The history of Churchtown Morgan Stud Farm
The following is taken from an article by John Daniels, entitled "Introducing John Daniels" that appeared in the 2007 European Morgan Horse Magazine.
Rosie and I bought our farm almost by chance when 33 acres of land were put up for sale by the village church. The land was what is called Glebe land and originally would have been part of the income for the Vicar who lived in our Vicarage. So in mid 2004 we became farmers, and decided after much thought that we would start a Livery Yard and would get ourselves some horses. Due to a mutual preference for Western riding, we decided to look for Western-type horses. The second link in the chain of our progression to the Morgan Horse was an advert in our local paper, placed by Heather Smee of Briarpatch Morgans.
After some internet research and a number of visits to Briarpatch we became the proud owners of Guy, Belle and Flora. The decision to buy a stallion was a difficult one but I was so impressed by Guy and his tolerance and temperament that I went ahead, thinking that if he got to be too much for such novices as we were, at the time, then he could always be gelded. We also at that time had the chance to buy quite cheaply two mares who had already been together for six years, and since we could not yet ride any of our Morgans for reasons of age (the horses that is) and they both came with full tack and a trailer, with an eye to the possible stud use Poppy and Sammi also became part of the family. The end of October 2004 found these novice horse owners with 6 horses, (Belle being only 4 months old, mum came too) 4 acres of pasture, fenced with post and rail to provide 5 separate paddocks, a block of three temporary wooden stables, 30 acres of newly sown pasture and a naive belief that a 4ft Cornish hedge would suffice to keep in all but the stallion. That illusion was quickly shattered when Belle was the first over the hedge, closely followed by Posie and Guy. That prompted a rush to Cornwall Farmers Co-op for electric fencing. Still not good enough! The next morning we awoke to find Guy, Posie and Belle, in our front garden. A 13 year old lad had been walking his dog in the early morning and had found all three wandering down the road past the church. He put his dog lead round Guy's neck and led him into our garden and the others followed. Thank goodness for providence and sensible country youth - and a sensible Morgan. It turned out that Belle could step over the bottom strand and duck under the top one and once she was out the others just went through the lot, so we added a third strand and then extra post and rail.
During the next 5 months, our first horsey winter, we learned a great deal about handling and caring for our new responsibilities and had lots of advice, some good, some bad. We became very well acquainted with mud, wellie boots, long johns and mucking out forks. We survived our first weaning and got to know the different personalities and characters we now devote the greater part of our lives to: honest, friendly and very loveable Morgan horses.
One highlight of that winter was introducing Guy, Posie and Belle to our back garden for an afternoon of lush grass as a change from the now muddy paddocks we were reduced to, where they stayed for a month. Guy soon learned to open the sliding Patio doors and would come clomping into the kitchen, followed bv the others on the lookout for apples or other goodies. As soon as the first light went on in the morning we would hear him blowing outside the back door for his breakfast. The time came for Belle to be weaned and that meant Posie going back to Briarpatch and tears from Rosie as she had become quite attached to her and was determined that she would have her back again as soon as possible. Sammy stepped into the role of surrogate big sister to Belle and began to enjoy the perks of sharing a paddock and the next stable to Rosie's favourite.
That winter saw the start of our battle with the local planning department over our plans to build a full size stable block, yard and school. January 2005 was also the start of the problems for Heather Smee and was precipitated by the sudden death of her partner, Tony. Heather was left with little income and dependant children and grandchildren. Heather obviously had a very hard year emotionally and since we had lots of pasture now that our new fields were fit for grazing, we played host to most of her horses throughout that summer and autumn including her four foals and their mothers.
Now Rosie was in her element, socialising and working with the foals and it wasn't very long before she had them all accepting head collars and leading round the field with and without their mothers. She also had them all accepting coats and blankets well before the real need arose and was able to lift and tap all their feet and handle them allover. All in all another extremely busy year with new fields to be fenced and made horse-proof, Rosie having also to run our B&B and myself running my construction business. Long evenings were a real blessing. Our battles with the planners continued, with them now accepting the principle of stables and other facilities, but not the design and positioning. Consequently we still had very few facilities other than lots of grass. Still our education continued, with our first coverings for Guy and visiting mares, etc. Guy made everything easy for us with his superb manners and patient courtship of his mares and remained co-operative and easy to handle.
July was our first attempt at showing. We had continued to be confused with there being the BMHS and also BMHA, so joined both and entered for the BMHA show at Bedford. When that was cancelled we entered the Western Region Show at Monnington. We entered Belle, our yearling buckskin filly, and Heather's mare Ruby and invited Heather to come along for moral support. Neither of us had any showing experience and Rosie got the nod being fitter than me for the ring work. Both horses travelled well and on the day gave of their best, as did Rosie. In addition to rampant nerves she was having trouble keeping her trousers up and had to show the horse with one hand and keep her belt together with the other. In the circumstances she was delighted with a third for Belle in a full class and a rosette for Ruby in a class of two.
We had seen the consequences of having too many horses as the year came towards Autumn, and we ended up doing what was essential instead of what we wanted to do. Due to Heather's misfortunes what had been planned as an orderly and gradual progression was now a stampede and we were facing our second winter with three times the number of horses we should have had and still no stables or facilities. It was not a pleasant prospect. Our fields were still very new and would not stand up to a winter of 24/7 grazing. In addition we had also acquired 6 Aberdeen Angus yearling heifers on some well meaning advice. I think our advisor subsequently emigrated to escape retribution.
We had a taste of what was to come through a wet November, but on the 29th November at last planning permission was granted and we could go ahead with construction. Ground was broken on Dec 2nd and work continued throughout Christmas and New Year. On 17th January 2006 the horses were able to spend their first night in our new American barn stables. Bliss! No more wading through ankle-deep mud with feed buckets and haylage only to see it trampled into the ground and wasted in the disorderly rush. Now we could set out individual feeds in the stalls, put up hay nets and sit in comfort and listen to the contented munching noises echoing around the barn. The school was finished shortly after, and now we could exercise and carry out training almost in luxury.
Guy was now started on his training regime and attended a couple of hunts and a cross country as his first trips away from home. With the help of a new rider, Jenna, he was beginning to show his promise at dressage and show jumping. We set up weekly lessons for Guy and some of the non-pregnant mares with a visiting riding instructor. As Spring arrived we were able to contact Judith Hubbard, a member of the Devon western riding club and a WES qualified instructor, and arrange a regular twice a month visit to give lessons to our horses.
2006 was well underway. Guy was beginning to travel to local riding club events and shows. His first dressage prelim event secured a fourth and later in the day a first and very complimentary words from the judge. As usual no one could believe that he is a stallion with his excellent behaviour. Problems began to arrive later in the year when his rider Jenna began to fall out with Rosie and moved on. We had been told by some people whose opinion we respected that although he was making progress he needed to be ridden differently and learn to carry himself instead of hanging on the rider's hands.
The next big event of 2006 was our first foal born on the farm. We had four pregnant mares and Ruby was due first. We had a camera installed in the stable which we could focus on the foaling box with the monitor in our bedroom. We had all the usual advice about the teats waxing up, etc, but no action. On May 3rd I had gone to bed as usual but awoke at about 12.15am and watched Ruby moving around and getting up and laying down, nothing really unusual, then I saw the first toot start to come and quickly woke Rosie and we watched everything from start to finish: foot appeared at 12.26 and Duke was on the ground at 12.42. By that time we were dressed but still watching, it probably took us about 3 minutes to get down to the stable through the garden and by that time Ruby was still lying down and Duke was still covered with the birth sack but his nose and mouth were clear. I went into the stall and removed the sack and did some desensitising, (which we had read about) and to this day when I put my hand to Duke's nose he will lift his lip and put his head in the air, he must think I am his mother! Of the four born this year he was the only one we saw from start to finish. Next to arrive was Eve, a beautiful palomino, but she was on her feet and suckling by the time we noticed. Prince arrived in the middle of a BBQ at the stables and Chris Reading helped to pull him out (she was visiting to have her mare covered by Jacca at the time). Last of all was Ginny, a lovely chestnut filly with big blaze and four white socks, and again she was suckling by the time she was spotted.
Royal Cornwall Show was very well supported. We decided on taking Jacca, Heather's 2 year old colt, and Belle, now also 2, along with three of the yearling filiies, all in the same in hand class - our first appearance at the show. Jacca was shown by Chris and Les Reading and we had four volunteer ladies for the fillies. A good result, with Jacca taking first in his class and places for the three youngest fillies. Belle disgraced herself and had to leave the ring, but by the time we had returned all the girls to their box and got them settled the in hand class and champion deciders were over and we missed it.
Over the rest of the year there were many highlights for Guy and the rest of our brood including Guy's first western show at the Grange, Oakhampton, the Western region show at Monnington, 6 rosettes for Guy, 2 first 2 seconds, 3rd and a fourth and considering his seven and a half hour journey, a great show by him and everyone who travelled all that distance. There were lots more local shows, including his first one day event: poor dressage, when he finished 2nd last, a clear round in show jumping 2ft 9in and the only clear round of the day at cross country out of 40 entries to finish in 1st place.
So 2006 wound to a close to find us with more horses than ever, but enjoying the work and pushing ahead with the education of our brood and ourselves. Another highlight of our year was a visit to Oklahoma for the Grand National and World Champion Show in October, but that deserves an article all to itself.
In conclusion, we now love our Morgans more than ever. We did not start out with any ambitions other than to get to know something about horses. Now our ambition is to produce good mannered riding horses who can go out and widen the profile of the Morgan Horse in this country by competing in as many non breed-specific events as we can. That can only work if the horses we compete are as sane, sensible and even-tempered as we can make them. For the Morgan to be indeed, the "ideal family horse" of our own publicity, then surely temperament and sanity have to be very high on the list of priorities for breeding and training.
Prospects for 2007? The same progress as last year would be good, the same trouble-free foaling would be even better, and to see our young stock respond to training and stay the same happy friends they are now would be a relief and a blessing.