Celebrating its 100th anniversary of its inception in 2009, the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) exists to preserve, promote, and perpetuate the Morgan breed. Located in Shelburne, Vermont, since 1988, the organization seeks to advance the breed and provides services to the entire Morgan horse world. It also offers exciting programs and services especially for its members.

Included in this mix are the Pathways and Open Competition programs, offered to horse enthusiasts who like to take their horses out on the trail or in all-breed competition. The Pathways program was developed to reward riders and drivers for their commitment to using and enjoying their Morgan horse. Hours are recorded for all time spent riding or driving a Morgan horse in a non-competitive setting. Among the hours recorded by members are lessons, group trail rides, and training time. When you join Pathways, you receive an embroidered badge for your jacket or saddle pad. As you accrue hours, special certificates, badges, and gifts are awarded.

“For me, the lure of the horse is listening and learning,” says Pathways member, Helen Allard, of Townshend, Vermont. “It is about growing and daring. It is about my mare and I becoming more of a team than we are individuals. Our learning is mostly solitary – done in the woods and on the back roads. Show ring honors and ribbons have little place in our world. Pathways badges and log sheets help me hold on to varied and wonderful memories of the hours my horse and I have shared.”

“Pathways is a wonderful outlet for our members,” says Amanda Ryan, AMHA Membership Representative and Programs Coordinator. “Currently, the program has 600 participants, and it is one of our most popular. Members are rewarded just for jumping on the back or in the buggy of their favorite four-legged friend.”

“I like Pathways for a few reasons,” says Tina DeLullo of Hampden, Massachusetts, a lifetime member since joining in 1995. “First, it helps me set goals. I plan to ride or drive ten hours each month, anything over that is a treat! Ten hours doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you work full time, any moment spent with your horses is truly cherished. I also like the fact I can chart my progress. I can easily check to see when I last worked a horse or when I trailered out to a lesson or trail. It’s great when I’m bringing a youngster along. I can chart when I first long-lined him, hooked him to a carriage, and so on. I enjoy reflecting on that. It’s nice to know my schooling hours count toward both my showing and Pathways goals.

“This past year, I reached my 1,000 hour,” DeLullo continues. “Reaching this milestone made me realize that Pathways is all about the journey, not the ride. I ride alone quite a bit and my Morgan is my partner, no matter where we go. When I do ride with friends, we share such carefree, happy times it’s like being a kid again! I enjoy showing, but my favorite Morgan memories, my proudest Morgan moments, have always come outside the show ring.” 

AMHA’s Open Competition program showcases the Morgan breed’s best ambassadors and as a promotional tool, it can’t be beat. Surveys show that most new Morgan owners discover the breed through friends and seeing Morgans compete at open events.

The program, which began in the early 1970s, recognizes Morgans competing in 34 different facets of equine competition based on seven core activities: open shows, competitive trail riding and driving, endurance trail riding, dressage, carriage driving and combined driving events, working western, and eventing. Points are tallied and year-end awards are distributed each year at AMHA’s annual convention. To date, 200 Morgans are currently part of the program, but more than 1,000 have participated through the more than 30 years of the program’s existence.

In addition to yearly high-point awards, Medallion awards for special individual achievements are presented in each of the seven core activities. For horses attaining the medallion requirements, the honor of bronze, silver, gold, or platinum medallions will be hard to top. Horses usually take many years to earn the required points for these awards. The Sport Horse Award, which represents a Morgan’s lifetime achievement, is awarded to competitors who earn medallions in five of the seven divisions. To date, just eight horses in the program have earned this prestigious title.

“The Open Competition program is a wonderful way for Morgan owners to not only have their horse recognized for its talents, but for posterity,” Ryan says. “Their horse’s names will be forever included in AMHA records, and it’s important to Morgan history as well.”

“I am a big supporter of Open Competition,” says Connie Barker of Carmichael, California. “Vicki Smith of Alibi Morgans in southern California told me about the program when I first started to show at the Morgan breed shows. I was very new and inexperienced with the organized show world. It took me a while to understand all the organized structure of the show world. Once I joined, I was very happy with it. I am a detail-oriented person [auditor by profession], so the record keeping was not a problem for me.

“I like the program because I like to show my Morgan against all the other breeds,” Barker continues. “Some of my most memorable placings were against highly campaigned Quarter Horses who excel in arena trail in my area. I judged my ability, and my horse’s ability, on how well I did against those horses. It was rewarding to have a Morgan place well and be recognized by Quarter Horse show people in a show that used Quarter Horse judges!

“I recommend the program to anyone riding a Morgan I see at a show!” Barker concluded.

In addition to the programs that join Morgans with their owners, AMHA also offers an extensive program for young people. The Morgan youth program is designed to bring out the best in its members, no matter their skills or interests. The program challenges youth to become involved, to learn, and to develop competence in all areas of the horse industry. As they work with the Morgan horse, members develop a sense of sportsmanship and fair play, learn citizenship skills, master leadership skills, and develop a sense of responsibility for themselves, their horses, and their clubs. 

Opportunities offered in the youth program include competition in the AMHA Youth of the Year Contest, which takes place each year in October at the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show in Oklahoma. The title of AMHA Youth of the Year is one of the highest honors presented to a Morgan youth. The award for winning is a month-long trip as an ambassador for AMHA youth, promoting the breed and sharing skills learned in the program.

The Horsemanship program offers youth members an opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge to become competent and independent horse people. Its five achievement levels teach members to ride, drive, judge, train, and care properly for their horses. Badges, prizes, and certificates are awarded as each level is completed.

Excellence in equitation is recognized through the AMHA Medal classes, held at local and regional Morgan horse shows. Junior riders from across the country compete to win AMHA Silver Medals in six equitation seats: saddle seat, western seat, hunter seat on the flat, hunter seat over fences, dressage, and reining seat. Riders qualify to compete in the Gold Medal Finals at the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show. A gold medal, the highest AMHA equitation honor, is presented to the winner in each of the six seats.

If you would like to learn more about the Morgan breed and its programs, go to www.morganhorse.com or call 802-985-4944.

Christina Koliander is the Communications Specialist for the American Morgan Horse Association in Shelburne, Vermont.