2001 Morgan mare.
By Mary Mels Snooper
Out of Circle H Jovita
Bred by Dusty Hacket on the Arpaho ranch
https://www.allbreedpedigree.com/arapaho+jerry
I bought Jerry back in 2004, I think. After trying to decide if I wanted a gaited Morgan or a cow bred Morgan I figured out that it was a silly question. The obvious answer is both!
A friend had spotted her gaiting briefly in the pasture. So although Dusty hadn’t noticed any gaiting I decided to take a chance. She came home and proved to be a strong trotter. But trotting down hill she would occasionally shift into a smooth gait.
As she progressed in her reining and cow horse training I discovered that asking for a bit of a leg yield at a trot would also bring out the gait.
She progressed amazingly in her training teaching me how to ride and train a great cutting and reining horse.
We spent the drought years of 2006 and 2007 showing. Against the best local Quarter horses she won a couple buckles, a best in show and numerous placings bringing home blankets, halters, and all sorts of fun prizes.
She also spent her non showing time working as a ranch horse, where she was wonderful but never in a hurry. I had gotten a gaited horse so we could cover country with speed, and ended up with a horse who was in no hurry to get anywhere. ๐
Then I hurt my back. It was a couple of years of not being able to ride. I sold her to a Morgan breeder who took her to Grand Nationals where she placed respectfully. I always wished I could have ridden her, together we could have won it!
But life changes. She ended up coming back to me. Bred! I got a stunning grey stud colt from her. Who got struck by lightening his 4 year old year shortly after getting going good undersaddle ๐ญ
I had babies by then. Jerry was amazing. But, she was a great cow horse. She was very capable of dropping out from under you and coming up somewhere else. It made her a great cutting horse, but not so great for riding with babies. Human babies.
My good friend Tanna had been coming out and riding with me. She did wonderfully with Jerry. I offered her Jerry. She took her and has loved her for the last ten years. Jerry has been working as a ranch horse, she was still roping calves in the branding pen shortly before coming back to me. But, Tanna grew up somewhere along the way. She has babies of her own now and no time to ride. She asked if I would be interested in having Jerry back.
I jumped at the chance!
Jerry wasn’t right for us when she went to Tanna. She’s been perfect for Tanna all this time. Now she is perfect for us again. My daughter has taken her over and is loving the gait as much as I used to. Maybe she’ll want to work cows on her some day.