Burkland Farm

09/25/2026

75 yrs and counting....

09/05/2026

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What saved the Morgan breed after cars and trucks and tractors replaced the horse in that period between about 1900 and 1930?

Many of the old timers that I knew 50-60 years ago were quite clear on that point, the show ring. And even the ones who had no use for showing acknowledged that without having that attraction, there wasn’t enough financial underpinning to sustain the Morgan breed.

There were prominent Morgan breeders who you’d see at the bigger Morgan shows like the National in Northampton, Massachusetts, and would see again six weeks later at something like the Green Mountain Horse Association’s 100 mile trail ride in South Woodstock, Vermont, either competing themselves, or watching their horses compete.

This photo of Vigilendon with Pat Tataronis is clearly from some show. It’s not so easy to imagine in 2026 that the modern equivalent of this horse and rider would take part in a 100 mile trail ride, but these two did just that.

I have a largely untested theory that many of the so called “show bred” Morgans from now would just as readily become nice sport horses in a range of uses if riders and drivers who knew how to train for those sports got them as youngsters and trained them and shod them in ways that align with, say, dressage or jumping, or western ranch riding.

The reason that my theory is rarely tested in modern times is because there aren’t many Pat Tataronises or Nancy Elas around these days who can do it all, beat you in the show ring one day and beat you on the trails the next.

I think that many of the Morgans could, maybe not so many of the people?

08/20/2026

This is such a cool article from 1954. The horse that brought the community together was once owned by General Patton....

We recently received a picture of this article that a long time client found from July 25, 1954. We tapped into our resident historian, Dr. Bob Orcutt’s memory to place it in context. Here is what he had to say:
"I do actually remember seeing the headline of this article in the Ipswich Chronicle when it arrived at our house in Rowley. The incident happened when I was nine years old and was sandwiched between the first birthday of my sister Helen and the seventh birthday of my sister Mary Jane in July.
Queenie had become disabled when being driven by Herman Worthley from the local salt marsh on route 1A towards his Railroad Avenue home. She basically tied up and could not move forward by the time she arrived at my family’s property on Main Street. She soon became recumbent in the corner of the field where my nephew Josh Noble and his family’s home now stands.
She had developed exertional myopathy while being driven following a few days of rest. This was no doubt the first time I ever heard of this condition that is relatively common especially in draft breeds. It is still often referred to as Monday Morning Disease because of its frequent occurrence in working horses on the first day after a weekend respite from their jobs. Tying up and Blackwater are other terms applied to the malady. Tying up is descriptive of the generalized cramping of the large skeletal muscles that brings on acute immobility. Blackwater describes the discoloration resulting from the excretion of myoglobin in the urine from the breakdown of muscle tissue that occurs.
In Queenie’s case, the onset was so precipitous and severe that it is unlikely she would have recovered even with modern medication and intensive fluid therapies that simply were not available then.
My visual recollects are relatively few. I remember vividly the bowls of brown urine being collected and the crowds of spectators that seemed to be always present during the ordeal. The fact that Queenie had formerly been owned by World War II General George Patton had become public and probably contributed to the attraction. I am certain that greenheads thoroughly enjoyed the aggregation of victims considering the time of year."

07/21/2026

Congratulations to Nikki Rae and Leo Cruz and thanks for asking us to be a part of it! Even cooler because Caleb Noble shoes him...

05/25/2026

02/04/2026

Frosty’s Great Adventures 🐾☃️🐾

02/03/2026

These pups are gearing up to watch their Dad 🐊 Gator at ! Good Luck !
🐾🐊💛🍀
Check out the show….. 1pm in Ring 8 !!

01/31/2026

Happy Weekend everyone! 🐾💛❄️🐾

01/28/2026

BREAKING NEWS: these 3 puppies are still available! Proceed with caution… side effects include excessive smiling, lots of cuddling and a new best friend 🐾🥰🐶 DM for details 💕🐾

01/24/2026

We would like to congratulate Kyle Miller on the purchase of Burkland Black Rose (MJS Dressed In Roses x Burkland Flammabelle). It was not an easy decision to sell this gorgeous filly, but we can't wait to watch the beautiful filly mature. We will be her biggest fans....