“A particular passion for horseback riding was mixed with the talent to raise and train them,” explains Donald Morales, a lifetime dedicated to equestrian fields.
Morales is 32 years old. He is originally from Camoapa and was born in a community located approximately 80 kilometers in the mountains called Montes Verdes.
He remembers that since he was five years old he began to ride alone, although under the supervision of his parents. However, he assumes that he rode a horse even before he was born. “I’m sure that since I was in my mother’s belly, she rode a horse and I enjoyed it,” he says jokingly.
Related news: Camoapa agricultural fair raises expectations for the livestock sector
Those first equestrian contacts were with country horses, says Morales, who divided his time between the city and the country. With a look beyond rural life, Morales’s parents decided to move him to the city to study, but he never lost his roots for life on the farm.
A passion that “runs through the veins”
In addition to riding Creole horses on the farm, Donald was influenced by the story of his maternal grandfather who had acquired a specimen of the Ibero-American breed from a renowned local producer. “He was passionate about horses. As far as I have discovered from his history, he bought his first horse from Don Rufino García in the eighties. The horse was called El Jamaican,” Morales said, recalling his grandfather, Don Isabel Pérez Sobalvarro.
The interest in knowing the family history and the connection with the equestrian world, has allowed him to find out that this first specimen, The Jamaican, was a very intelligent animal. “Don Julián García tells me that it has been the most lively horse that he has trained,” he recalled.
Morales pointed out that the passion for raising and training horses is a family heritage. He remembers that his father gave him “a male”, a hybrid animal obtained by crossing a donkey with a mare. He got used to that “macho” riding bareback, that is, without a packsaddle. “I had him for five years and of course I fell off his back at least thirty times, but he trained,” he said.
He saw opportunity in the crisis
2018 was the year, in the midst of adversities, in which Morales told himself that it was time to dedicate himself to raising horses on a family property.
«I have been preparing myself in this field for four years, in a context, one could say sensitive in Nicaragua. Later the time of the pandemic came, and you had to isolate yourself. I tried to take refuge in my riding lessons, and since then, I try to dedicate time to this and I don’t complain, it has been very good, “explained Morales.
The equine trainer received the responsibility of caring for a mare from his family and felt that it was the opportunity to look for “a breed pimp” that would allow him to obtain his first offspring. The ideal place for this job was a farm located nine kilometers from the city of Camoapa, but it was enough to materialize the dream of becoming a breeder of purebred horses.
In this new adventure, Morales had the support of the renowned horse trainer, Julián García, who also gave him his first riding lessons. The crisis caused by the pandemic also allowed Morales to isolate himself from the city and focus more on his passion for horses.
Currently, the mare he received under his responsibility has three foals, all female, which means a greater opportunity for interest to multiply his venture. One of the fillies will soon be ready to cross with a horse, but Morales explains that she must be “under the proper technique.”
In this project for breeding purebred horses, Morales has found important friends who have placed their horses in order for eventual crosses. In the equestrian world, a horse of the Ibero-American breed can cost from three to five thousand dollars and in some cases, the price could be much higher.
A multifaceted character
When talking about a person dedicated to farm tasks, one thinks of the stereotype of the type of hat and boots for working on the farm. It is possible that the image changes when the story goes from people dedicated to the breeding, dressage, and training of horses, since the figure of the traditional camper is thought of.
In the case of Morales, anyone judges incorrectly. His appearance is that of a young city dweller, with no country skills. He is tall, thin, graduated in sociology with a talent for painting, writing and music.
Morales graduated with a degree in sociology from the Central American University (UCA), just in 2016, but he has several diplomas to his credit that strengthen his leadership in the community. In addition, he is a theater actor and for several years, he has managed a page specialized in horses and equestrian events on social networks.
Due to his work and commitment, Morales has earned important spaces in the equestrian world of the country and is recognized among the best exponents of equestrian activity. His Facebook page “El Caballo” has more than fourteen thousand five hundred followers and on it he publishes everything related to the equestrian world.
Known in the community
Engineer Lucía Sequeira believes that Morales, in addition to being talented, is a young man with a promising future. “For me he is an entrepreneur who has also dabbled in agriculture, he is altruistic, he is environmentally conscious and he is talented,” Sequeira commented.
The engineer, who also has a long history of leadership in the community, believes that Morales’s talent and the skills that come with it can mean a sustainable opportunity. “Donald’s foray into the equestrian world may mean the opportunity to find sustainability, considering the initiatives that accompany his effort, such as the specialized page for the subject,” she emphasized.
Morales is one of the organizers of the first Ibero-American horse contest held in the central region of the country. The activity will take place at the Hatofer agricultural fair on Sunday, March 12, with the participation of specimens from all over the country.
By: United Voices
