THE DIFFERENT BREEDS. I9 



great vigor and soundness, and was a natural trotter. He 

 was the great grandsire of Hambletonian, of whom an illus- 

 tration is given taken from a photograph. Hambletonian is 

 the founder of the greatest trotting family the world has ever 

 seen. He was foaled May 5, 1849, ^'^d died March 27, 

 1876, and was a beautiful bay, with white hind feet and a 

 small white star in his forehead. His excellence consisted 

 in his long trotting gait, his muscular development and the 

 quality of his sinews and bones. He was never engaged 

 in any race. 



The leading families of Standardbred horses are the 

 Hambletonians just referred to; the Membrinos, whose mod- 

 ern head was Mambrino Chief, a descendant of Messenger; 

 the Bashaws, the Clays, the Stars, the Blue Bulls, the 

 Canadians, the Royal Georges, and several Morgan families, 

 to which a section of the chapter is devoted. 



THE MORGAN. 



The Morgan is termed by many the "American Hackney." 

 He is known as a stayer. The ambition among old Norfolk 

 trotter enthusiasts was not to go a mile in two minutes, but 

 an unlimited distance in a limited time. The aim was 100 

 miles in ten hours to saddle, and the Morgan has the ability. 

 Circumstances of locality have influenced this breed for such 

 a purpose more than any other class of horses. The hills 

 of New England prevent stretches of speed, and encourage 

 staying powers against adverse conditions. The old Morgan 

 appears to have had size and contour similar to the old Nor- 

 folk, with greater substance. For long, steady, untiring 

 work, the Morgan will unquestionably come to the front 

 again in popularity. 



The history of the breed dates back to the foaling of Justin 

 Morgan, in 1793. This horse was taken from his home at 



