40 Questions

I saw Kalin at Cash's Steppin' Up do one of these, as well L. Williams at Viva Carlos, so I decided to do one to. Achieve1Dream modified it a little as there were some repeats.

1. Favorite thing about riding? Horses. I fell in love with horses when I was younger and decided I wanted to learn how to ride them.
2. Draft horse of pony? I prefer average sized horses over drafts and ponies, but if I had to decide I would want a draft because of their calm, kind temperaments.
3. English or western? English!
4. Dressage or hunter/equitation? I like hunter better than dressage because I love the excitement of jumping.
5. Green or trained horse? I would want a horse taught at least the very basics–riding, groundwork, and manners, and I would want to train it in a discipline of my choice. 
6. Worst fall? I haven't fallen yet, thankfully, and hopefully I get to keep it that way for the time being!
7. First fall, what happened?(see question 6)
8. Have you ever wanted to quite riding? No, I just started and have no plans of quitting. 
9. Favorite thing about your horse? I don't have one yet but my favorite thing about Reno, the horse I currently ride, is that he's the type of horse that you can ride and be focused on good equitation and learning how to ride without worrying about what he would do if you are not focused 100% on him. In short, he's a good lesson horse.
10. Least favorite thing about riding? Two things, the cost and snobs who always have to have the best, fancy warmblood and the nicest, new tack and pick on those who don't.
    
11. For trail riding, do you prefer a horse that likes to lead or a horse that likes to follow? I don't really do trail rides, but I would prefer to have a horse that follows because I don't like be in front much.
12. Do your prefer to ride inside or outside? I ride outside,  but if it's pouring down rain I'll prefer an indoor.
13. Do you show? No, but I plan to once I get a horse of my own.
14. How long have you been riding? Since November 2,  2013. 
15. Why did you start riding? I started because I love horses and Mom and Dad finally got some for me after more than a year of mercilessly begging.
16. How many times a week do you ride? I'm trying to do at once a week, but most of the time I'll probably just do 3 times a month.
17. Have you ever fallen at a show? How? I don't show and I haven't fallen off yet. 
18. Ever fallen at a jump? I haven't started jumping.
19. Ever been bucked off? No, Reno does not buck.
20. Do you have a privet or group lesson? I do a group lesson since it is better for a beginning rider to have one-on-one time the first few rides.
21. In your opinion, does it make less of a rider if you don't own a horse? No, some people do not have the privilege to own a horse, which is really not there fault. it doesn't make them any less of a rider than someone who does have a horse.
22. Trick riding or eventing? Eventing. 
23. What discipline do you want to try? Why? I have always wanted to do show jumping. It seems exciting to be soaring over jumps, even 2 foot ones.
24. Ever had barn drama? No, and I hope not to. Fortunately, the girls at my lesson barn seem nice and I don't think I'll have any drama from them. 
25. How many barns have you been to, as in visited or boarded at? I haven't been to barns many times. As far as I can remember, only Silver Rose Ranch, where I take lessons. I have, however, been to several ranches, though one kept their horses in a covered paddock and I haven't seen where the other one keeps it's horses.
26. Do you plan on having horses in your life, for the rest of your life? Yes! I want to own a rescue for ex-rachorses if I can, as well as have me own personal horse.
27. Favorite Tumblr equestrian? I'm not on Tumblr, but I follow lots of blogs with awesome people! There are all awesome in there own way.
28. Favorite Tumblr horse?(see above) All their horses are awesome as well.
29. If you could ride any famous horse, dead or alive, who would it be? Why? I would want to ride Snowman, the great show jumper from the '50s and '60s. He was an amazing jumper and a just as amazing lesson horse. 
30. Does winning ribbons matter to you? Having fun and doing the sport I love matters more to me than taking home the blue.

    

    I love this quote!

31. Favorite color, breed, and gender of horse? I love Thoroughbreds and I love geldings. Color isn't a big deal to me, though I do think chestnuts, bays, and palominos are cute. 
32. Worst riding experience? I haven't had any bad riding experiences yet.
33. Ever been on a trail ride? I do go on a short loop around the barn after every ride to cool down Reno. It's technically a trail, so yes. 
34. Hunter or jumper? Jumper!
35. Is there a horse that you knew and loved but didn't own and really wish you could have owned? Nope, there aren't really any horses that I know/knew, but LOPE in Texas had a horse Witt's Midway, that looked sweet. He always got up close to the photographer and started grazing within ten minutes of arriving at the ranch for the first time.
36. Ever wanted to buy a school horse? No, although there are other  horses I have wanted and will never have.
37. Have you been knocked unconscious by a horse? No, I have never had any accidents around horses.
38. Ever ridden a horse 17hh+. No. Reno is only about 15hh, and he is the only horse I have ridden.
39. Ever ridden a horse 13hh or lower? Nope, only a horse 15hh.
40. What is your favorite season to ride? Fall is nice here in California. the temperatures are cool, and the rain doesn't come until winter. Perfect riding weather!

Morgan

 In 1789, a logging horse named Figure was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts. No one knew who his parents were, although some suspect the sire to be True Briton, a Thoroughbred, and believe that Friesians, Welsh Cobs, Norfolk Trotters, or even Canadian Horses to be somewhere in his lineage. Then again, these are just speculations. No one really knows for certain. 

 As a yearling, Figure was sold to Justin Morgan, a schoolteacher from Vermont, who lent the young horse to neighboring farmers to be used as a plow horse and a logging horse. It turns out that the small, 14 hands high colt was also good at racing. He would beat the fastest Thoroughbreds in match races, win trotting races, and could even out-pull heavy draft horses in log-pulling races, always winning, no matter how much extra weight was put on.

Morgans are usually found in bay,
black, and dark chestnut. They
can be used in many disciplines,
including western pleasure, like the one
above.

 It wasn't long before villagers asked for Figures stud services, breeding him mainly to Thoroughbred and Norfolk Trotter mares, although he successfully made his mark upon generations of horses, which became to be known as "Morgan's horse." Later, the name was shortened to "Morgan," which is used to this day. 

 The Morgan has large, intelligent eyes; a slightly dished profile; a crested neck, which flows smoothly into high withers; a short back, sturdy legs, powerful haunches, and stands between 14.1 and 15.2 hands high. Also, the breed is divided into two different types: the powerful, compact Morgan, which closely resembles the breed's base stallion, Figure, and the elegant, more refined type, developed more recently than he other type. Despite their physical differences, the two have three traits in common: liveliness, endurance, and a good-natured temperament. 

 Just like the Thoroughbred, the Morgan excels in many disciplines, including dressage, driving, endurance racing, eventing, show jumping, and just about any other discipline, English or Western. The fact that it is an all-round horse most likely goes back to the early development of the breed, when a farmer needed to have it ready to do harness work or another man had to use it for different purposes.