National Day of the Morgan; We Want You!
Submitted by Sandy Sessink
On a beautiful, sunny day last October, nearly 600 people were introduced to Morgan horses in an up close and personal way throughout the state of Ohio. Some of the ten barns involved in the Ohio Morgan Horse Association’s Open Barn Day successfully signed up new clients for lessons and others were able to interest families in getting involved in the Morgan show world.
All things considered, it was a great day for the Morgan horse industry and its success begged the question, "Why couldn’t we do this type of promotion on a national level?" The answer was, "We can! And we will!"
Accordingly, I am happy to announce that AMHA will be sponsoring a National Open Barn Day to be held on The Day of the Morgan, October 28, 2017. I have been asked to take on the challenge of heading up this very important event. But I cannot do it without you!
The goal of this project is to promote Morgan horses on a national scale, coordinating local events targeting the non-horse public. Focusing on one day allows the AMHA to devote time and resources to publicize each participating stable’s open barn, in their local area. Imagine what we could do in one day if you will all help reach our goal of 75 to 100 participating barns!
On October 28, 2017, it is entirely possible that more than 5,000 people will experience the joy of a curious muzzle looking for treats, or the magnificence of a group of Morgan horses running across a field, or the awe inspiring sight of a park saddle horse performing his gaits. Try to remember the first time you saw a Morgan horse. That feeling has never gone away for me. And it’s that feeling that has coursed through my veins for a lifetime of commitment to our breed. If we can provide that feeling for even a small percentage of the people we will reach, we will have accomplished a lot. We will have injected new blood into our industry, which we all know is a bit anemic right now.
This needs to be a group effort, where each and every Morgan breeder, trainer, owner and rider realizes the consequences of doing nothing to promote the breed. If not now, why not? If not now, when?
The way in which you choose to promote the breed on that day is also your choice. If you can do demonstrations, that’s wonderful. If you are able to offer rides or drives, fabulous! If you just have a field full of beautiful Morgans, that’s great, too. Whatever your stable’s involvement, surely you can introduce a curious person or family to a Morgan horse. Even the hours you will be pen are up to you! Sharing your love and enthusiasm for the breed is what we need.
Please download this sign-up form, fill it out, and send it me. More information will be coming soon. Whether you are a professional trainer, a breeder, a trail riding owner, a lesson program instructor or just someone with a couple of pet Morgans in your barn, WE NEED YOU TO PARTICIPATE! Why wait? Sign up right now!
For more information, call me at (248) 207-4956.