March 16

DRACONIA KEEP where Magic and Dreams Become Reality

March 16, 2007

Morgan Presence at the KHP

It has come to my attention that some people in the Morgan world who believe that the Morgan Horse presence at the Kentucky Horse Park is *not* a good idea.

I must admit a lack of understanding to this thinking. I don't understand how the presence in one of the best horse venues in the nation could possibly not be a good thing.

On one of the e-mail lists I'm on, someone sent a message stating that the reason the Saddlebred registrations are down over the last twenty years is directly correlated to the SB presence at the KHP.

This is what I replied to that post.

Your point is noted, but I must say I have serious reservations on 
whether the SB presence at the KHP has *anything* to do with their 
decline in numbers--more that more and more people are looking at the SB 
as a rich man's horse (justifiably!) and not a "pleasure" horse.

In all due respect, I can't see how the SB presence at the KHP can have 
*that* much of an impact on the breed as a whole.

I know *very* little about SBs except what I see at shows, and I'll be 
blunt--it'll be a cold day in Hades before I'd allow my children (or 
myself) on a 17 hand horse that can be as unpredictable as I've seen 
some of those horses. (That said, I know that not *all* SBs are not like 
that--I'm merely making a point.) With that in my mind, I feel that 
*that* is the reason their numbers are down--not because of their 
presence at the KHP.

I still think that the Morgan presence at the KHP, if filled out well, 
is a great thing.

I respectfully ask if you've been there to the KHP since the Morgan 
exhibit was put up? I have, and I'm going twice in the next month. It's 
a lot of fun, and it is well laid out. I think it's a great idea.

Tori Wilfred

I would love to hear from my readers their opinions on this matter as it directly affects everyone involved in Morgans. Perhaps I am missing some key elements as to why the Morgan Horse being well represented at the KHP would not directly benefit the Morgan.

tori@draconiakeep.com

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Tori