THE STANDAKD-BKED. 195 



ters carry Morgan blood in their veins and a 

 measure of it is also to be found in the Ameri- 

 can gaited saddle horse. The Morgan type may 

 briefly be described as short of leg, thick and 

 round of barrel, courageous and possessing en- 

 durance and intelligence of a high order. In 

 the middle of the last century the strain was 

 very popular, but it has nevertheless been 

 absorbed into the great trotting breed and lit- 

 tle of it remains to bear witness to its pristine 

 excellence and popularity. An effort has been 

 made to restore the breed to its former posi- 

 tion. A stud book is maintained for it and gov- 

 ernmental aid has been extended in the attempt 

 to rehabilitate it. Modern horse market de- 

 mand, however, calls for a horse of greater size 

 and speed, and it is doubtful if any good could 

 be accomplished by restoring the strain. Classes 

 are still made for Morgans at many state fairs, 

 but the general incongruity of the displays made 

 prove that they no longer possess a fixed type. 

 The decadence of the Morgan horse is due solely 

 to the demands of advancing civilization. 



Next to the American the Orloff trotter of 

 Eussia shows the greatest amount of speed. 

 This breed has had very few representatives in 

 this country, but one or two of them have found 

 their way into the Trotting Register as ances- 

 tresses of standard performers. The founda- 

 tion of the breed was laid in 1775 by Count 

 Alexis Orloff Tchismenski by the mating of an 



