Written by Carol Horne of Georgia, the owner/rider of the LD Morab mare, LM Red Sky Delight:

I had been looking for nearly a year for a horse that would be a perfect match for my family and myself, one that I could also use for endurance riding. I have owned mostly Arabians and was considering another one, but couldn't find the "perfect" horse. I have always admired the Morgan breed. Who hasn't grown up reading "Justin Morgan Had A Horse"? But I couldn't find a Morgan that would work, either.

Then one time I was online on the internet, I saw an ad for a young Morab gelding and I contacted the owner. But after talking with her, I decided that the gelding would not work. Almost a month later she emailed me about a Morab mare for sale, and I contacted the breeder, Anita Messenger of Liberty Mtn. Ranch, for the owner's information. It was the first of May 2005. I spoke with the owner, and the horse sounded too good to be true. I kept waiting to find something about this horse that would make me write her off. That was a Thursday. Over the weekend, I kept praying, "God, if this isn't the right horse for me, please let me know."

The horse was in Memphis, Tennessee, and I'm in Gainesville, Georgia. That is a 10 hour drive, and with me being a stay at home mom, there isn't any money to waste with a drive like that for a horse that doesn't work out. But my husband being the sweetheart that he is, said, "If you really think this horse is it, go and get it." So on Monday I spoke with the owner again and to the person who was boarding LM Red Sky Delight. I contacted the owner's vet and arranged to have a pre-purchase vetting. The first day he could do it was Friday, the morning I was driving out to Memphis. He called me when I was halfway to Memphis, and told me everything about Delight. She was overweight, but he felt there wasn't anything physically to hold her back from doing endurance riding. I arrived Friday night just before dark, and I was so excited! I stayed at a camping area, and prayed all night. I was so worried I just drove that far for a horse that would be crazy or have bad habits or ANYTHING.

Early Saturday morning I saw my girl. Boy, was she overweight! I don't know how she had never foundered. She was so FAT! We went for a ride and she was nervous, but was not barn sour. She never acted like she didn't want to go down the road, she was just hesitant about doing it. So, I decided to take her home. It was too late to start back so I decided to spend another night at the campground and picked her up the next morning. She really didn't want to load, but I finally bribed her. I was thinking, Oh Lord, what have I gotten myself into. We drove the 11 hours it took us to get home.

The first few months was a huge getting-to-know you experience. She would NOT load in the trailer so we went back to basics and she overcame that part. I have to trailer everywhere to ride so my horses have to load and unload with no problems. I also tend to ride by myself 99% of the time, too.....No one to help me with a trouble loader.

She also had some head issues, and she did not want to accept the idea that communicating works with legs and hands. We had to go back to some basics: Whoa, right turn, left turn, lunging, etc. I finally found a bit she would accept and listen to. When we are by ourselves and not competing, she seems very happy with riding in a vosel.

Our first trail ride was interesting. She shied at EVERYTHING - a rock, a tree, a limb moving, a dirt pile....EVERYTHING. Her favorite way to avoid something scarey was spin....I swear this horse could have been a barrel horse as she can really turn on a dime. I ride in a BM Sport saddle with a horn....thank goodness! She would cross water without thinking twice which I definately appreciated. She also had no idea about the difference between slow and fast trotting or cantering. We worked on rating.

Our first ride we attempted was held at Dawson Forest, GERA Fundraiser. My thought was to keep her off to herself, and not get caught up riding someone else's ride ....I kept her out until the front runners left. Then very calmly we walked past the vets, and out of nowhere, right in front of the vets, she starts bucking.....it's a good thing I have a pretty good seat and I hung on. Just as quick as that came on, she quit. We were riding in the vosel. After that the pulling started. She wanted to catch every horse that was in front of us. It was horrible. I hurt from my neck to my toes.....I swore I wouldn't ride another ride. Yeah, right!

After the ride I started thinking about bits. I tried everything I could get my hands on, and finally found one that she was happy with and I was, too. I am not a person to use too much, I like the gentler, the better. Plus, I put a cavesan on her.

I have now trailered to Florida for pleasure riding and have ridden along busy highways with Delight, and every time, if she is not sure of something, it is almost like she asks me if this is ok and then we go on. She does not spin around trying to get away from things any more.   

Later on I took her and my kids camping at Big South Fork in Tennessee, and we had so much fun exploring the trails. I never have to worry about her taking off. We can be flying down the trail, and one of my kids will say something and we'll have to stop. Delight will stop and stand perfectly still while I do whatever has to be done and then away we go again. She always has the best disposition. She is always willing to go and see what is around the next bend.

Our next ride was River Run in South Georgia. Delight was perfect, you could not ask for better - no pulling. She settled in from the beginning like she knew what was expected of her and knew her job this time. I kept the pace slow, and we came in 40th. I was thrilled.

The best part of Delight is she is wonderful with my two daughters. My youngest isn't afraid of anything, and sometimes she really scares me. With Delight it almost seems like she is watching them, and makes sure she stands perfectly still while they are brushing and cleaning. No cribbing or biting or kicking.....although she is definitely the Alpha mare. She put the other two mares in their places, and I was wondering at first if she and my oldest daughter's mare were ever going to get the pecking order worked out. Delight won! No one even discusses the matter anymore. I spoke with Anita, and she said Delight's dam and granddam are the same way.

With the weather, we haven't had much riding time this winter, but the weather should be breaking soon and I am shooting for our first ride to be in March. I can't wait to see what happens. But especially just to enjoy the time we have riding and getting to know Delight even better. You know, I read somewhere that it takes two years to really get to know a horse and to become working partners. I can't wait for our next outing. 

Written by Becky Rowhner, the Montana owner/rider of the endurance Morab mare, RS Picara:

RS Picara is a full sister to Kootenai Zizzero. She is registered both as an IMR Morab and IAHA, or I guess now AHA, Half Arabian. She was foaled 5/10/88.  I purchased her from Suzie Hayes' mother when Picara was 8.  Picara had been used as a pack horse and brood mare up until then.  When I picked her up to try her, she weighed close to 1200#.  This was the first of July.  I did my first 25 miler on her Labor Day weekend, the same day Princess Diana died.  I did my first 50 about 3 weeks later at the Posse ride, and finished 10th.  We haven't looked back since.  Our endurance career is not famous, but she has been a very good horse for me.  Basically she has been my teach me how to ride horse.  She has only dumped me a couple times in all the miles I have put on her.  She has had a couple of minor tendon injuries, but other than that she has been a very steady solid mare for competition.  She currently has 1600 AERC miles.  My goal is to reach 2000 miles this summer.  I've done a few CTR's on her, but not much. Picara is 17 years old this year (2005).