Morgan Horse

Origin: United States.

Height: 14-15.2hh.

Color: Bay, brown, black, chestnut.

Character: Kind, independent, active, hard-working and enduring.

Physique: Short, broad head with intelligent eye, set on a thick, muscledneck. Strong shoulder, deep, broad chest, compact, muscular body withstrong loins and hindquarters. Good legs with plenty of bone. Abundantmane and tail. Action high and free. A tough, hardy horse with enormousphysical strength and endurance.

Few breeds of horse can claim descent from one common foundation sire,but Justin Morgan, foaled about '1793 in Massachusetts, was a stallion ofsuch astonishing prepotency that his stamp in conformation, character andheight was reproduced in his offspring so often and so faithfully that a newbreed of horse began. It was named for him; or rather for his second owner,since the horse was originally named "Figure" and the later appellation"Justin Morgan" seems to have been an abbreviation of "Justin Morgan'shorse." Justin Morgan appears to have changed hands several times,doing gruelling work as a farm horse, winning weight-pulling contests, andalso racing unbeaten both in harness and under saddle. He died in Vermontin 1821.

Despite exhaustive research, the parentage of Justin Morgan remainsobscure. It seems quite likely that he may have been almost pure WelshCob. The Welsh Cob theory hassome support in the preponderance of Welsh family names in the region inwhich Justin Morgan lived, and has great support in the appearance of theMorgan horse today.

The modern Morgan horse is a taller and more refined version of JustinMorgan. It is an all-purpose breed, popular in harness and under saddle, andits good nature, economy and endurance have made it deservedly popular.