JUSTIN MORGAN THE HORSE
Justin Morgan was a living legend. In the manner of so many heroes, he began as
an unremarkable colt and became the father of an entire breed of horses
recognized for quality and dependability.
Born in 1789, Justin Morgan started life as a small, rough-coated colt known
as "Figure." In 1791 he left his birthplace in Springfield, Massachusetts
with his new owner, the soft- spoken school teacher Justin
Morgan, by whose name the stallion eventually became known. Although his
breeding was unknown (thought to be of Dutch, Thoroughbred or Arabian
breeding), the quality of Justin Morgan's ancestry showed in his straight,
clean legs; deep muscling over his quarters and shoulders; and fine,
intelligent head with large, expressive eyes and short, pricked ears. Add to
the quality of his movement, a thick but silky mane and tail, and a clean-cut
throatlatch, and you have the conformation of the ideal light horse. Despite
these fine qualities Justin Morgan's lack of size was such that his
debt-ridded owner found no buyers on their journey north to Randolph Center,
Vermont. It was simply fate that no one but his new owner realized what a
little giant he was.
Over the next 30 years, the little bay stallion worked long, hard hours in
the fields and on the roads of Vermont. Gradually, the local population
began to talk about the feats of "the Justin Morgan horse."
Standing just over 14 hands tall, Justin Morgan's exploits gained him fame
because he was not as big as colonial workhorses nor as tall as long-legged
as racehorses, yet the consistently outperformed both. There was the time he
pulled a log no draft horse could budge; the day only he had the beauty,
spirit and manners to carry President James Monroe on a muster-day parade
ground and the time he outran the most winning racehorse central Vermont had
ever known, at least till that day.
Doing it and doing it well, Justin Morgan remained sound of eye, wind, and
limb throughout a lifetime of two ordinary horses. That should have been
enough, but the stallion added still more: slowly, ground-covering gaits
with speed to spare at any one of them; a gentle disposition that made
him safe enough for a child to handle yet spirited enough for any
horseman; beauty men would to recall decades after his death; and a rare
courage that made men who lost bets on him lift their flagons of rum and
say, "To the Little Morgan" and drink deeply.
Justin Morgan also proved to be one of the greatest breeding horses of
all time. As the saga of the little stallion grew. countless mares were
bred to him. So proponent were the genes of this stallion that no matter
what type of mare he was bred to, be she of heavy draft to refined
racing type, his offspring inherited his image and abilities. While most
the breeds developed by breeding horses of similar characteristics to
each other, Justin Morgan's ability to pass characteristics to his
offspring for generations to come allowed this single stallion to found
and entire breed in his likeness. Today , every registered Morgan traces
back to Justin Morgan through his best known sons: Bulrush, Sherman,
Woodbury.
In the coming years, the offspring of these strong, willing, able
light horses grew along with the young nation that was building itself
upon hard work and determination. In the hands of American colonists,
Morgans cleared rugged Vermont mountainsides and converted them into
rich farmland. but they weren't mere workhorses, Morgans had the style
and elegance to capture the admiration of any city horseman. While
some Morgans earned their keep on the farm, others were in high demand
to become smart roadsters for Boston and New York financiers. When
harness racing reached its heyday in the 1800s, the World's fastest
Trotting Stallion Ethan Allen 50, old Justin's handsome great grand
son.
As America grew so did the feats of the Morgan. New England men
answered the call of gold and headed for California on Morgans. In
the Civil War the famed Vermont Cavalry was mounted on Morgan
horses. Not only did the Union's General Sheridan ride his Morgan
Rienzi, Stonewall Jackson rode his Morgan, "Little
Sorrel," for the Confederacy as well! In the Indian Wars, the
only survivor in the Battle of the Little Big Horn was Keogh's
Morgan-Bred horse Comanche. If the pathways of history are paved
with the bones of the horse, surely America's are paved by Morgans.
While the offspring of Justin Morgan were taming the wilderness
and building the country, they were also creating the standards by
which other American breeds would become known. The stamina and
vigor of the Morgan, together with his excellent conformation and
way of going, helped make other American light horse breeds what
they are today. the great speed of today's racing Standardbreds
was produced by crossed to the fastest Morgan Blood. In the 1860s,
the Morgan stallion Shepard F. Knapp was exported to England where
his trotting speed became a byword. Today, many English Hackneys
carry his name in their pedigrees. In American Saddlebreds, such
as famous champions as Edna May, Bourbon King, Rex Peavine, and
Wing Commander, trace to Justin Morgan. The foundation sire of the
Tennessee Walking Horse, Allen F-1, was a grandson of the Morgan
stallion Bradford's Telegraph. In addition, many good Morgan mares
were sent to Texas only to lose their breed identity in Quarter
Horse bands, and to make the breed greater for it. the oldest of
all American breeds, the Morgan was strong enough to contribute
greatly to almost every other American light horse breed while
retaining its own identity across two centuries.
Present-day Morgans differ little from their mighty progenitor.
The average size of a Morgan today is between 14.2-15.2 hands,
with some individuals over or under. Morgan coats are
predominantly chestnut, bay, or brown although many black, palomino, buckskin and even a few
grays and crèmes appear in the
breed. The breeds tremendous courage, disposition, substance,
and type has remained as important to breeders today as it was
200 years ago. Whether you visit farms in New England,
California, to any state in between, you can see bands of
Morgans with the same deep bodies, lovely heads, and straight
clean-boned legs. In barns and show rings across the country,
the Morgan show horses flash by with heads high, eyes bright,
and nostrils wide--Morgan quality showing in every hair on their
gleaming, muscular bodies.
Today, Morgans have few wildernesses to conquer or wars to
win, but they still accomplish great deeds. they are loved and
revered as dynamic performers in Morgan shows across the
country, and as loyal, sensible mounts on American's beautiful
trails and pathways; they are treasures by mounted police
squads and therapeutic riding programs for their intelligence,
soundness and gentleness; they are winning awards in driving,
dressage, reining, and cutting competitions against horses
bred specifically for these jobs; and no matter what they may
be doing to the tack they wear, knowledgeable horseman see
them and know," That's a Morgan!."
A bit of the hard-working, determined Morgan legend is with
us whenever a Morgan carries a saddle-weary cowhand down a
Montana mountain, pulls a carriage around a grueling obstacle
course in record time, quietly carries children
along a wooden path, or flashes around the show ring with a
style that causes spectators to cheer. The Morgan, our
country's first breed of light horse, is as much as a part
of America today as it was two centuries ago.
The Morgan legend has also spread around the world. Morgan
owners and clubs can be found in Canada, England, Germany,
Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and South
America. the beauty, intelligence, and willing personality
of the Morgan will win you over too!!