72 THE MORGAN HORSE. 



of movement, — apart from extraordinary speed, which is not 

 insisted upon as a characteristic of the breed, although some 

 have possessed it — and considerable powers of endurance. 

 There has been some conflict of opinion concerning the courage 

 and endurance of the Morgans, and their ability to maintain a 

 good stroke of speed, say ten miles an hour, for several hours 

 in succession ; but it is now well established that this exception 

 has not been fairly taken, and that these horses lack neither 

 courage nor ability to persevere, though not at a high rate of 

 speed. 



By fair deduction from the various conflicting accounts of 

 the Morgans, as they now exist, it may be stated that they are a 

 small, compact, active style of horse, showing the evidence of a 

 strain of good blood. They rarely, if ever, exceed fifteen hands 

 two inches, and it is probable that a hand lower, or from that 

 up to fifteen, is nearer to their standard. They are not par- 

 ticularly closely ribbed up, and many of them incline to be 

 sway -backed. Their hind-quarters are generally powerful, and 

 their legs and feet good. There is an evident family resem- 

 blance in their foreheads, their neck and crests being so often, 

 as to render the mark somewhat characteristic, lofty but erect, 

 without much curvature, and the neck apt to be thick at the 

 setting-on of the head, which, though good, is rarely blood-like. 

 The manes and tails are almost invariably coarse, as well as 

 heavy and abundant, and have very often a strong wave, or 

 even curl, of the hair. 



It is admitted by the most strenuous opponents of this horse 

 as a distinct family, that the very best general stock for breed- 

 ing for general work — namely, a high cross of the very best 

 thorough-bred on the sires side, with the very best general stock 



