| The Morgan Horse America's First by E. Poulin for the Elderberry Road Newsletter |
| Springfield, Massachusettes, 1785, a small bay colt is born. His sire is thought to be True Briton, and his dam, a short bay mare with tons of mane and tail, not to mention a lot of power and heart, she was by Diamond. Seems pretty ordinary, right? No, this little colt, Figure, is to become a legend, an icon, not just another horse, but the father of a breed. n 1788, he was given to Justin Morgan along with another colt to repay a long owed debt. Mr. Morgan kept Figure, and sold the other colt. He began leasing Figure to a man for $15 a year. He used him in the woods hauling logs and used him to go into town. He soon spread word of this little stallion he had that could out pull even the biggest and strongest of logging horses. He began racing Figure too. Soon farmers had mares lined up to breed to this amazing little stallion, the one who could out walk, trot, canter, gallop, and pull any other. When it came to the end of the year, Justin Morgan didn't renew the lease, but took his stallion back. Soon he and Figure were inseperable. But fate couldn't keep them together. Justin Morgan died, and Figure adopted his name, becoming the Justin Morgan Horse. The Justin Morgan horse went through a series of owners doing work and parading, until 1821, when he sadly died from an untreated kick. His three great sons, Sherman, Bulrush, and Woodbury carried out his legacy and soon helped developed what is now the Morgan horse. Morgans stayed around by chance until the Civil War. Soldiers found great use for the sturdy little horses in the cavalry. Many state cavalries were made up completely of Morgans, and were said to be the best. Many Morgans are remembered for being ridden bravely into battle, including the lone survivor of Little Big Horn, Comanche, who was of Morgan lines. Of the 1,200 Morgans in the war, 200 survived. After that some breeders got together and started to concentrate the Morgan breed's bloodlines. They succeeded and gave us the great little horse of today. Morgans still have an uncanny resemblance to their ancestor, Figure, and carry his wonderful disposition and work ethic. Morgans of today can do anything and everything if it's asked of them. The breeds influenced by the Morgan are the American Saddlebred, the Tennessee Walking Horse, the Standardbred, the American Quarter Horse, and more recently, a beautiful grade turning breed, the Morab. Morgans possess a shapely chiseled face with large, expressive eyes, large nostrils, a firm shallow mouth, a rounded jowl, small elegant ears, a medium length of arched broad neck, a deep throatlatch, a strong deep rounded shoulder and chest, a short sturdy back, a long curving underline, a sloping croup, great hind quarters, short pwerful legs, well shaped strong hooves, a high set and thick tail, and a massive mane. Some great examples of the Morgan itself, and in sculpture are linked below. |
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