About SMHF

SMHF History

The Swedish Morgan Horse Association, SMHF, was founded in 1983 as a non-profit organization.

An interim board was appointed on June 3, 1983 and the first annual meeting took place on November 19, 1983. In 1984, SMHF began to keep its own register of Morgan horses in Sweden. The first Swedish National Morgan Horse Show was held and the member news pamphlet, The Morgan Paper (Morganbladet), published its first issue. The following year, the SMHF drew up the first breeding assessment rules and became a member of the Swedish Horse Breeding Association in 1986.

Jeanne Mellin, a well-known Morgan horse figure in the USA, was the first American to visit the Swedish Morgan Horse Association in 1987 and held a course. She also donated two drawings for the SMHF association emblem. SMHF published its first list of breeding stallions. In 1988, quality assessment regulations for broodmares were completed and the first performance-test regulations for stallions were approved and put into use.

In 1989, the Swedish Morgan Horse Association’s Horse Injury Fund was formed where members could have their Morgan horses insured.

In the coming years, the SHMF arranged several breeding conferences and invited Swedish national quality assessment judging officials to attend, both from the national assessment judging committee for stallions, as well as others. SMHF also invited American judges from the USA to the annual Swedish National Horse Shows, who – together with Swedish assessment judging officials – handled the judging. All of these actions were carried out in order to increase knowledge about the Morgan horse breed in Sweden.

Until 1994, the Swedish Morgan stallions had had the opportunity to do their performance tests together with the half-bloods. Starting in 1995, the Morgan horse – together with other special breeds, created their own breeding assessment board, the ASHR  (Breeding Association for Special Horse Breeds), and the responsibility for carrying out the stallions’ performance tests was now placed in the hands of the breeding association.

Today, the association has approximately 150 members. In addition to the annual Swedish National Horse Show, a number of other events, activities and meetings are organized throughout the country every year. The Morgan Paper (Morganbladet) is published quarterly. The latest SHMF official website with the address: www.morganhorse.se was put into use in 2000.The SMHF also has accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

Mission statement, goals and work of SMHF

According to the Swedish Morgan Horse Association by-laws, SMHF shall work to:

  • increase interest in the Morgan horse breed in Sweden,
  • preserve the purebred Morgan horse and to utilize and promote breed type, conformation and mentality of the Morgan horse in breeding work,
  • strengthen the exchange with breeding associations for the Morgan horse in other countries.
  • stimulate and encourage competition with the Morgan horse.

In terms of breeding goals, the Swedish Morgan Horse Association also works for:

  • promappropriate breeding where modern breeding methods should produce pure-bred Morgan horses which maintain and preserve the Morgan horse breed type and strengthen characteristics for riding and driving.
  • preservation of the versatility of the Morgan horse breed 
  • healthy, hardy horses with a good temperament.

In order to achieve the breeding goals, the Swedish Morgan Horse Association must work for:

  • ensuring that ”The Morgan Horse Judging Standards” is the basis for breeding evaluation of Morgan horses;
  • encouraging breeding evaluation and pedigree registration of Morgan stallions and mares;
  • increasing the number of Morgan mares bred annually;.
  • the importation of valuable breeding animals, both Morgan stallions and mares;
  • encouraging more Morgan horses to participate in competitions, shows and events.

As a horse breeding association for a breed which is relatively new in Sweden and small in terms of number of horses and horse-owners, our work consists largely of drafting –  and, as time passes – adapting rules for breeding assessment and performance tests for breeding animals. This work needs to be done in such a way that these rules continue to benefit our breeding work as a whole without hindering breeding work in a breed with few individuals. 

Our work to provide Swedish breeding with new blood in various ways is also significant. The association’s task is also to spread knowledge about the breed to as many people as possible, and to support and encourage breeders and other Morgan horse owners in various ways.

 

If you want more information about the Swedish Morgan Horse Association, please contact: kansli@morganhorse.se or the SMHF International Contact who is listed on the website’s contact page (under “Kontakt” in the menu).

The current president, board of directors, registrar and other contacts can be seen on the Contact page (under “Kontakt” in the menu).

Translation: Alecia Irons
2024-11-04