Spring Hollow Marquesa is a liver chestnut Morgan mare, foaled on July 10, 1996. She was bred by James and Evelyn Skillington of Spring Hollow Morgans in Hopewell, PA, and sold to the University of New Hampshire Equine Program at the age of two.
UNH was formerly known for breeding sturdy, solid Morgans through its government grant program. These horses were used by UNH to teach students everything from colt starting to riding to driving to drill team to eventing. In an ad for their breeding farm, the Skillingtons recognize Marquesa’s sale and state that “Marquese marks the first Morgan introduced into the dressage and combined training-oriented breeding program in more than twenty years.” Janet Briggs, then program director, said she had been looking for size, length of stride and strong, correct conformation. “It had become difficult for us to find sport horse type movement and conformation in the Morgan breed,” says Briggs in the ad. “I’m very impressed with Marquese. She’ll fit right into our program.”
Marquesa was started at UNH in the school’s young horse training course, and transitioned into the riding program as she matured. At the age of three, she was bred and the next year produced a colt foal named Max. A subsequent attempt to breed her was unsuccessful, and Marquesa entered the school horse herd.
Marquesa was around eight when I first met her, and she stood out to me largely because she had a bob tail (allegedly chewed off by her foal and never regrown) and her lack of a half halt. She would literally lap other horses in the ring as she zoomed past them, neck up, knees up, looking more ready for the saddle seat ring than any form of dressage I am familiar with. When riders tried to slow her down by pulling, she would transition into any of a number of intermediate gaits, including both a running walk and the “tranter”. I later learned from an article in The Morgan Horse magazine (the publication of the American Morgan Horse Association) that the running walk in particular used to be a prized quality in the Morgan breed. These horses were called “amblers”; the “amble” was appreciated for its smooth, ground covering quality.
Slowly but surely, we worked on teaching riders how to execute a proper half halt on a horse with Marquesa’s natural enthusiasm, and the quality in her gaits improved. She became a reliable and consistent jumper, and in time was always my steady-eddie “go to” for riders who lacked confidence over fences. While she always carried a bit more pace and moved with a shorter step, I knew I could count on her to do her job and forgive mistakes, which in turn allowed riders to relax and focus on practicing essential jumping skills.
Where Marquesa especially shined was as a cross country schooling mount. I can’t tell you how many nervous, timid or fearful riders Marquesa has escorted out onto the UNH cross country course….but I can assure you that nearly every single one returned to the barn smiling and joyful, thrilled to have had so much fun, thanks to this sensible Morgan.
However, as Marquesa entered her late teens, she started to show some signs of losing her sense of humor for packing novice riders around. The staff of the UNH Program decided it was time to find a retirement home for her. A sentimental favorite, a fundraiser held in honor of her retirement raised nearly $200 for Becky’s Gift, a NH based equine safety net organization.
Marquesa came to live at Cold Moon Farm on May 21, 2016. Far from being ready to retire, Queso (as we call her at home) is enjoying the next phase of her life as a trail horse and working student mount. Her sweet and willing Morgan temperament has allowed her to tackle new challenges such as bushwhacking, crossing streams which touch her belly, and riding solo. I am constantly amazed by her willingness to do what I ask, especially given that for eighteen years of her life, she lived in one place doing group lessons.
**I spell Marquesa with an “a”, though her registered name is with an “e”. This is because of my love for the song “Southern Cross”, by Crosby, Stills and Nash, which refers to the Marquesa Islands in the lyrics.**
Spring Hollow Marquesa Career Notable Accomplishments
1998-2016 Broodmare and School Horse, University of New Hampshire Equine Program
2016 Zone I Region 2 IHSA Reserve Champion School Horse of the Year (by popular vote)
2020 20/100 ridden trail miles toward the Journey 100 Mile Challenge
2021 North American Online Dressage Championships– National Champion, Introductory Test B (Adult Amateur) with Intern Tiger Lily Goldenberg (68.50%)
2022 North America Online Dressage Championships Training Level Test 3 Open Championship 3rd (60.34%) ; Starlight 100 Mile Challenge (100 Miles of Ridden Trail); Warhorse 100 Mile Challenge (100 Miles of Ridden Trail)– all with Jessica Joyce
Both JEF Anna Rose and Spring Hollow Marquesa completed the Warhorse Endurance Starlight 100 Mile Challenge in 2022 by covering 100 miles of ridden trail. A portion of the entry fee for this virtual ride went to The Foundation for the Horse, the charitable branch of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, to support veterinary relief efforts for animals impacted by the war in Ukraine.