THE MORGAN HORSE 177 



gans in shape and size, but lacking their energy, were 

 often imported to this country at that time and are still 

 to be seen in Holland. However this may be, the son 

 of True Briton proved to be extremely prepotent, and 

 his chief characteristics are reproduced in his descend- 

 ants today. Even horses with only one sixty-fourth of 

 Morgan blood often show a distinct Morgan type. 

 The founder of the family was foaled in West Spring- 

 field, Massachusetts, in or about the year 1789. At the 

 age of two he was taken in part payment of a debt by 

 Justin Morgan, a schoolmaster from Vermont, who 

 immediately brought the horse to his home in Randolph 

 in that state. Until the schoolmaster's death in 1795, 

 the horse was used by him chiefly as a saddle horse ; but 

 after that he passed through many different hands, and 

 led a rather hard life. He died in Chelsea, Vermont, 

 at the age of thirty-two, his death being caused by a 

 kick from another horse; and even at that age he is 

 described as being perfectly sound and smooth. After 

 Mr. Morgan's death he was known at first as the Goss 

 horse, and, later, as The Justin Morgan. 



Justin Morgan stood about fourteen hands, and 

 weighed about nine hundred pounds. He was a 

 chunky little horse, with short, clean, flat legs, good but 

 small feet, and round quarters. He had a heavy mane 

 and tail, a short, strong back, a wide, deep chest, a 

 rather long body, sloping shoulders, a rather short 

 neck, well set on, a well-shaped ear, a fine, bony head, 

 carried high, and eyes as intelligent, expressive, and 

 courageous as ever kindled in the head of a horse. 

 D. C. Linsley, in his work on the Morgan horse. 



