Already since closing the comments on the Tulsa thread I have had someone try to post a new thread discussing the same thing with more negative comments.  So, it would seem a reminder is in order.  Folks, if you have a problem with a judge’s behavior or decisions at a particular show, USEF has judge evaluation forms available that you can fill out and send in. This blog is not the place for you to air your dirty laundry.  There are plenty of other avenues available for that kind of blather and I have no intention of letting this site become one of them.

I have allowed some commentary on judges because negative input in the past has often been either refuted or left alone.  If you have a question on specific behavior, it’s very easy to do so without pointing fingers at a particular person or instance.

Hey folks, I have a built in spam filter for comments that does catch a lot of goofy things. I don’t get any sort of email notification when a comment is filtered as spam and most of what it catches is junk. But I just went in and checked it and noticed quite a few legitimate comments that had gotten filtered. If you comment on something it should show up right away. If you don’t see it, please email me so I can approve it for you.

Hey folks, I want to start off with extending a BIG thanks to those of you who participate in discussion on this site.  Any of you who know much about me know that I’m just a little podunk, 2-horse operation with little to contribute to a Morgan show forum.  So I really appreciate those of you who have helped keep discussion rolling on this site. Not just discussion, RESPECTFUL discussion! It’s been almost a year since Beth handed over the reins to me and I can only remember 1 time I’ve had to step in and remove a comment.

However, I would like to request that you be respectful of a few additional guidelines.  This portion of the site is primarily intended for discussion purposes.  I know in the past it’s also been used for event promotion and classifieds postings, but (and some of you might not have noticed this) I have added Events, and Classifieds pages for these types of items (see the bar on the top-right of the screen).  The classifieds page is open for any registered user to list items for sale and includes categories for Horses, Tack, Show Apparel and Wanted.  To request an additional category, or to have an event added to the calendar please email me, admin@abovelevel.com (actually, I believe there has been some trouble in the past with emails going through to that address, so if you don’t hear back from me try skirossi@gmail.com).

In my spare time I do try to continually add things to the site that make it more useful and user-friendly, so if you ever have suggestions or comments, I always appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks
-Erin

What is everyone’s take on asking judges about your performance? As a Jr. Ex. showing pleasure and equitation, I like to ask the judges what he/she liked/didnt like/ and what i could improve on my performance. Do you think this is appropriate? Some judges have been happy to answer my questions and even look through their cards, while some just scowl and give me an answer like “more consistant”.

Also, I only ask after i am done showing. ;]

Hello Morgan World!!!

  I’m kind of new to this Above Level thing.  I have a 15 year old Morgan mare who is my world.  Recently she has become a showmanship master.  I always use to show her showmanship in Saddleseat attire, but I’m thinking her Saddleseat days are becoming numbered.  I want to switch her over to western showmanship, but I’m not sure how Morgans show in western showmanship.  She parks out like a champ, but when i try to square her up, like all other western horses, she gets confused.  Do all Morgans park out, regardless of show attire?  Should I make her park out for western showmanship, or teach her how to square up?  Any advise is helpful.  Thanks everybody.

Hey folks, I just want to remind all viewers and posters on this blog that it’s purpose is as a Morgan Horse Show blog. Retailers and other equine businesses are welcome to advertise on this site, but posting an advertisement to the blogroll is not acceptable. This will be considered spam and will be deleted. I understand that the recent posts of this nature have been in reaction to questions posted by users. If you would like to comment on these posts you are welcome, but I don’t consider standalone posts to be conducive to the type of discussion this blog is intended for.

If you have any questions feel free to email me admin@abovelevel.com

Thanks again,

-Erin

I have gone to a lot of open shows recently and there is a lot of variety of classes so I was wondering what classes people would find interesting that we dont have now at the morgan A rated shows. These are a few that I have competed in and enjoyed:

Ranch Horse Trail

Halter- Western (I know we have sport horse and in hand, but not any western)

Showmanship 18 & Over

Equitation 18 & Over (with or without patterns, sometimes they are seperated)

I cant think of any others off the top of my head, I am sure there are more, but I just wanted to see what everyone thought…. Thanks

~Jessica

Hello all Morgan enthusiasts!

My name is Caralee Conklin, and I am currently the President of the AMHA Youth Council. The AMHA is an international organization of young people who have a common interest in the Morgan horse, America’s oldest breed. With youth members in the United States, Canada, and all over the world, AMHAY offers a variety of programs that challenge members to become involved, to learn, and to develop competence in all areas of the horse industry.

As our AMHA National Convention draws closer, I am posting on all Morgan fan message boards to raise awareness of our fundraising requirements. To offset hotel and meeting room costs, each AMHAY Regional Director is required to raise $250, and each AMHAY Executive Officer is required to raise $300. These costs do not cover travel expenses, and are a requirement with the AMHAY Officer contract.

With the tentative deadline for raising these funds set at January 10th, please be on the lookout for youth members asking for contributions. Even a small handout will help them reach their goal!

The AMHAY Council has grown exponentially from four members present at the convention two years ago, to having active Regional Directors for almost every region, and a multitude of Regional Representatives! We have developed new youth programming, re-organized the board to provide more participation opportunities, and we are looking forward to working at the Grand Nationals with the University of Oklahoma on a philanthropy to benefit cancer patients!

The 2009 AMHA Convention is especially important to the Youth Council. We are currently seeking representatives from Region 7 and Region 8. We hope that our presence in Sacramento will make it easier for youth from these regions to become directly involved!

So please help the AMHAY Council continue to be an important part of the AMHA Convention. We want to continue working towards the goals we have set for ourselves as we begin the new year!

See you at convention!

Caralee Conklin

AMHA Youth Council President 2007-2009

2006 AMHA Youth of the Year

cconklin@ufl.edu

http://www.morganhorse.com/youth/

PS Please repost this on any and all Morgan message boards to get the word out! Thanks!

I just wanted to let you all know of a change that we have made on the blog regarding commenting. Due to the number of people that are commenting under “anonymous” or variations thereof, we are now requiring people be a registered user in order to write a comment on any of the posts. I think this format will make it easier to follow which comments belong to which users.

If you are having problems registering or with your password, please email me at blackeyebeth@gmail.com and I will help you get logged onto AboveLevel.com.

It is great to see people starting introduce themselves on the Forums. I hope some new friendships are made through this and the PM feature.

One thing that might help keep it rolling and make it easier for people to use is to use the “Add Topic” button to write your introduction. Believe me, I know the switch is confusing (just ask my husband how many times he had to go through it with me!) but it is easy once you do it.

To do this, follow these steps. First go to the Forums via the button in the middle column under the Log In. When you get to the Forums page, scroll down and click on “Let Me Introduce Myself…”. When that page pops up look to the right for the “Add Topic” button. Click on that and a page appears for you to write your Introduction. By doing it this way other individuals can then reply to your Introduction (say “Hi” or “I know you!!”, or something like that). This also allows the list of all the “Introductions” to appear when the “Let Me Introduce Myself…” forum is selected.

I hope this isn’t clear as mud. If it is, comment here and I will try to clarify it better. If you have already added your Intro in a reply, not to worry. I will fix it later today.