The American Morgan Horse Association, Inc.
122 Bostwick Road
Shelburne, Vermont 05482
www.morganhorse.com
In 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States; that same year in southern New England, a small bay colt named Figure was born. Becoming the founding stallion of the Morgan breed, Figure was destined to play a dramatic role in the development of the new nation. As American as apple pie, the Morgan horse was instrumental in forming the United States and continues to be a great horse.
Figure is the horse to which all Morgans are related. He was probably about 15 hands tall, as he was advertised for stud at different times as being a bit more or less at that height. (Measurements were done literally in hands during that period, thus not equated exactly to four inches.) He had a compact, muscular build and was very round in his rear quarters. His stylish way of moving impressed many pioneer farmers and settlers.
The Morgan’s arched neck, depth of body, and trim legs are typical. Casi Lark
He could work hard all day, moving with agility over rocky fields and through dense woods, and still be fresh enough afterwards to win a race. Soon tales of his strength, speed, endurance, and gentle disposition spread throughout the small New England towns. His stud services were offered throughout the Connecticut River Valley, and his ability to stamp progeny with his likeness was astounding. He was ridden by a U.S. president, as well as society ladies who appreciated his calm temperament. Figure became a legend in his lifetime and was renamed as the Justin Morgan Horse, after his owner.
It was often speculated as to what type of breeding Figure came from, but facts from the testimony of John Morgan Jr., as written in The Albany Cultivator (vol. 9, 1842, p. 110), as well as other evidence, has brought the truth regarding Figure’s ancestry and life.
Parentage
Figure was born probably in Massachusetts and was sired by a horse named True Briton, reputed to be the fastest horse in America and originally sold to Colonel James DeLancey for $200, a costly sum even for a purebred at that time. True Briton was then stolen from DeLancey, a Tory during the time of the American Revolution.
True Briton reappeared when he was purchased by Captain Selah Norton, a member of a group who oversaw the defense of the state of Connecticut during the American Revolution. The group met regularly at the War Office on the Green in Lebanon, Connecticut. This was a busy place during the American Revolution, as the French had a huge cavalry that was training horses and troops on the Green, drilling daily in front of the War Office where Norton frequented. It is probable that many horses came and went there at that time.
After the war, Norton apparently had an opportunity to observe True Briton, perhaps through his visits at the War Office, and he bought the horse. Norton changed True Briton’s name to Beautiful Bay, which implies what color he was and his quality. He was also known as Traveler. John Morgan Jr. (cousin to Justin Morgan) leased True Briton from Norton in 1788 and 1789, when Figure’s dam was bred to him.
Norton also owned Sportsman, a possible great grandsire of Figure on his dam’s side. He probably rode Sportsman to the meetings at the War Office. He and Justin Morgan could have been musical friends as they both had an interest in music: Morgan was a reputable composer and both he and Norton wrote musical psalms. Regardless of the circumstances, Justin Morgan had access to Sportsman, standing him at stud in West Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1778; Norton also advertised Sportsman in other stud seasons during the war.
The Morgan’s kind eye and intelligent face denote a true aristocrat. Linda Konichek
True Briton was a quality stallion that traced back to the Byerly Turk on his sire’s side within five generations. On his dam’s side, he traced back to the Godolphin Arabian once within three generations and again in the fourth generation. Also on his dam’s side, he had Childers in the fifth generation that was out of the Darley Arabian and the Byerly Turk in the eighth and ninth generations.
Figure’s dam was unnamed, but she was sired by a horse named Arabian Ranger who was out of Wildair breeding, going back in the fourth generation to Cade by the famous Godolphin Arabian and Roxana. Also on that side, she had Childers in the sixth generation (by the Darley Arabian). On her dam’s side, her grandsire was Sportsman.
Additionally, there were nine other ancestors on both Figure’s sire and dam sides that had the word “Arabian” in their names. Figure undoubtedly had Arabian blood, and there was a significant amount of line breeding involving the three most famous and finest stallions of that era: the Godolphin Arabian, the Byerly Turk, and the Darley Arabian, all famous Oriental sires of their time, having great influence on the English Thoroughbred.
This stallion’s upright neck, compact body, and sheer elegance are Morgan traits. Bridget Lockridge
It might be said that ancestors coming from further back than a few generations, such as these, could have any noticeable heritable influence. Having the Godolphin Arabian, the Byerly Turk, and the Darley Arabian as ancestors, however, is extremely significant. These are the founding sires of the English Thoroughbred breed and were known to pass their qualities down many generations. A pedigree that included line breeding on all three sires is a well-planned breeding usually undertaken by knowledgeable horsemen. In other words, Figure’s quality was not a happenstance of nature. He was a true aristocrat of the horse world.
Figure’s Owners
The man Justin Morgan is most famous in history for his horse, which founded the Morgan breed. He is also less widely known, but equally respected, as a musical composer of notable talent. His family was described as being “substantial yeoman farmers” in Springfield, Massachusetts, and many held town and church offices. In 1771, Morgan was deeded a portion of his father’s barn and a small amount of land. A self-described husbandman, or farmer (according to the town’s records), Justin Morgan also was a teacher and businessman, but it was his talent as a stallioneer (that is, he maintained stallions and charged stud fees to generate an income) that fixed his reputation in history.
During the American Revolution, Springfield was a cavalry depot for the Patriots, which created a beehive of horse activity in the area. Hartford, Connecticut, the acknowledged horse center of the time, was relatively close by, being just down the river. Morgan had many horse pursuits while in Massachusetts, besides his other endeavors. He owned a few mares and raised foals by the stallions he stood at stud. One of the last mares he owned was bred to True Briton the year he left Springfield in 1788, when he moved his family to Randolph, Vermont.
True Briton was in the possession of Justin’s cousin, John Morgan Jr., when this happened. It is unclear who actually owned Figure’s dam when she was bred and at the time she had Figure, but when Figure was two years old, he became the property of Justin Morgan.
Figure was then advertised at stud in West Hartford, Connecticut, by Samuel Whitman in 1792, possibly due to a lease agreement, which was common in those times. Figure was apparently taken to Randolph, Vermont, by Justin Morgan late that spring, as he was no longer advertised at stud by Whitman after May 21. Morgan advertised him at stud in 1793, 1794, and 1795. Just when Figure passed out of Morgan’s hands is not certain, but it is believed Morgan leased him in the autumn of 1795 to clear land for a Mr. Fisk for $15 a year.
In 1796, Figure was advertised at stud by Jonathan Shepard of Montpelier, Vermont. Shepard often used him in match races with great success. Figure raced against two New York running horses in Brookfield, Vermont, in 1796, defeating both easily. That stretch of road is still known as “Morgan Mile” to this day and is located close to the place Morgan is said to have lived, near the Randolph-Brookfield town line.
The Morgan’s expressive head with prominent eyes and small ears. Bridget Lockridge
Figure switched hands again; in 1797, Jonathan Shepard traded him with a blacksmith shop for a farm. His whereabouts were unknown between 1797 and 1801, but it was possible he was in Canada. He then switched hands several times and ended up with David Goss in 1805. There, he worked on the Goss farm, except for two months in spring when he was on a stallion service circuit, on which he became known as the Goss Horse. In one season, Goss claimed Figure bred 127 mares. Goss sold him in 1811, and Figure was used to haul freight. He was part of a six-horse hitch where the horses had to be regularly exchanged for fresh ones—all except for Figure, who outlasted them all.
He spent the balance of his life in and around the state of Vermont. In 1817 he was exhibited at the Randolph, Vermont, fair. The same year, he was the parade mount for President James Monroe in Montpelier, Vermont. In 1821, he was kicked by another horse on the Levi Bean Farm and later died from the injury. He was thirty-two years old.
Founding of a Breed
Figure’s style, beauty, intelligence, and good sense guaranteed that he would never be forgotten. During his own lifetime, Figure’s versatility as a working horse and prepotency as a sire earned him great respect in colonial New England. In keeping with the custom of the time, he was known by his early owner’s name, Justin Morgan, but dedicated fanciers often simply called him “the Justin.”
His most respected quality among horsemen was his ability to reproduce foals with his attributes. His descendants were instantly recognizable for their distinctive look (or type) and were revered for their stamina, beauty, willingness to please, and easy-keeping qualities, necessary on Vermont’s marginal hillside farms. They played a prominent role in Vermont’s history by serving as general purpose horses on farms. Outside markets developed for Morgan horses in the 1830s and 1840s, enabling many Vermont farmers to pay off their mortgages.
Their reputation for strength and endurance quickly spread, and soon early Morgans were invaluable for clearing fields in colonial New England and then beating all comers in trotting, running, pulling, and even walking races after a hard day’s work. They also fulfilled the role of racehorse on America’s early harness racing tracks, with some of Figure’s offspring holding racing records.
From this one stallion and three of his get—the stallions Woodbury, Bulrush, and Sherman—emerged a breed of horse that would secure a prominent place in American culture. Morgans were used as light draft and stagecoach horses in the 1800s and pulled the Concord Coach when it was introduced, leading to the success of stage lines in Vermont.
Morgans became known for their substance and stamina. They distinguished themselves with their strong ground-covering gaits, making them perfect for traveling long distances in the burgeoning country. As their fame spread, the breed moved westward, becoming popular as ranch and Pony Express horses, where their intelligence and ability to work all day were valued.
America’s Warhorse
When war divided the nation, the Morgan horse was the U.S. Cavalry’s mount of choice. The 1st Vermont Cavalry was mounted entirely on Morgans during the American Civil War, and its troops were so envied that raids were staged to capture the horses for Confederate use. Morgans were smaller than horses from other states, like New York, yet they handled long marches and battles better than larger horses. Many times, the troops and their horses would not have enough to eat, but the powerful Morgans could survive on just about anything. They remained level-headed under fire and could march all day without becoming lame. Some books have even credited the Union victory to the Morgans, because they were quicker in battle than the larger horses ridden by the Confederate troops.
Union General Philip Sheridan rode his black Morgan, Rienzi, into history at the battle of Winchester, which was captured by Thomas Buchanan Read’s poem, “Sheridan’s Ride.” Confederate General Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson rode Little Sorrel, a Morgan captured by Confederate troops, until Jackson died from injuries sustained in battle.
So well suited were Morgans to cavalry work that in 1907 the U.S. government established an official Morgan breeding farm in Weybridge, Vermont. From there, Morgans were transferred to remount stallion stations across the nation where they were bred to local mares. This was to improve the quality of the offspring and ensure that quality horses would be available in times of war. Morgans were used in both World War I and II.
Morgans have a distinctive, vigorous, and animated style.
Gradually after the Civil War, Morgans began to lose favor as they were not fast enough for short distance racing on the tracks and lacked the height desired by many in the city markets. When mounted units were being phased out in the early 1950s, the government farm was deeded to the University of Vermont, where the Morgan breeding program has continued. It is the oldest continuous breeding program of any horse breed in the United States today.
Morgans are up to any athletic challenge.
In Other Breeds
Morgans have also distinguished themselves by making major contributions to the development of other breeds, including the American Quarter Horse, American Saddlebred, Tennessee Walking Horse, and Standardbred. These breeds have often outstripped the Morgan breed’s ability to perform the more specialized tasks.
The Morgan’s agility, stamina, beauty, and intelligence are traits that were inherited and valued by the American Quarter Horse. Popular Quarter Horse stallions such as Joe Bailey, Yellow Jacket, Royal King, and Joe Hancock were half- or full-blooded Morgans. Old-timers still tell stories about train cars full of Morgan mares being unloaded on the King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas, to add Morgan characteristics to the ranch’s cattle horses.
The Saddlebred world used an abundance of Morgan blood to develop their showy breed, as 90 percent of today’s Saddlebreds still carry Morgan ancestry, which contributes to its spirited attitude and flash needed to win in competitions. The Saddlebred foundation stallion, Peavine, was a grandson of the Morgan, Stockbridge Chief, and the well-known Saddlebred, Cabell’s Lexington, was a grandson of the Morgan, Black Hawk.
Allen F-1, the foundation sire of the Tennessee Walking Horse, was the offspring of the Morgan mare, Maggie Marshall. Allen F-1 was bred to the mare Gertrude, which is said to have Morgan sires in her pedigree, and produced the influential stallion, Roan Allen F-38. Today’s Tennessee Walking Horses still have the looks, endurance, and personality for which Morgans are known.
The American Standardbred also drew on Morgan sons and daughters to add stamina, substance, and purity of gait to their trotting lines.
Each of these breeds has benefited from the Morgan’s contributions of sound legs and feet, beauty, intelligence, and endurance, as well as its strong gaits.
The Morgan Today
In bygone days, the Morgan earned its keep by clearing the wooded mountainsides in Vermont. It was developed as a general purpose horse with an ability to perform many tasks well. After a full day of work, it could out-walk, out-trot, and out-run any others under saddle or in harness. Its willingness to take on new challenges established its value with owners who appreciated a good horse.
Its versatility continues to stand the Morgan in good stead today for those who like a horse that can do a little of everything, making it just as valuable to modern owners. The Denver Police Department depends on Morgans to help patrol the streets and control crowds. According to their officers, their Morgans will allow themselves be “talked into” difficult situations and also have an above-average intelligence. They have “the best legs and feet of the entire horse world,” says one Denver officer. “They don’t have the lumps and bumps like most patrol horses get; they just go, go, go! I believe that my patrol horse should go wherever I say to go, whether it’s upstairs, downstairs, whatever—and the Morgan is that kind of horse. If I wanted him to swim the ocean, he would.”
The Morgan is neither a fad nor a status symbol, but the sort of prized possession that makes even breeders of other horses take notice and become undying promoters. Its intelligence and good sense make the Morgan a perfect companion. Its willingness and even temperament make it easy for all to enjoy: children or adults, individuals or families, amateurs or professionals. With its soundness, athleticism, and stamina, it is a horse that gets the job done. Its thriftiness and longevity have made this breed a bargain for more than two hundred years. With its proud carriage, upright and graceful neck, intelligent face, and kind eyes, it lifts the heart, is easy to love, and is affordable to own. To please people is the Morgan’s heritage.
In the Show Ring
Today’s show horses are now asked to be specialists more often than they are asked to perform multiple tasks, but Morgans can still be found winning in every arena of competition, from trail and jumping, to reining and dressage. The versatile Morgan is a breed that can fill any role with the greatest success. Whether used for pleasure riding or competing at the local, national, or international level, the Morgan is the perfect horse. The animated excitement of the park class, the mannerly way of the English Pleasure class, the smoothness of Pleasure Driving or Classic Pleasure riding, the ground-covering action of the Hunter Pleasure riding, or easygoing nature of Western Riding are all accomplished by Morgans with a winning style.
They excel in the Roadster class and are unmatched in Carriage Driving. They have represented the United States in multiple world-class competitions and have come home with numerous honors. Their speed, stamina, and willingness to obey their drivers in demanding situations makes them the most popular breed of carriage horse in the United States.
In the elegant world of dressage, Morgans have earned top honors against all breeds in national competitions. They are naturally balanced and can collect for precise movements with ease. Their medium size makes Morgans especially suitable for riders who want to enjoy all aspects of working with the dressage horse.
This same balance makes the Morgan uniquely qualified for the exciting world of reining. Its agility and power produces winning sliding stops, spins, and reining maneuvers. The Morgan excels at eventing, and its stamina and endurance make it a champion in both combined training and competitive trail rigors. Its ability and power make this horse an exciting mount when faced with the challenges of the jumping arena, where few can match its courage and intelligence. Its compact size allows it to get in and out of tricky jumping combinations safely.
As a Breed
In the late 1800s, D. C. Linsley, a native of Middlebury, Vermont, researched the Morgan breed and compiled an essay on its history and genealogy. Using Linsley’s work as a basis, Joseph Battell published the first volume of The Morgan Horse Register in 1894.
The Morgan Horse Club, now the American Morgan Horse Association, was organized at the 1909 Vermont State Fair, where the national Morgan horse shows of the early twentieth century were held. In 1948, the American Morgan Horse Register closed its books in order to preserve Morgan type and established a reciprocal agreement for Morgans registered with the Canadian Morgan Horse Association and the British Morgan Horse Society. Today, more than 160,000 Morgan horses have been recorded in the official register.
The Morgan is the first recognized American horse breed in the United States and is the official state animal of both Vermont and Massachusetts. It can trace its roots back to an earlier starting point than any other American breed, most of which identify their foundation stock to horses that were alive at the turn of the twentieth century. This is a full one hundred years after the Morgan breed began. Other American breeds are largely based upon a group of horses chosen for similar traits, such as gait, color, or speed. Morgans are unique in that they can trace their bloodline to one common ancestor over several centuries ago.
Today, twenty generations have passed, and yet the descendents of the phenomenal eighteenth century stallion, Justin Morgan (Figure), still share his remarkable traits. All Morgan horses trace their lineage back to Justin Morgan, the only horse to have a breed named after him.
Standard
The Morgan is best known for its distinctive type, which is still very much reflective of Figure. Morgans can be distinguished from other breeds by their compact, muscular, yet refined bodies, their large expressive eyes, and their chiseled faces. Morgan “upheadedness” (a proud, upright head carriage) and stylish, spirited gaits are also recognizable traits of the breed.
In 1996, the registry removed the “high white rule,” which restricted horses with white above the knees and hocks from being registered. The consensus was that any horse that had two registered Morgans for parents should not be restricted from the record books, regardless of it having white above the knees and hocks. Morgans come in all colors and include black, brown, bay, chestnut, palomino, buckskin, smoky black, cremello, perlino, and smoky cream.
The head should be expressive with broad forehead; large prominent eyes; 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 slightly longer ears.
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 the top of the withers to the point of the shoulder. 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. It should be relatively fine in relation to sex, as 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, and a long, well muscled croup. A weak, low, or long back is a severe fault. The Morgan should portray good spring of rib and well-rounded buttocks. Slab-sided individuals should be faulted. 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 overall 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 extreme angulation of the shoulder can result in the arm being a little more vertical than in other breeds, placing the front legs slightly farther forward on the body, but the front legs should be straight and perpendicular to the ground.
The structure of the rear legs is of extreme importance for the selection of a long-lasting equine athlete. The rear cannons should be perpendicular to the ground when the points of hocks and buttocks are in the same vertical lines. Legs should be straight, and the gaskin relatively long in relation to the cannon. 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 and round, open at the heel, with a 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 should have 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, then continuing to a short, straight back, and a relatively level croup, and finally rounding into a well muscled thigh.
The tail should be attached high and carried well-arched and graceful.
The underline should be long and the body deep through the heart girth and flanks.
At maturity, the croup should not be higher than the withers. Viewed from the rear, the croup should be well rounded and thighs and gaskins well-muscled.
The height ranges from 14.1 to 15.2 hands, with some individuals being under or over.
Horses must be serviceably sound—that is, they 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, and likewise, mares must be feminine in appearance.
Other distinctive attributes of the Morgan horse are its presence and personality. These include animation, adaptability, stamina, attitude, vigor, tractability, and alertness.
Correct way of going for In-Hand classes is described below:
• The walk should be rapid, flat-footed, and elastic with a four-beat cadence and 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. Judges must ask exhibitors to move the hind legs up under the horse for inspection.
Credit: The American Morgan Horse Association, Inc. and Kathy Furr, National Museum of the Morgan Horse