DANIEL LAMBERT
ETHAN ALLEN


HISTORICAL TESTIMONIALS FOR DANIEL LAMBERT

Horse Breeding by John Dimon (Hartford, CT: by author, 1895)

"Ethan Allen was the sire of many good and fast horses, but his crowning effort in the stud was the producing of that most noted of all Morgans - as the sire of speed - Daniel Lambert, who was foaled in 1858, bred by W.C. Clark of Ticonderoga, N.Y., and was one of the most beautiful all-around horses that ever lived. In trotting action he was simply perfect, and in his prime was called the most beautiful horse in America.
In color he was a beautiful shade of chestnut, with one white hind foot and a star, with mane and tail of a lighter color - flaxen - of extraordinary fineness and beauty. He had very fine limbs, neck, and head. He sired many fine speed-producing stallions, among which are Motion, Ben Franklin, Abraham, Aristos, and others of note."

The Horse: His Breeding, Care, and Treatment in Health and Disease by Henry C. Merwin (Chicago: A.C. McClure & Co., 1917)

"In some families the horses and in other families the mares seem to be superior; and certain sires are known as "brood-mare sires," because their daughters are very successful in breeding - more so than their sons. Among trotters, for example, Mambrino Patchen,
Daniel Lambert, Nutwood, and Arion are recognized as brood-mare sires, and mares descended from them are valued accordingly. A great brood-mare sire, it may be added, is always a horse of great nervous energy."

"Roundness of form and beauty of action - these are the qualities which the Morgan has largely contributed to the trotter. High action was not a characteristic of the original Morgan, nor is it by any means a characteristic of all Morgan horses today, but it is found in several branches of the Morgan family, and most of all in the Lamberts. Daniel Lambert was a son of Ethan Allen, his dam being Fanny Cook by Abdallah, the sire of Hambletonian. He was foaled in 1858, and was a beautiful chestnut, with mane and tail very light in color, and soft in texture. He was a horse of commanding style and magnificent carriage. For many years he was kept in the vicinity of Boston, but late in life he was brought back to Middlebury, Vermont, where he had been raised. On this occasion the whole town turned out, with a brass band, to welcome him home, and there was a procession through the village streets. "The old horse," relates an eye witness, "kept time to the music, and was the proudest creature that ever walked on earth.”

The Lambert horses are very distinctive-- high-headed, high-spirited, high-stepping. "A man can live two or three years in twenty minutes, driving a horse like that!" I once heard a fur-clad New England enthusiast exclaim as, with a jingle of bells and a clattering of hoofs on the floor, as his Lambert mare dashed into the stable after an hour or two of impromptu racing on the snowpath. Daniel Lambert is rated as a "Broodmare Sire," and Lambert mares figure prominently in the pedigree of many fast trotters."

The Horse in America by John Gilmer Speed (NY: McClure, Phillips & Co., 1905)

"Ethan Allen was the sire of a great many colts and fillies, but being kept in training the better part of his life he never had so good a chance as some other horses to become famous as an ancestor. Through his sons, Honest Allen and Daniel Lambert, his name and that of his sire have been kept very much alive in the records, for his descendants have been fleet in the track and most successful in the show ring. His daughters and granddaughters have also done him proud, proving the excellence of the Morgan blood as brood mares. It is only when we get to his generation that the chroniclers take much notice of the importance of the females in perpetuating the Morgan type and family...."

Types and Breeds of Farm Animals by Charles S. Plumb (Boston: Ginn and Company, 1906)

"Among the thirty-six producing sons and daughters of Ethan Allen no one attained such distinction as did Daniel Lambert, himself the sire of thirty-eight trotters. The sire of the dam of Daniel Lambert was Abdallah, the sire of Hambletonian. Later years have shown that the Hambletonian and Morgan families could be bred together to very great advantage."
TESTIMONIALS FROM 2007
A TRIBUTE TO QUIETUDE RIO PECOS (Courage of Quietude X Quietude Cherish) &
QUIETUDE MOONBEAM (Quietude Barcelona X Critique of Quietude)

QUIETUDE RIO PECOS

Hi Susan,
    Just a note to let you know how well Pecos is doing, and how pleased we are with him. Of course, Vickirose is thrilled: she is making all sorts of plans for her guy. He will double as her dressage pony and as her trail horse, although he looks pretty darn good under western tack--except for the Lambert "weathervane" trot which is sure no western jog. Mr. Gill (Farrington Performance Horses in Ashland) has been a wonderful trainer to get him going under saddle and is doing a fine job with him. Pecos is still quite a character, and always attracts a lot of attention.
     We all went to the Virginia State Fair recently and they had a team demonstration ride. Colin looked at me and said, "I bet our horses can do that. In fact, they would look great. Perhaps you and Vickirose can someday ride in a demonstration showing what two closely matched Morgans, ridden by a mother and daughter, can do."  Who knows? Perhaps someday we will do just that.

 - Clare Britcher, VA


QUIETUDE ARIOSO
(Courage of Quietude x Criteria of Quietude)
Owned by Lucy Ray GA / Kristin Anderson up.
 I just had a wonderful weekend!!  I hauled my horses to a rodeo in Summerville, GA to perform with my drill team for a PRCA rodeo.  They were SO GOOD.  They normally are but I just stopped to think this time about their not spooking at the shooting demo, the different specialty acts, the crowd, the flags, etc.  Arioso normally gets a little hot before we go into the ring because she wants to run and really loves her job, but she stood perfectly this year.  She just shifted her weight back and forth, no turning circles or prancing.  I was  so proud.  It really takes more than you would think to run drills or flags at rodeos.  There are people in the arena the same time you are and you end up trying to control your horse/flag, avoid people, stand quietly in the chute and go from 0-60 and back in the space of about a minute.  It was lots of fun and I got to see friends that I only see at rodeos.  Lucy
I started riding Airy in drills several years ago.  She was so good and so easy!!!  She really just tried so hard to figure it out-I guess its a Lambert thing:)  My friend Kristin Anderson started riding her. Airy was great to break to flags.  Kinda looked sideways at it a little and then was like "ok, mom's really lost it but whatever...."  No spooking or running.  She was SOOO good at the rodeo.  She will prance in place at first.  The only problem we ever have with her is if we switch spots and run a different place in a drill-she's good but asking the entire run "Umm... I think you made a mistake.. this isn't where I'm supposed to go...."  Pretty funny. I love rodeos!! Lucy
A TRIBUTE TO QUIETUDE MOUNT RAINIER (Quietude Forest x Coretta of Quietude) LINE BRED & GRANDSON OF CRITERION
My husband and I were gone a couple of weekends ago from Friday thru Sunday afternoon. I have a horse sitter that I hire for when I am gone and she is an experienced horse person so I don't worry as much about my boys as I used to when leaving them.

Well, apparently Rainier spent the whole time I was gone pouting/sulking in his pasture. He ate and drank just fine, but would not come up to the barn. Usually he comes running as soon as he hears me coming.

When we got home, my sitter and I were talking as we were walking down the driveway to the barn and all of a sudden Rainier let out a loud whinney and came running full tilt to the barn. My sitter couldn't believe it. He must have heard my voice.

I spend time with him every day and even if I don't ride I still groom him and fuss over him so he must have missed me, but I didn't think he would make such a fuss. I love him more than any horse I have ever had and I think he knows it :-) LYNNE STALLCOP OR
"After a long search for nice Morgans on the Internet, our search ended when we found your site.  Not only do we feel your horses are very nice to look at, but they have movement and quality of breeding.  We found many Morgans on the Web, but many were not true to their breed either in substance, conformation or ability to move.  It appears while many want to change some of these qualities of the Morgan breed, you strive hard through your breeding program to preserve them." Rita Buchanan VA
REMEMBERING CRITERION
Criterion (or Terry as we called him) was the most unique ride I have ever experienced on a horse. He had this amazing extended trot that you felt like you were floating.  However, on a more regular basis, the thing I remember most of all was this feeling of controlled power and strength.  He had so much fire, but I never felt he was out of control.  You could feel his energy just sitting on him, but he was always very 'professional' when I rode him. Sure, he had to announce himself to everyone once in awhile...he was the King, you know.  But, I always felt safe on Terry.  I knew when it came right down to business and paying attention he would respond.  I could ride him bareback or with a saddle (had to have a Tom Thumb bit though) and I felt just as comfortable.It really is difficult for me to describe riding Terry, he truly was a once in a lifetime kind of ride.  I was able to ride him well into his 30's and he still had energy to expend!  Some personality on that boy. He was a kind stallion, but definitely not one to be taken lightly. He was so very, very full of life and presence.
MARCIE SPREEN FL

Quietude Tradewind
& Lauren Grimditch

Susan & Shannon,
It has been a pleasure to work with the results of our devoted efforts alongside Heidi Grimditch. Our young horses are not only beautiful and robust, but they have great temperaments and inquisitive minds. Congratulations on a successful breeding program! Here's to continued learning. And good health to all the horses in your herd.

Nancy Loving DMV CO


Nancy Loving is the author of ALL HORSE SYSTEMS GO The Horse Owner's Full-Color Veterinary Care & Conditioning Resource for Modern Performance, Sport & Pleasure Horses
To Order: 800-423-4525
Heidi Grimditch CO is the owner of:
Quietude Tradewind - Stallion
Quietude Comfort - Mare
Quietude Garland - Mare
Quietude Mistletoe - Mare

QUIETUDE TAMBOURINE
Owned by Norma Garbrick CO
We are writing to you to tell you how wonderful it is to work with yearling filly 'Tam' (Quietude Tambourine) Owned by Norma Garbrick of Colorado. Tam has excellent manners, a great mind, wonderful movement and adores people. She is a joy to work with. Bill and I have introduced Tam to splint boots, a surcingle and long reins. We work with her every other week to keep her curious and happy. She loves it all! It's wonderful to watch her with Norma. Tam just loves Norma with all of her heart and you can see that! We wanted to Thank you for bringing such a good-minded and well behaved filly into the horse world. She has obviously been treated with great love and kindness from the day she was born. We hope to have the opportunity to work with more horses from your Quietude Stud in the future. I will always highly recommend that anyone looking for a wonderful Morgan should visit you!
Best Regards, Bill and Sheri Landers CO
QUIETUDE ANGUS
(Quietude Forest x Quietude Marietta)





Trained in Dressage by Jerry Stone Plattsburgh, NY &  Katrina Benington Crie S. Thomaston, Maine

Hi Susan,
   Jerry, our instructor, will ride him next week, as Katrina had Angus doing shoulder-in, turn on the forehand, turn on the haunches, and she was just about to start Half Pass with him. Jerry will be able to get this out of him, Jerry REALLY likes Angus, Our dressage instructor, Jerry rode Angus for the first time Monday night, and now he wants to come here three times a week to further his training!
   He is willing to trade his services. You would have to know Jerry to know how BIG this proposition is! He is a 'Warm blood', trained in Germany person, and for him to be that impressed with my 'little' Angus is beyond comprehension. I am still in disbelief.....he thinks Angus has real potential and is outlining a training program for him. I have never known Jerry to do this for anyone else!
   I am so excited for Angus. He loves to work (Katrina said he always INSISTED on being the first one worked every morning) and he deserves a chance to be all that he can be. It looks like now he will! 

Linda & Neal Keach NY

Hi Linda,
   If I told you that I felt like I was sitting on a really nice, big horse, one I trust and who responds to me well, even in that very challenging environment, it is the truth, and says tons... I worked a three yr old just before him today, and it was nowhere near as joyful.... simply because he wasn't 'with me' like Angus is... Angus rides way bigger than his 15 hands, that's all I know. And for some reason, in this new space, he was quite happy to just get going and be forward and receive my leg requests.
   And, I do believe you are right, he is very at home in the outdoors, and riding in the woods is something he enjoys a lot... probably would prefer a partner, but given our circumstances, he has been very good with the many changes in venue I've presented him recently. Only once did I have to get off to lead him over a wet earthen bridge, where the footing sunk in a few inches on the trail behind our paddocks. Otherwise, he was a star. We do these early rides alone, at walk, to instill some confidence and patience, but I expect that his canter work will come along well in this environment, as he is alert to the world, yet not hyper-focused on my expectations as he can be when there are four walls.
   He feels wonderful to sit on. Big stride. Nice response. Not utterly light/supple, (he likes a firm and clear request to override his patterns of holding... which are usually 'can't I just be dead straight, both sides braced?' both from seat and hand, but these requests can be done gracefully, and he does respond well.) He has accepted, and found comfort from, contact!!! HUGE Willing Learning skill!!!
   He has a big job here. And he's rising to it. 

Katrina

QUIETUDE GOLDEN EAGLE
PAM RING UP
QUIETUDE RAINELLE
YEARLING FILLY
 (Quietude Jubilee Kingdom
x Quietude Coralee)
QUIETUDE GOLDEN EAGLE (Quietude Jubilee Kingdom x Quietude Coral Sea) Owned by the Giberti family. MA
Dear Susan,
   I am writing to you because I am new to the Lambert Morgans and I would like to congratulate you on your success in breeding such wonderful animals.
I am a trainer and was contacted by Julie and Steve Giberti to train Quietude Golden Eagle. He is a magnificent horse with so much potential in all disciplines. His gaits are smooth and his body so beautifully proportioned with a reaching stride.
   Training with Eagle is progressing faster and faster with each session and I am glad to say I have the privilege of working with him. He is being consistently ridden by me and occasionally by Julie (if she could only quit her job). He is quiet and becoming quite trusting.
   I am excited to know they have purchased another of your horses. I have seen the pictures of Quietude Rainelle and cannot wait to see her in person. I am sure she will make an excellent companion for Eagle and another wonderful mount for anyone in the Giberti family.
   From one equine professional to another I thank you for taking such pride in your work and praising the people that have been successful in their worlds no matter how large or small.
Pamela Ring
Dreamer Stables
Plympton Ma
DreamerStables.com

QUIETUDE RAINELLE Owned by the Giberti family. MA
Hi Susan and Shannon,
   I want to tell you about Rainelle’s first encounter with our wooden bridge that crosses the stream to the trails on the back of our property. We took Eagle, with Rainelle following, down the path to the bridge just to give her some exposure to the trail and have her get a look at the stream and the bridge. Well Eagle really likes to show off in front of Rainelle so naturally he walked right across the bridge like a seasoned pro. Rainelle hates to be separated from her big brother so now she had a dilemma, she could stay on her side of the bridge and fret or she could try and cross over to join up with Julie and Eagle.

   I could see her mind working over the problem as she sniffed the bridge and then backed away. She came right back and put one foot on the bridge and heard the hollow sound, not too sure of that she backed away again but came right back. Now she put both of her front feet on the bridge and she was about as stretched out as she could get with her back legs stuck where they were and her front legs shaking. She had the option to back off and go back to the barn but she decided that she would just walk across right then and there. The problem with getting over the bridge for the first time is that now you must go over again to get back to the safety and comfort of the barn. She was happy to be with Eagle again but she wanted to explore the trails and see the trees, fallen logs and other sites. Julie and Eagle went back over the bridge and when Rainelle saw this she walked right back over without a pause or a worry. This was a MAJOR milestone for Rainelle as it unlocks the trails for her to roam.

The intelligence and courage she demonstrated in those short moments proved to us, once again, how special these Lamberts are.
Thanks for breeding such intelligent (and beautiful) horses!


Steve and Julie

QUIETUDE WINTERSET
 (Courage of Quietude x
Quietude Cascade)
Owned & driven by Linda Keach NY
Trained by Jeff Morse MA

Hi Susan
   Winterset exceeded my expectations in so many ways this past weekend. We brought him to
Jeff Morse's clinic at Miner Institute Saturday. He unloaded well and walked right up the ramp and into his stall. This particular stall is the one they use as a "quarantine" stall, and it is FAR away form any other horse, and even though it has windows to the outside all around, Winter could not see another horse. I have to say he settled in IMMEDIATELY, and if anything was MORE relaxed in that stall all weekend than he is at home! Imagine that?
   When Jeff arrived we got Winter harnessed up, he was totally relaxed for this, and then we brought him out to the driving arena, still a perfect gentleman, stood like a ROCK to be hitched (thank you for that Jeff!), and in I got and off we went. All this after being on site for about an hour and a half, no overnight to "settle in." I was impressed.
   It took about 10 minutes for him to completely relax and go to work, but he never did anything even remotely stupid or scary, DESPITE the fact that a HUGE truck and flatbed were right outside the ring, airbrakes and all, hissing up a storm, banging, clanging, beeping, as they went to pick up another piece of equipment, and then CAME back past the ring making even more noise! Winter did not bat an eye.
Watching the video and hearing all the noise that thing was making and watching Winter WORK is not to be believed! Jeff said he has several seasoned driving horses at home who would have freaked out!
   The second day he was even better, extremely responsive to me and bending nicely ( at least to the left) and keeping his tempo and rhythm. Jeff says he REALLY responds to my verbal "good boys" and is convinced that Winter and I are a team! I had several people watching my lesson the second day and all were impressed with his "springy" trot and beauty. Winter could not have been more proud of himself!   He didn't take a wrong step all weekend, in so many ways. As we were loading him to come home, there were 40 mile an hour winds howling, and did he care? NO! He went right on. Traveled beautifully.
I could not have asked for a better horse, just a joy to be around. Jeff did a tremendous job training him, I can never thank him enough! We still have a ways to go to reach the "big time", but we are SO on the right track thanks to Jeff. Winter trusts me so much and our relationship grows every day.
Linda Keach NY
QUIETUDE MACKENZIE
(Quietude Forest x Coretta of Quietude)

Poker Ride, Hampshire Riding Club, Goshen, MA, Hawley State Forest in Hawley,MA. Total riders- 50.
MACKENZIE'S first "public" outing where she had to deal with groups of horses moving around her, and trailers and trucks and people all over the place. She had never been ridden in a group before.

Oh where to begin! She was so terrific. She started out by almost shoving Jim out of her way to get into the trailer. She had this attitude that said "Get out of my way, ain't NOBODY leaving me home this time!" vbg Then she unloaded as cool as a cucumber, at my friend Cathy's place. Her horses were carrying on, Mackie just looked around like she was thinking, "Hmmm. Where am I now? " Very calm. She stayed over night in Cathy's big sand ring, and ate and drank just as if this was no new thing.
The next morning it was 26 degrees, and there was ice everywhere! Mackie was wound up, sniffing and snorting, but did nothing bad. She loaded in a snap and unloaded as quietly as could be at the site. There were cars, trucks, trailers, horses, people, kids, you name it. Activity everywhere. It is almost like all the chaos makes her calm. She liked it and just looked around with interest and then dozed in the warm sun. Some little girl was crazy about her , and wouldn't leave her alone .She was dodging in and out around her, and then squealing when Mackie tried to touch her. It got so bad that I finally asked the man to take her away because I was afraid if she got in-between Pokey and Mackie one more time, and something startled one of them, the kid would be squished . I spent some time loving her up and telling her how wonderful she was ! She likes to be snuggled up. At one point, while she was tied to the trailer, someone came flying into the field and drove their truck and trailer really fast right behind her. She threw her head up, but did not pull back at all. She was pretty good when I first got on, but there were some other people who were taking forever to get ready. Mackie started getting nudgy and very wound up, because once you are on, she wants to go. So we finally went out, and of course the other people came up behind, and the clop clop on the pavement and the leaves rustling did set her off. Nothing terrible, but we both got a little startled. She settled right down when I talked to her, and told her it was ok. Once we got on the trail, she managed to get herself in front, and spent the rest of the day trying to stay there.

We got to a spot with cider, donuts, a table, garbage can, tons of horses, and folks giving out poker cards. She was as calm as dirt. I can't even begin to explain how incredible she was. Like she had done this every day of her life. My eyes are filling up just typing this. I got off, had some cider, she let everyone pet her, she ate an apple someone gave her, and then I grabbed a folding chair, plopped it down next to her and got back on. She went over culverts, bridges, you name it. Calm, and forward. One time when some people on gaited horses came flying up behind her she got scared, but she let me pull her off to the side, and let them go right by with no issue on her part. Afterwards, she and Pokey stood tied to the trailer for a good hour + while we ate and visited with people. . la de da. Ate her hay, drank her water and looked around.
Loaded up and came home as easy as pie. She was wonderful. She behaved like an old campaigner, who does this every week. No one could believe she was a totally green horse, out in a group situation for the first time.
Esther Fiddes CT
QUIETUDE RESOLUTE
(Quietude Barcelona x Criteria of Quietude)
Hi Susan
The first time I rode Resolute since I have had him was in the indoor arena and then all around the farm.  There were a lot of kids and dogs running around and a lot of commotion but he was not spooky at all.  The rider who has been schooling him this past week says that he has been very good.  Resolute seems to have the same "spook" response as my mare, Dawn, does -- if he sees anything that startles him, he just stops and looks it over.  I think he is going to make a perfect trail horse.  I can't wait to take him off the property and onto the mountain trails! 
I've also received quite a few compliments on him.  My Farrier likes him and remarked that he was "put together real nice."  He also said that he has "excellent feet."  :D  One of the other boarders guessed that Resolute was a Morgan the first time she saw him and said very approvingly, "Now that's what a real Morgan should look like."  :D  And it seems everyone who sees him comments on his "sweet face."  Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Resolute is very loved and doing just fine.  I will give you another update when I take him out on his first trail ride here in Maryland.  I will try to get a picture, too!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to own such a wonderful little horse!Duranne Lloyd MD
QUIETUDE ANGUS
(Quietude Forest x
Quietude Marietta)
Owned by Linda & Neal Keach NY
Hi all, I just want to tell you, my friends, that a STAR has been born and his name is Quietude Angus.  Susan, all you hoped for Angus has come true, he is Amazing.  I could KICK myself for not bringing a video camera this weekend when we went to pick Angus up in Maine after 6 months training with Katrina Bennington Crie ( a WONDER woman).  Katrina rode him for me to see what he has learned in the last 6 months and I couldn't be more surprised.  I mean, I knew he could trot, and I knew he had good conformation, a GREAT neck, and killer hocks, but what I saw him perform was WAY beyond anything I expected.  He DANCED the trot, and his extensions were as good if not better than any I have seen from top level dressage Warmbloods.   And Katrina said she hasn't even really even asked him to extend yet!  Oh my. Susan, Angus is all you hoped he would be and more.  I was absolutely speechless as I watched him perform. People who have seen him say he " floats" at the trot, and I swear, he doesn't ever touch ground!  He was so relaxed and happy and on the bit and FORWARD. 
I told Katrina that Karen had said Angus reminded her of Kennebec Count and Katrina came back with "Oh, he is so much better than Count."  Little did I know that Katrina used to ride Count and knew him quite well!  She said Count had short straight pasterns and a straight shoulder, not a great neck, Angus has much better conformation (grin, grin)  and better gaits overall.  And Count has always been my "Wonder Horse".  I am so blessed to have my very own wonder horse in Angus. 
Sorry to go on and on, but I am as surprised as I can be. I knew Angus had potential, Katrina has brought out all he has and more. Linda Keach NY
QUIETUDE GOLDEN EAGLE
(Quietude Jubilee Kingdom x
Quietude Coral Sea)

Hi Susan and Shannon,
How do you follow up the “best trip ever”? After Nick and I returned from our visit to Quietude in June all the talk in our house has revolved around making a return to WV, this time with everyone. I could get the time off from work without any trouble, you see my boss came over my house one day after we golfed and one look at Eagle and he was asking Julie when she was going to visit! The main problem was finding someone to watch Eagle and the rest of the inhabitants of our property. Julie finally solved that problem and we were off to Quietude.
  Anthony was intent on reproducing Nick’s adventure in June and Nick and I were excited to be able to share Quietude with them. Julie has memorized the 2005-2006 Sales DVD. I think that between all the photos Nick and I took and watching the older VHS tapes of Quietude plus the DVD she actually felt as though she had been to Quietude before.
When the 13 hour drive (we split in two on the way down) finally ended and we were standing at the red barn by Highland Trace the same feeling I had when I saw Quietude for the first time came back. We were fortunate enough to arrive just as Joyce and Ralph were heading out and we had a very nice (but too brief!) chat with them before they had to get on the road home to PA. If nothing else, owning Eagle has led us to meet many fantastic people.
  The twelve new foals with their mothers were enough to keep Julie satisfied forever however seeing the rest of the herd had her on overload. I think that she was overwhelmed by all things Quietude. Seeing Eagle’s dam Coral Sea with Eagle’s new baby brother (gorgeous!), Jubilee Kingdom strutting and watching over “his” herd of twelve mares in the adjacent pasture, the magnificent stallions Rock, Olympian, Barcelona, Highland Trace, Rio and the rest had her speechless. 
Anthony and Nick had an absolute blast helping move the hay in the Gator. My highlight was helping to repair the miles of electric fence and spending time out in the fields of Quietude. While I didn’t have a chance to help Shannon do any haying I reserve the right to help the next time we visit.
Arlee and her mom Nancy came for a brief visit and it was fun for me to be able to show them around and make them feel welcome the same way Dawn did for Nick and I in June. Our dinner conversations were priceless, the food was always great (Shannon makes the BEST tacos I’ve ever tasted) and the time went by much too quickly.
Julie spent much of the time looking for a friend for Eagle. She had intended on maybe getting Tahiti (what a great mare she is!). Tahiti reminded me a lot of Julie’s Morgan mare Izzy who died in January; she had the same mannerisms and sweet disposition. Julie also noticed the resemblances to Izzy and so we decided that it wouldn’t be fair to Tahiti to always be compared. You see although they are both Morgans, Eagle is everything Izzy wasn’t and nothing of what she was. He is four, she was nineteen. He is a gelding, she was a mare. He is a flaxen chestnut and Izzy was a classic bay. She was expertly trained and Eagle aspires to be. It made perfect sense for us to buy him.
Julie also had her eye on Mandolin and Rainelle. She thought that it would be easier to have horses a bit separated in age since we are training Eagle now. The problem is, how do you choose between them? Flip a coin, draw straws or whatever. Anyway after 3 days with them Julie finally had to make a decision and Rainelle seemed to be the perfect match. Plus we can wait to train Rainelle since she is so young. She can just be a horse without a care for a couple of years.
  That is how you top our first trip. This is now the ‘best trip ever’ as now we anticipate the arrival of Rainelle to be a life long companion to Eagle.
Susan and Shannon, thank you for being such perfect hosts and new friends. Steve, Julie, Nick and Anthony MA
QUIETUDE SAHARA (Courage of Quietude x Quietude Cascade)
Hi Susan and Shannon,
Well, Sahara flew through with flying colors (pun intended) at the Search and Rescue Training last Saturday.  He was a bit edgy the first 10 minutes, all strange horses but he calmed down and did great.  Our branch of the Back County Horseman has decided on the name Cuivre River Riders.  We check in at the Ranger Station and get the ugliest lime green vests that we must wear.  We have to carry first aid kits (I always do) a cell phone and extra water.  Right now I am trying to learn all the trails and connectors so I don't have to pull the map out to know where I am.  Sahara is real good about my rattling the map and marking points that need attention.   He is so very good about everything.  Saturday, I loaded him on the trailer at 9:00 a.m.  Arrived at the park at 9:30.  We rode for 3 hours and then he was tied to the trailer for another hour while we grilled our meat and shared our dishes to pass.  Then I loaded him up, went to the camp dump station and dumped, drove back to the equestrian camp and took a shower.  Went to meet my sister and parents for dinner and got home about 7:00 and unloaded Sahara.  I thought he would come out of the trailer like a shot out of a canon, but not so.  He just backed out as calm as could be.  though, I am sure he was glad the day was over.  What a guy! Sahara has muscled out so very much. Pat MO
QUIETUDE TRADEWIND
(Quietude Jubilee Lambert
x Quietude Juno)
Owned by Heidi Grimditch CO
Tradewind was only 3 1/2 yrs old when this photo was taken and he is lovely lovely to ride.  Our QUIETUDE GARLAND is the youngest horse to ever qualify for the mounted search and rescue team in Boulder County. Tradewind could do it too but they don't allow stallions.  I am now riding QUIETUDE COMFORT and she is another wonderful horse. The photo was taken in our driveway and we can ride down to the end across the creek into thousands of acres of open space you can see in the background. We have great resources in Colorado.  I am fortunate to have known Mindy Bower for 25 years. She is Buck Branaman's sister in law. She helps me get our young Morgans going for a couple of months then I take over from there.  The horses have all loved this philosophy have never been nervous about learning and have learned the tools necessary to make good decisions when being ridden. I could even take my grandson on Garland at a very young age and she was quite at peace. I will say Mindy is the only person I would trust with my horses.
I also have QUIETUDE MISTLETOE. She is another wonderful one. I haven't started riding her yet. I have Morgan horses especially Lamberts because we get along so well. They get along with my whole family. I was missing my 1 1/2 yr old grandson the other morning and found him standing under Tradewind feeding him hay. He had been doing this for about 5 minutes and Tradewind was so calm and gentle and responsive to the little boy as he nicely ate the hay he was fed.  I am so thankful to have these wonderful horses in my life.  I really believe every time we interact with our horses no matter how young we are teaching them something good and bad. Heidi CO
QUIETUDE LYRIC
(Quietude Merit x Quietude Marietta)
Hello Susan,
Today Meg was taking her first riding lesson in Los Alamos, and Sue's grandkids were over here trying out their
new pony, Poppy. So...I decided to borrow a kid and put him on Lyric for the very first time ever. Now...yes, she has been saddled and led around, but not much else as she's now only 2-1/2. We put a bareback saddle & breastplate on her and told Nicholas, aged 6, that she was "brand new" at this so he just needed to hold on and sit up straight. We saddled Sashie, too, so Christian, age 4, could ride, too and...she's Lyric's buddy...couldn't hurt to let Lyric see Sashie being ridden, too.
I am so pleased with Lyric. She side-stepped a tad when we put Nic on her back, but in the end Garland was
trotting her up the drive and Nicholas really did very good, too. Here's some pics. I think Lyric was getting tired
after about 20 minutes of this. She sure was a star, a model of the "golden Lambert temperament". Both kids got
to trot a bit and Lyric is now officially "backed". Can't wait until she's old enough for me to get on! <G> After the kids got off, they each gave their pony a nice pat and a handful of grain. Lyric really is a love. Beth OR
QUIETUDE GALWAY BAY (Courtship of Quietude x Daisy Woodbury)
Hi Susan,
We've been camping and trail riding. And Galway has been great. He loads. He stands a a hitching rail all night. And when you point that boy down a trail he's all business. He's got a wonderful, fast walk. A wonderful trot. A beautiful canter. He's taking the commotion of horse campgrounds in stride. He eats and drinks without problem. He's learning
to pay attention on the trail and adjust as he needs to. In fact, one of the first camping trips, we stayed out too late and rode back in the pitch dark. I couldn't see a thing. So I gave him his head and he got us back to camp on trails he'd never seen before. I'm so happy with him, Susan.
Bonny IN
Susan, I just wanted to say "Hi" and let you know that I spent a most  enjoyable evening browsing your wonderful website.  I thought I would  take a peek to see what you have been up to and WOW!!!  I received a  whole evening of sheer bliss!  I think I watched every flash video, turned green with envy of the people on the New Zealand trip and came back  to my old favorite Calcutta at least twice. What a fine example of truly great Morgans and an A++ website.  Bravo! Julie Blair PA