Morgan Dairy Performance Horses: Where Champions Condition and Recover

She administers the necessary health care deserved after the arena action dims. The gentle-voiced horse handler from railroad town Milner, Georgia, welcomes some of rodeo’s top quadruped contenders to customized spa, breathing, and rehabilitation treatments.

Regard Amanda Morgan as the restoration and healing solution for the fast-paced world of barrel racing and sometimes strenuous farm work lifestyles of horses. “After all the twists and turns, it’s good practice to make sure our horses are conditioned properly,” said Morgan, owner and operator of Morgan Dairy Performance Horses (MDPH), “preferably through non-weight-bearing workouts.”

Morgan guides the only aquatic treadmill service in her Middle Georgia area. MDPH emerged from her barrel racing journeys. Now age 34, she’s spent two decades racing through rodeo arenas across North America.

That experience ultimately led back home to the Peach State where she established her agribusiness that blends equine rehab and conditioning to keep horses in peak performance shape.

By combining science, tradition, and unconditional love for horses, she ensures that under her guidance they remain sound, strong, and ready to compete. One of the in-demand features of her brand is the water treadmill sessions.

The steed stairmaster has become a go-to resource for horse owners looking to aid their animals in post-surgery recovery, arthritis relief, and overall strength training.

In Georgia’s humid summer months, Morgan’s operation rotates up to 30 horses a day on the treadmill, ensuring each one gets the attention it needs to stay at the top of its game. “With either full buoyancy or right above the knees, the horses are able to push off the water without stressing their body or limbs,” said Morgan.

“This movement steadily increases their endurance, joint range of motion, and muscle strength.” Also a form of cross-training, the aquatic treadmill is a valuable fitness option. Helping to reduce fatigue and joint pressure.

Morgan’s expertise in this conditioning extends beyond her own stable. She helps strength train horses for Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) barrel racer Chloe Gray.

Gray recently competed at Rodeo Austin, a prestigious ProRodeo event running from March 14 through March 29 at the Travis County Expo Center in Austin, Texas. The PRCA athlete has her eyes set on the National Finals Rodeo, and with Morgan’s rehabilitation and training methods in play, Gray is giving her horses the best shot at success. Morgan has carved out a name for herself as both a trailblazer in equine performance and as a competitor, too.

Her relationship with horses and barrel racing began at age 14. “I attended my first rodeo in Calhoun, Georgia, with my grandparents,” she said, “and I knew right then I wanted to barrel race.” That single event sparked an excitement that would lead to a lifelong career in rodeo sports.

Since then, Morgan has accumulated an impressive $150,000 in career earnings, competing on several horses. She used her prize money to grow her business over time. Among her greatest partners in the arena were bay American Quarter Horse Go Sixum Go and gray American Quarter Horse Hanks Georgia Belle, two equine athletes who helped cement her reputation in the sport.

These days Morgan is focused on her current main mount: SixumontheRocks, a palomino American Quarter Horse.

“I have big dreams for him,” she said with her eyes full of the same determination that has propelled her through her career.

The Georgia cowgirl’s commitment to her horses’ health and performance isn’t just about race day — it’s been her lifelong dream. Morgan competes in roughly 50 rodeos and jackpots each year as part of the Southeastern-leading Professional Cowboy Association. Her current competition horse, a striking 9-year-old palomino named Showtime.

The golden rocket carries an extra layer of sentimental value: Morgan raised him herself and rode his mother, a connection that makes every run even more memorable.

But this Southern belle isn’t just a horsewoman. She’s deeply connected to the rural land. She and her husband, Will Morgan, share a longstanding agricultural heritage. Will grew up on Morgan Chicken Farm in Milner, which has been in meat production since 1994.

The operation, which spans 500 acres of farmland, hayfields, and even a golf course, supplies poultry companies like Perdue Farms. At one point, the farm ran about 1.5 million chickens a year in operations. It’s a life that demands grit, and Amanda is no stranger to getting her hands or work boots dirty within the family farming tree.

Assisting with the farm’s daily operations or conditioning a horse for a big race, she’s always putting in the effort to ensure her animals — and her legacy — sustains.

Through her work with MDPH, Amanda is doing more than tailoring winning workouts. She’s elevating the standards of equine care in the rodeo world. Her agricultural story is one of endurance, not just in the arena but in every aspect of life. As a wife. Mother. Livestock farmer. Animal caretaker. Barrel racing competitor.

Amanda embodies what it means to become a true competitor and unwavering advocate for the sport she loves. As she looks to the future, one thing is clear: This Southern cowgirl isn’t pulling back on the reins anytime soon.

With SixumontheRocks in her sights and a thriving equine business under her belt buckle, she’s setting the pace for a new generation of barrel racers, proving that success isn’t just about speed — it’s about endurance, heart, and at times long labor. For Amanda: “It’s what I love to do.”

About Justin’s contributing writer:

Cowgirl Candace is a fourth-generation cowgirl and award-winning communicator based in the Georgia Black Belt Region. The print-to-digital journalist has contributed to and collaborated with brands like the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wrangler, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, USA Today: 10 Best, National 4-H Council, REI Co-op, and Visit Fort Worth. Photo by Jill Burnsed @jillburnsedphotography.