304 NAVIX ON THE HOESE. 



Such action is unknown to the thorough-bred. The dam of 

 Justin Morgan Avas of the Wild Air stock. Whatever niay 

 have been his chiiins to blood, his valuable qualities have been 

 transmitted to his offspring in a surprising degree. The blood 

 of the Morgan is perceptible after many crosses on the com- 

 mon stock. A description of Justin Morgan will serve as a 

 general description for the stock. Some of the present Mor- 

 gans, however, have improved on the original in many respects. 

 Cultivation has much improved the Morgan horses. 



Justin Morgan was about fourteen hands high, weighed nine 

 hundred and fifty pounds. He was a dark bay, with black 

 legs, mane, and tail. His mane and tail were coarse and 

 heavy, but not wavy, as is the case with most of- his descend- 

 ants. His head was not extremely small, but lean and bony, 

 the face straight,, the forehead broad, the ears small and fine, 

 and set wide apart. His eyes were of medium size and set 

 wide apart, very dark and prominent and full of spirit; his 

 nostrils wide, the muzzle small, and the lips close and firm. 

 His back was short ; the shoulder-blades and hip-bones were 

 long and oblique, and the loins broad and muscular. His 

 body was long, round, and deep, and closely ribbed up ; the chest 

 wide and deep, and the breast-bone prominent. His legs w^ere 

 short, close-jointed, thin, but very wide, hard, and free from 

 meat, with muscles very large for a horse of his size. His 

 hair was short and glossy at almost all seasons. He had 

 some long hair on the fetlocks, and for a few inches up the 

 back of the legs. His feet were small and round. He was a 

 fast walker and a good trotter. He trotted low and smoothly. 

 His action was bold, fearless, and proud, and when a rider was 

 on his back, he was obedient to the least touch of the rein. 

 In harness he was quiet, but full of spirit, and an eager, nim- 

 ble traveler, but very patient in bad places. He never fiiiled 

 on a pull, and the same spirit is observed in most of his stock. 



It is as roadsters and general purpose horses that the Mor- 

 gan stock excel. As such they are certainly unequaled by 



