298 THE PERFECT HOESE. 



The fourth characteristic peculiar to the Morgan 

 horse is endurance. 



A hardier race of horses was never bred. In power 

 to do hard work, and /ceej:? on doing it^ month in and 

 month out, the Morgans stand at the head of the 

 column. In lung-power they were simply perfect ; 

 in feet and limbs, faultless ; in muscular formation, 

 marvellous ; and in connection with this was a nervous 

 or vital force that seemed to be equal to qyqtj effort, 

 and appalled at no emergency. Years did not appear 

 to lessen their power, or dampen their ardor. At 

 twenty they were as young as members of other 

 families are at ten ; and at thirty their eyes had not 

 lost their fire, or their action its boldness. Now, this 

 iron-like quality is what breeders must j)^^t into their 

 colts. We can get speed easily enough ; but we must 

 have speed, and the power to keep it up mile after mile, 

 and hour after hour. Endurance is what we must have 

 in our horses ; and this is precisely what the Morgan 

 blood gives. It is pre-eminently the heirloom of the 

 family, and is handed down from sire to son in undi- 

 minished integrity. 



The last characteristic of the Morgan family that I 

 shall mention is speed. 



It is said by some that the Morgan family had no 

 speed. If this were true, still there would be such 

 great excellences of form, temperament, color, and 

 style, that it would remain a most valuable family with 

 which to cross in breeding. But it is not true ; for the 



