Post by Kisco on Dec 16, 2006 15:19:30 GMT -5
There is many a thing that can be said about the Morgan Horse, but to truly appreciate it’s nature and overall existence you need to know how it came to be. Because it’s a story of an underdog proving the country wrong, as most stories in America tend to be this way.
The History Of The Morgan Horse
”The Little Big Horse”
It’s really hard to say where or how Justin Morgan purchased, came into ownership or otherwise, but he did own one of the most prominent stallions of his life time. Some say he was the result of Mr. Morgans breeding attempts, others will argue he was inherited by a family members death, and some even say he was just downright purchased. However he came into the hands of Mr. Morgan, Figure did just what this man wanted him to do -- be an everything horse.
He was born in 1789, in Springfield, Massachusetts later to be brought into Randolph, Vermont. He was out of the Stallion named True Briton by Lloyd’s Traveler whom was by Morton’s Imp. Traveler. His dam was a mare by Diamond, who was by Church’s Wildair whom was by Imp. Wildair. For those of you whom do not know these horses, they were some outstanding Thoroughbreds and Arabians, this is proof that he not only inherited amazing individuality but an astonishing ability to produce a foal that would later some day look - exactly - like himself, maybe not in color but definitely in conformation, skill and personality. Some argue however, that it’s possible that “Figure” had Friesian or Cob in his bloodline somewhere as well -- but no one is for certain.
When Figure was to his full height and weight, he averaged out to be slightly over 14 hands high and weighed just a mere 950 lbs. They say that “although he was small in stature, his frame was literally weather boarded with muscle.”.
His individuality is what truly made him stand out however, this excerpt is taken from a old book that I can no longer provide the title for due to wear and tear from being moved for so long -- it was a book my mother received as a gift But the paragraph can be found on page 245 - 246
“Justin Morgan was a dark bay, with black legs, mane and tail. He was a very stylish-fronted horse and the features of his head were cleanly chiseled. His dark, hazel-colored eyes were full and prominent. He had wide-set ears that were small, pointed, and erect; he was a wide-ribbed, short-backed, deep-bodied, short-coupled horse; he stood squarely on all of his legs with shoulders and pasterns that were sloping; his action was prompt, true and collected; his style was proud, nervous and imposing. In summary, Justin Morgan or Figure was a horse of unusual balance, a happy combination of shape, quality, substance and style. He died from an injury at the age thirty-two in the year 1821.”
His starts in fame were clearly began at log pulling contests, at the time he was in these -- he was not owned by Mr. Morgan. But a vaguely wealthy man by the name of Mr. Evans, he would often sport his little stallion as better then the rest -- and naturally he proved them right. Justin could outwalk, out trot, out run, and outpull any of his competitors. Some of these horses that he beat in log pulling were a good sixteen hands high and weighed in at a few thousand pounds or so. Since Randolph had very little to do back in that time, a tavern was it’s sole providing establishment of entertainment -- most men would bet on their favorite horse to outbeat everyone else. They say that when Figure began to pull the log, it was quite a sight to behold this little powerhouse of strength and determination. This is again an excerpt from that same book “He dug in his toes and threw his weight into the collar. There was a sudden breaking; then the log began to move swiftly over the ground, nor did it stop until it had covered more then half the required distance. Another quick pull and the load was delivered safely at the stipulated place.” That would be the profound moment , people wanted to breed to this ‘little big horse’ as they began to call him whenever his name came up in conversation.
It should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Justin Morgan was the sole founder of the first American breed of horse -- The Morgan Horse. No other sire of a foundation breed, has been able to be bred to a horse and produce an exact replica of what he held in conformation, personality and overall appearance -- anything bred to him whether it be a mixed mare or a purebred mare would produce a Morgan Horse.
The buck just didn’t stop at being the founder of one breed though, he led the front of creating two other amazing All American Breeds. The first was the American Saddler or as you may call them - The American Saddle Bred. There is not a horse today that is a long descendent of Justin Morgan in the American Saddle Bred world, at least a quarter or more if traced far back enough you’d find his name on their pedigree -- even more then once.
The American Trotter, or the American Trotting Horse aka The Standardbred, was widely influenced by the Morgan Horse as well. One of Figure’s sons believe it or not, Black Hawk was widely known for this superior speed under harness -- he was quite the trotter. One of his descendants managed to even beat the mighty Hambletonian. Some say that Hambletonian was a mixture of Morgan and a few other things combined -- both sire and dam had very similar characteristics possibly leading to the idea they had Morgan somewhere in their lines. But overall, the Morgan could be traced back to families of Standardbreds like that of Peter the Great and Axworthy, and not to hold back the thought of Little Brown Jug, Hal Pointer and Star Pointer - all of which came from a Morgan Horse Tom Hal.
Justin’s name can also be found in some Tennessee Walking Horse lines, as well as a few other gaited breeds now a days. Aside from the Arabian , Cob and Hackney, the Morgan brought the Gaited Horse appeal into America.
As you can imagine though, it didn’t even stop here either -- proving the goal of Mr. Morgan’s hopes and dreams did come easy. As the Morgan Horse would later show itself as a worthy Cow Horse, some ranches just strictly use the Morgan Horse as their top mount - due to the surefooted ability and roughness of the breed.
All - American Horse
To add to the fact it was born and raised, founded and dreamed of in America. These were not the only facts that lead to this title, many horses used during the Civil War up to World War I -- were that of Morgans.
Some Famous Mounts that either had part or full line of Morgan in them
- Reinzi aka Winchester - Mount of Sheridan
- Little Sorrel - Mount of Stonewell Jackson
- Comanche - lone survivor of the Little Big Horn
Even today, in the funeral processions of Armed Forces, or Presidents the riderless horse is generally -always- a black Morgan.
The military decided on using this breed for some simplistic reasons really - they showed style, personality and sharp incisive steps when in movement. He was not a quick horse for the calvary, BUT he could cover a lot of ground and still be able to do more at the end of the day if need be. His endurance was superb.
The Morgan Character and Standard[/u]
Morgan Character
*this has been taken right from the website of the AMHA, the link for this is www.morganhorse.com/resources/info.php
“The beauty of the Morgan horse lifts the heart. The breed exists solely because it pleases people. It is their heritage.

The Morgan is easily recognized by his proud carriage, upright graceful neck, and distinctive head with expressive eyes. Deep bodied and compact, the Morgan has strongly muscled quarters. The intelligence, willingness, zest for life, and good sense of the Morgan is blended with soundness of limb, athleticism, and stamina. In addition, Morgan thriftiness and longevity have made this breed a good bargain for more than 200 years - easy to love and affordable to own. The Morgan horse is free moving and calm under western tack or elegant and aristocratic ridden in English style. A tractable temperament allows the Morgan to excel when driving in single or multiple hitches. Companionable and comfortable on a quiet pleasure ride anywhere open skies beckon, working as a sensible partner in a long day of ranch work or endurance riding, waiting alert and ready to enter a show ring, or performing in formal riding disciplines, the Morgan is a versatile horse within a versatile breed. The Morgan horse agreeably adapts to his owner's life style. This first American breed can be found worldwide.
Reliable, loyal, tireless, and versatile, a Morgan becomes one with people of all ages and walks of life, sharing the mutual enjoyment in every equine pastime. “
The Breed Standard
*this was also taken straight from the AMHA website, link here à
“
Correct Morgan type and conformation should be considered not only during In-Hand classes but also in performance classes where rules indicate that type and conformation are to be considered. The Standard is also used to evaluate Morgan type and conformation outside of the show ring.
Type is the ideal or standard of perfection for the breed. A Morgan is distinctive for its stamina and vigor, personality and eagerness and strong natural way of moving.
Conformation is the degree of perfection of the component parts and their relationship to each other.
The head should be expressive with broad forehead; large prominent eyes; with straight or slightly dished short face; firm fine lips; large nostrils and well-rounded jowls. The ears should be short and shapely, set rather wide apart and carried alertly. Mares may have a slightly longer ear.
The throatlatch is slightly deeper than other breeds and should be refined sufficiently to allow proper flexion at the poll and normal respiration.
The neck should come out on top of an extremely well-angulated shoulder with depth from top of withers to point of shoulder. It should be relatively fine in relation to sex. It should be slightly arched and should blend with the withers and back. The top line of the neck should be considerably longer than the bottom line. The stallion should have more crest than the mare or gelding. An animal gelded late in life may resemble the stallion more closely.
The withers should be well defined and extend into the back in proportion to the angulation of the shoulder.
The body should be compact with a short back, close coupling, broad loins, deep flank, well-sprung ribs, croup long and well muscled with tail attached high, carried gracefully and straight. A weak, low, or long back is a severe fault. The Morgan horse should not be higher at the croup than at the withers.
The stifle should be placed well forward and low in the flank area.
The legs should be straight and sound with short cannons, flat bone, and an appearance of over-all substance with refinement. The forearm should be relatively long in proportion to the cannon. The pasterns should have sufficient length and angulation to provide a light, springy step.
The structure of the rear legs is of extreme importance to the selection of a long-lasting equine athlete. Any sign of poor angulation of the hocks, sickle hocks or cow hocks must be considered a severe fault. Lack of proper flexion of the hock is cause for very close examination of the entire structure of the rear legs and should not be tolerated in breeding stock or show ring winners.
The feet should be in proportion to the size of the horse, round, open at heel, with concave sole and hoof of dense structure.
Viewed from the front, the chest should be well developed. The front legs should be perpendicular to the ground and closely attached to the body.
Viewed from the side, the top line represents a gentle curve from the poll to the back, giving the impression of the neck sitting on top of the withers rather than in front of them, continuing to a short, straight back and a relatively level croup rounding into a well muscled thigh. The tail should be attached high and carried well-arched. At maturity the croup should NOT be higher than the withers. The under line should be long and the body deep through the heart girth and flanks. The extreme angulation of the shoulder results in the arm being a little more vertical than in other breeds, placing the front legs slightly farther forward on the body. The front legs should be straight and perpendicular to the ground. The rear cannons should be perpendicular to the ground when points of hocks and buttocks are in the same vertical lines.
Viewed from the rear, the croup should be well rounded, thighs and gaskins well-muscled. Legs should be straight. The gaskin should be relatively long in relation to the cannon. The Morgan should portray good spring of rib and well-rounded buttocks. Slab-sided individuals should be faulted.
The height ranges from 14.1 to 15.2 hands, with some individuals under or over.
Horses must be serviceably sound-i.e. must not show evidence of lameness, broken wind or complete loss of sight in either eye.
Stallions two years old and over must have all the fully developed physical characteristics of a stallion. Mature stallions must be masculine in appearance. Mares must be feminine in appearance.
Coat or eye color shall have no bearing when judging Morgan horses.
Brands, including freeze brands, shall not be discriminated against in any class.
Other distinctive attributes of the Morgan horse are his presence and personality. These include:
Animation
Stamina
Vigor
Alertness
Adaptability
Attitude
Tractability
Correct way of going for In-Hand classes:
It is imperative that height of action should not take precedence over correct way of going. Emphasis shall be on type and conformation with consideration given to horse's ability to move correctly on the lead.
The walk should be rapid, flat-footed, with a four-beat cadence, and elastic, with the accent on flexion in the pastern.
The trot should be a two-beat, diagonal gait, animated, elastic, square, and collected. The rear action should be in balance with the front.
Posing horses must stand squarely on all four feet with the front legs perpendicular to the ground. Rear legs may be placed slightly back. Judge must ask exhibitor to move hind legs up under horse for inspection.
“
You can also find a anatomical chart of the morgan horse on the website as well.
Ending Statement[/u]
I really hope that you do learn from the write up on this breed, I think if your going to be a lover of horses and be true about it -- you should at least educate yourself in their history. To learn the history of a horse, is to learn what they really are made of. If you are interested in learning more about The Morgan Horse just visit the American Morgan Horse Assocation’s website at www.morganhorse.com/
Citations[/u]
"Morgan Info,Ideal Morgan." American Morgan Horse Association. 16 Dec 2006 www.morganhorse.com/ .
As for the book I used, I asked my mom since it doesn’t have a cover anymore she believes the name was - Encyclopedia of Horses In America
The chapter used was - Light-Legged Breeds on pages 244-249
Best I can do for citations since it’s cover and some pages are missing =(
The History Of The Morgan Horse
”The Little Big Horse”
It’s really hard to say where or how Justin Morgan purchased, came into ownership or otherwise, but he did own one of the most prominent stallions of his life time. Some say he was the result of Mr. Morgans breeding attempts, others will argue he was inherited by a family members death, and some even say he was just downright purchased. However he came into the hands of Mr. Morgan, Figure did just what this man wanted him to do -- be an everything horse.
He was born in 1789, in Springfield, Massachusetts later to be brought into Randolph, Vermont. He was out of the Stallion named True Briton by Lloyd’s Traveler whom was by Morton’s Imp. Traveler. His dam was a mare by Diamond, who was by Church’s Wildair whom was by Imp. Wildair. For those of you whom do not know these horses, they were some outstanding Thoroughbreds and Arabians, this is proof that he not only inherited amazing individuality but an astonishing ability to produce a foal that would later some day look - exactly - like himself, maybe not in color but definitely in conformation, skill and personality. Some argue however, that it’s possible that “Figure” had Friesian or Cob in his bloodline somewhere as well -- but no one is for certain.
When Figure was to his full height and weight, he averaged out to be slightly over 14 hands high and weighed just a mere 950 lbs. They say that “although he was small in stature, his frame was literally weather boarded with muscle.”.
His individuality is what truly made him stand out however, this excerpt is taken from a old book that I can no longer provide the title for due to wear and tear from being moved for so long -- it was a book my mother received as a gift But the paragraph can be found on page 245 - 246
“Justin Morgan was a dark bay, with black legs, mane and tail. He was a very stylish-fronted horse and the features of his head were cleanly chiseled. His dark, hazel-colored eyes were full and prominent. He had wide-set ears that were small, pointed, and erect; he was a wide-ribbed, short-backed, deep-bodied, short-coupled horse; he stood squarely on all of his legs with shoulders and pasterns that were sloping; his action was prompt, true and collected; his style was proud, nervous and imposing. In summary, Justin Morgan or Figure was a horse of unusual balance, a happy combination of shape, quality, substance and style. He died from an injury at the age thirty-two in the year 1821.”
His starts in fame were clearly began at log pulling contests, at the time he was in these -- he was not owned by Mr. Morgan. But a vaguely wealthy man by the name of Mr. Evans, he would often sport his little stallion as better then the rest -- and naturally he proved them right. Justin could outwalk, out trot, out run, and outpull any of his competitors. Some of these horses that he beat in log pulling were a good sixteen hands high and weighed in at a few thousand pounds or so. Since Randolph had very little to do back in that time, a tavern was it’s sole providing establishment of entertainment -- most men would bet on their favorite horse to outbeat everyone else. They say that when Figure began to pull the log, it was quite a sight to behold this little powerhouse of strength and determination. This is again an excerpt from that same book “He dug in his toes and threw his weight into the collar. There was a sudden breaking; then the log began to move swiftly over the ground, nor did it stop until it had covered more then half the required distance. Another quick pull and the load was delivered safely at the stipulated place.” That would be the profound moment , people wanted to breed to this ‘little big horse’ as they began to call him whenever his name came up in conversation.
It should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Justin Morgan was the sole founder of the first American breed of horse -- The Morgan Horse. No other sire of a foundation breed, has been able to be bred to a horse and produce an exact replica of what he held in conformation, personality and overall appearance -- anything bred to him whether it be a mixed mare or a purebred mare would produce a Morgan Horse.
The buck just didn’t stop at being the founder of one breed though, he led the front of creating two other amazing All American Breeds. The first was the American Saddler or as you may call them - The American Saddle Bred. There is not a horse today that is a long descendent of Justin Morgan in the American Saddle Bred world, at least a quarter or more if traced far back enough you’d find his name on their pedigree -- even more then once.
The American Trotter, or the American Trotting Horse aka The Standardbred, was widely influenced by the Morgan Horse as well. One of Figure’s sons believe it or not, Black Hawk was widely known for this superior speed under harness -- he was quite the trotter. One of his descendants managed to even beat the mighty Hambletonian. Some say that Hambletonian was a mixture of Morgan and a few other things combined -- both sire and dam had very similar characteristics possibly leading to the idea they had Morgan somewhere in their lines. But overall, the Morgan could be traced back to families of Standardbreds like that of Peter the Great and Axworthy, and not to hold back the thought of Little Brown Jug, Hal Pointer and Star Pointer - all of which came from a Morgan Horse Tom Hal.
Justin’s name can also be found in some Tennessee Walking Horse lines, as well as a few other gaited breeds now a days. Aside from the Arabian , Cob and Hackney, the Morgan brought the Gaited Horse appeal into America.
As you can imagine though, it didn’t even stop here either -- proving the goal of Mr. Morgan’s hopes and dreams did come easy. As the Morgan Horse would later show itself as a worthy Cow Horse, some ranches just strictly use the Morgan Horse as their top mount - due to the surefooted ability and roughness of the breed.
All - American Horse
To add to the fact it was born and raised, founded and dreamed of in America. These were not the only facts that lead to this title, many horses used during the Civil War up to World War I -- were that of Morgans.
Some Famous Mounts that either had part or full line of Morgan in them
- Reinzi aka Winchester - Mount of Sheridan
- Little Sorrel - Mount of Stonewell Jackson
- Comanche - lone survivor of the Little Big Horn
Even today, in the funeral processions of Armed Forces, or Presidents the riderless horse is generally -always- a black Morgan.
The military decided on using this breed for some simplistic reasons really - they showed style, personality and sharp incisive steps when in movement. He was not a quick horse for the calvary, BUT he could cover a lot of ground and still be able to do more at the end of the day if need be. His endurance was superb.
The Morgan Character and Standard[/u]
Morgan Character
*this has been taken right from the website of the AMHA, the link for this is www.morganhorse.com/resources/info.php
“The beauty of the Morgan horse lifts the heart. The breed exists solely because it pleases people. It is their heritage.

The Morgan is easily recognized by his proud carriage, upright graceful neck, and distinctive head with expressive eyes. Deep bodied and compact, the Morgan has strongly muscled quarters. The intelligence, willingness, zest for life, and good sense of the Morgan is blended with soundness of limb, athleticism, and stamina. In addition, Morgan thriftiness and longevity have made this breed a good bargain for more than 200 years - easy to love and affordable to own. The Morgan horse is free moving and calm under western tack or elegant and aristocratic ridden in English style. A tractable temperament allows the Morgan to excel when driving in single or multiple hitches. Companionable and comfortable on a quiet pleasure ride anywhere open skies beckon, working as a sensible partner in a long day of ranch work or endurance riding, waiting alert and ready to enter a show ring, or performing in formal riding disciplines, the Morgan is a versatile horse within a versatile breed. The Morgan horse agreeably adapts to his owner's life style. This first American breed can be found worldwide.
Reliable, loyal, tireless, and versatile, a Morgan becomes one with people of all ages and walks of life, sharing the mutual enjoyment in every equine pastime. “
The Breed Standard
*this was also taken straight from the AMHA website, link here à
“
Correct Morgan type and conformation should be considered not only during In-Hand classes but also in performance classes where rules indicate that type and conformation are to be considered. The Standard is also used to evaluate Morgan type and conformation outside of the show ring.
Type is the ideal or standard of perfection for the breed. A Morgan is distinctive for its stamina and vigor, personality and eagerness and strong natural way of moving.
Conformation is the degree of perfection of the component parts and their relationship to each other.
The head should be expressive with broad forehead; large prominent eyes; with straight or slightly dished short face; firm fine lips; large nostrils and well-rounded jowls. The ears should be short and shapely, set rather wide apart and carried alertly. Mares may have a slightly longer ear.
The throatlatch is slightly deeper than other breeds and should be refined sufficiently to allow proper flexion at the poll and normal respiration.
The neck should come out on top of an extremely well-angulated shoulder with depth from top of withers to point of shoulder. It should be relatively fine in relation to sex. It should be slightly arched and should blend with the withers and back. The top line of the neck should be considerably longer than the bottom line. The stallion should have more crest than the mare or gelding. An animal gelded late in life may resemble the stallion more closely.
The withers should be well defined and extend into the back in proportion to the angulation of the shoulder.
The body should be compact with a short back, close coupling, broad loins, deep flank, well-sprung ribs, croup long and well muscled with tail attached high, carried gracefully and straight. A weak, low, or long back is a severe fault. The Morgan horse should not be higher at the croup than at the withers.
The stifle should be placed well forward and low in the flank area.
The legs should be straight and sound with short cannons, flat bone, and an appearance of over-all substance with refinement. The forearm should be relatively long in proportion to the cannon. The pasterns should have sufficient length and angulation to provide a light, springy step.
The structure of the rear legs is of extreme importance to the selection of a long-lasting equine athlete. Any sign of poor angulation of the hocks, sickle hocks or cow hocks must be considered a severe fault. Lack of proper flexion of the hock is cause for very close examination of the entire structure of the rear legs and should not be tolerated in breeding stock or show ring winners.
The feet should be in proportion to the size of the horse, round, open at heel, with concave sole and hoof of dense structure.
Viewed from the front, the chest should be well developed. The front legs should be perpendicular to the ground and closely attached to the body.
Viewed from the side, the top line represents a gentle curve from the poll to the back, giving the impression of the neck sitting on top of the withers rather than in front of them, continuing to a short, straight back and a relatively level croup rounding into a well muscled thigh. The tail should be attached high and carried well-arched. At maturity the croup should NOT be higher than the withers. The under line should be long and the body deep through the heart girth and flanks. The extreme angulation of the shoulder results in the arm being a little more vertical than in other breeds, placing the front legs slightly farther forward on the body. The front legs should be straight and perpendicular to the ground. The rear cannons should be perpendicular to the ground when points of hocks and buttocks are in the same vertical lines.
Viewed from the rear, the croup should be well rounded, thighs and gaskins well-muscled. Legs should be straight. The gaskin should be relatively long in relation to the cannon. The Morgan should portray good spring of rib and well-rounded buttocks. Slab-sided individuals should be faulted.
The height ranges from 14.1 to 15.2 hands, with some individuals under or over.
Horses must be serviceably sound-i.e. must not show evidence of lameness, broken wind or complete loss of sight in either eye.
Stallions two years old and over must have all the fully developed physical characteristics of a stallion. Mature stallions must be masculine in appearance. Mares must be feminine in appearance.
Coat or eye color shall have no bearing when judging Morgan horses.
Brands, including freeze brands, shall not be discriminated against in any class.
Other distinctive attributes of the Morgan horse are his presence and personality. These include:
Animation
Stamina
Vigor
Alertness
Adaptability
Attitude
Tractability
Correct way of going for In-Hand classes:
It is imperative that height of action should not take precedence over correct way of going. Emphasis shall be on type and conformation with consideration given to horse's ability to move correctly on the lead.
The walk should be rapid, flat-footed, with a four-beat cadence, and elastic, with the accent on flexion in the pastern.
The trot should be a two-beat, diagonal gait, animated, elastic, square, and collected. The rear action should be in balance with the front.
Posing horses must stand squarely on all four feet with the front legs perpendicular to the ground. Rear legs may be placed slightly back. Judge must ask exhibitor to move hind legs up under horse for inspection.
“
You can also find a anatomical chart of the morgan horse on the website as well.
Ending Statement[/u]
I really hope that you do learn from the write up on this breed, I think if your going to be a lover of horses and be true about it -- you should at least educate yourself in their history. To learn the history of a horse, is to learn what they really are made of. If you are interested in learning more about The Morgan Horse just visit the American Morgan Horse Assocation’s website at www.morganhorse.com/
Citations[/u]
"Morgan Info,Ideal Morgan." American Morgan Horse Association. 16 Dec 2006 www.morganhorse.com/ .
As for the book I used, I asked my mom since it doesn’t have a cover anymore she believes the name was - Encyclopedia of Horses In America
The chapter used was - Light-Legged Breeds on pages 244-249
Best I can do for citations since it’s cover and some pages are missing =(