also Source Hoof is a great supplement.
I bet she's loving you for getting her back in shape!
The hoofs just look very neglected to me. Once they are cared for properly they will look more like we are all used to seeing!
Well, when are you taking her home? She sounds perfect, and she's just gorgeous! I think you two will get along great :)
The more I read what you write about this mare the more it sounds like she is home.
Lisa, Sugar is so pretty and sturdy looking too. I like sturdy horses; I don't know much about feet but it looks like her heels are pretty high on the front. I have only Gilly's feet to compare anything with. His heels were high but now they are shorter. His feet used to be somewhat flat but after 3 years of the barefoot trim his soles are more concave. I figure that good trimming will help her feet.
She sure is a pretty girl, I hope she turns out to be the "one" for you! :-)
hugs....
Jane
Now I get it. She does look like a morgan.
I am not sure what your source was, but according to the American Quarter horse registry, the sire of Joe Hancock was John Wilkens, by Peter MsCue, one of the foundation sires of the Quarter Horses.John Wilkens was out of the Thoroughbred mare Katie Wawekus.
There were two Joe Baileys; Gonzales Joe Bailey was sired by Little King, a grandson of Traveler.
Old Joe Bailey was sired by Eureka, one of the best known short horse runners in central Texas at the turn of the century.
Yellow Jacket was a son of Little Rondo, by Locks Rondo, and his dam was a daughter of Locks Rondo.
AQHA has done a tremendous amount of research before they officially state a pedigree. It does not appear that any of these horses carry Morgan blood.
I think you've found a nice mare, no matter what her history is. Have fun with her!
Lisa sounds like you have stirred a cauldren.Well I am not going to jump right in.... but I do want to say over the years there have been more than one or two scandals associated with the Morgan breed and registry. There have been some underhanded registrations manipulated by bad breeders,which have allowed the breed to be compromised. I know these pics are not the greatest but in my humble opinion War Paint should have been gelded long before he could reproduce and it is a crying shame that any of his off spring were allowed to be registered as Morgans and the even bigger offense is that they are still out there reproducing and being registered. Oh Oh I guess I jumped right in sorry.
Thanks Dan. I will take some of your advice, especially the diatomaceous earth as a wormer option. And I will use the flax, too. It made Baby Doll's coat shine. I bet it will do the same for 'Sugar' if I decide to keep her.
As for the senior feed, I trust Colleen fully as she is the founder of Walkin' N Circles Horse Ranch Rescue. She has her feed mixed through a tack/feed store specifically for her to feed all the horses kept at the rescue. She doesn't use anything harmful nor excess molasses. She goes by what the rescue's vet's specifications are in what to add to the feed mix. In fact, because she buys it in huge bulk amounts for the horse rescue, it is available to others if asked for. I believe it is called "Rescue Mix".
Oh and none of the horses at her home or the Horse Rescue are fed alfalfa. That's a big no-no. They are provided fresh green grass hay 24/7.
As for the hooves, I will be sure to follow my vet's recommendation, as he is very knowledgeable and thorough.
Thanks!
Janice,
Sounds like much controversary surrounds the Morgan Breed, and some of the history seems to have gotten mixed up or lost through the years. There seems to be so many differing opinions and stories about the origins and purity of the Morgan Breed for sure.
So, do you think 'Sugar' has some of the Morgan Conformation?
~Lisa
oops! Farrier...not vet. Well maybe my vet, too. I could use all the help I can get with this mare. hehe!
~Lisa
Hey Shirley,
I got that information directly from the American Morgan Horse Association. I wonder why they would report inaccurate information. Maybe you should write to them and let them know of their mistakes.
Here is the website link:
http://www.morganhorse.com/about_the_morgan/history/history_morgans_in_other_breeds/
~Lisa
Oh I wouldn't worry what her parentage is..if she is a sweet gentle girl..and you like her and she will provided you with a fun trail riding mount..then I think you should seriously consider her:)
Of course, I agree. It doesn't matter to me at all what her breeding is. Heck she's not even registered.
Baby Doll was a Foundation Bred mare and was registered, but none of that mattered for what I wanted her for anyway. Her previous owners never registered her in their names, and I never even bothered registering her in my name, either and I just passed the registration papers onto her new owners.
I do find it interesting to discover what might be in this mare's background, though, just because her comformation is just so different than what I've seen around here.
~Lisa
The history of the AQHA depends on where you read. I have records and log books from my family who were pioneers into the west in the 1800's it is quite interesting. One family imported 2 percheron stallions to breed with the chickasaw horses to make cattle horses and farm horses as the native horses were too small. Another record I have shows one family brought 2 morgan stallions from Virginia to breed with the native horses. If you read some of the first QH were of unknown breeding.
Hey Lisa, I keep going back to look at your last photos of Sugar. She does seem to display some Morgan characteristics. The most obvious is how she is usually stretched out a bit, it is a natural stance that most of them seem to affect without being trained or having it exaggerated in the show ring....well there's a whole other tirade. Anyhow I'm not sure but it just doesn't matter, half bred, purebred? papers, no papers none of that makes the horse a good one. Well that's enough of my opinion.....please just buy this mare so we can hear all about the great rides and the bond you and Jenna already are developing with this horse.
She's beautiful, whether part Morgan or not! She seems to be in good weight, so the senior feed may not be necessary - she might do better on just a mineral/vitamin balancer pellet designed for your area. If Mrs. Mom says the feet will be OK, that's good enough for me. She is cresty, and Morgans tend to get that way and are also know for developing insulin resistance (we have one at our barn who does just that) - they have a more pony-like metabolism and sometimes need a restricted diet. We also have had good luck with our insulin resistant horses using a chromium/selenium/vitamin E supplement (with magnesium as well if they'll eat it).
I like the look of her so far - keep us posted!
Sugar is such a cutie! I love her markings. I can't wait to hear that she is yours and you guys can start a new incredible journey, that you so deserve!
WOWEE...learned tons here tonight!
I second what Kate has said about the
Insulin resistance. I live with 3 beautiful Morgans at my barn, and they are on low sugar index hay that they have cut at a special time. They have it tested to be sure.
I am so glad that this blogging world can offer such awesome advice..what a neat thing! I love it! Sometimes you have to wade through stuff to get the truth that works for you...but it is great to have keen horsey friends!
I really praynthis does work out...from the 3 Morgans I know, they are such loves!
Kac
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