| n Morgan was a teacher, composer, businessman, and | | | | distinguishing characteristics. And not only his offspring |
| horseman who acquired a small rough-coated bay colt | | | | inherited the traits, but the prepotency also went |
| of relatively unknown lineage who was born in 1789 | | | | through several generations. Today, every registered |
| and named him Figure. He was a rather unremarkable | | | | Morgan Horse traces back to Justin Morgan through |
| horse that nobody wanted because he was too small, | | | | his most famous sons Woodbury, Bulrush, and |
| yet he became the foundation of an entire breed of | | | | Sherman. Sadly, the little Justin Morgan died in 1821 |
| horses recognized for quality and dependability. | | | | from an untreated kick received from another horse, |
| The ancestry of the colt name Figure who founded | | | | so his true longevity was never realized. |
| the Morgan breed is unknown, but is thought to be of | | | | Morgan Horses were used as cavalry mounts and |
| Dutch, Thoroughbred, or Arabian breeding. History's | | | | artillery horses. They were sensible under fire; could |
| best guess is that his sire was True Briton, who was | | | | march tirelessly all day; could maintain their condition on |
| respected for his excellence and who sired quality | | | | unpredictable rations; and were loyal to their riders. The |
| horses. His unnamed dam was described as being of | | | | only survivor in the Battle of Little Big Horn was |
| the "Wild-air breed” with her sire being a son of | | | | Keogh's Morgan-bred horse, Comanche. The First |
| Church's Wildair by Wildair (Delancey's) out of a mare | | | | Vermont Cavalry was mounted entirely on Morgan |
| named Wildair. | | | | Horses but of their more than 1200 horses, only 200 |
| There is quite an in-depth history and many stories | | | | survived the war and in 1894, the first volume of the |
| about this particular little horse, including a Disney movie | | | | American Morgan Horse Register was published by |
| in 1972 "Justin Morgan Had a Horse" that was based | | | | Colonel Joseph Battell. |
| on a book of the same name. Figure's ability to out | | | | The American Morgan Horse Farm was established in |
| walk, out trot, outrun, and out pull other horses was | | | | Weybridge, Vermont in 1907, by the U.S. Department |
| legendary. For example, it is said that he pulled a log | | | | of Agriculture for the breeding and preservation of the |
| that no draft horse could budge, and that he outran the | | | | Morgan horse. But it was not until 1909 that the Morgan |
| most winning racehorse central Vermont had ever | | | | Horse Club (MHC) was formed at the Vermont State |
| known. From these anecdotes came the Morgan | | | | Fair. In 1921, the MHC presented the Justin Morgan |
| Horse owners' claim that "this horse can do anything", | | | | statue to the U.S. Morgan Horse Farm on the 100th |
| and apparently the breed does. Whatever equine | | | | anniversary of the death of Justin Morgan, and it is still |
| discipline you can think of, the Morgan Horse will be | | | | exhibited there today. |
| found to be a part of it and likely excelling in it. Even | | | | The Morgan Horse ranges from 14.1 to 15.2 hands high |
| when harness racing was popular in the1800's, the | | | | with some individuals that are taller or shorter. They |
| world's fastest trotting stallion was Ethan Allen 50, | | | | come in wide variety of colors, from bay, brown and |
| Justin Morgan's great-grandson. | | | | black to silver dapple, roan, palomino, buckskin, dun, |
| After Justin Morgan's death, Figure was passed on to | | | | grulla, cremello, perlino, smoky cream, gray, flaxen, |
| new owners and in the tradition of the times, he | | | | sabino, splashed white, and others. |
| became known by his former owner's name, Justin | | | | The head is expressive with a broad forehead, large |
| Morgan. He spent his life working on farms, hauling | | | | prominent eyes and a straight or slightly dished short |
| freight, and as a parade mount at militia trainings. Over | | | | face. The ears are short and shapely, set rather wide |
| a period of 30 years, the little horse remained sound in | | | | apart and carried alertly with mares having slightly |
| limb, stamina and sight, throughout a lifetime of two | | | | longer ears. The throatlatch is deeper than other |
| ordinary horses. He also had showy, ground-covering | | | | breeds. The neck is slightly arched with the top line of |
| gaits with speed to spare at any one of them and | | | | the neck being considerably longer than the bottom line |
| was an extremely gentle horse around children. | | | | and the stallion has more of a crest. The body of the |
| Justin Morgan's most valuable asset was the | | | | Morgan Horse is compact with a short back and |
| prepotency of his genes. No matter what type of | | | | high-set tail that is carried gracefully and straight. The |
| mare he was bred to, draft or light racing horse, his | | | | feet are in proportion to the size of the horse. |
| offspring inherited his image, his abilities and his | | | | |