JUSTIN MORGAN 63 



ways almost as willingly as he moved forward ; in short, was perfectly 

 trained to all the paces and evolutions of a parade horse ; and when 

 ridden at military reviews (as was frequently the case), his bold, im- 

 posing style, and spirited, nervous action, attracted universal attention 

 and admiration. He was perfectly gentle and kind to handle, and 

 loved to be groomed and caressed ; but he disliked to have children 

 about him, and had an inveterate hatred for dogs, if loose, always 

 chasing them out of sight the instant he saw them. When taken out 

 with halter or bridle he was in constant motion and very playful. 

 He was a fleet runner at short distances. Running horses short dis- 

 tances for small stakes was very common in Vermont fifty years ago. 

 Eighty rods was very generally the length of the course. Among 

 the many races of this description- that he ran were two in 1796, 

 at Brookfield, Vermont, one with a Ijorse called Sweepstakes, 

 from Long Island, and the other with a horse called Silvertail*, from 

 St. Lawrence county, New York ; both of these he beat with ease. 

 Mr. Morgan, who then owned him, offered to give the owner of Sil- 

 vertail two more chances to win the stake, which was fifty dollars, by 

 walking or trotting the horses for it, but the offer was declined. 



"In harness the Justin Morgan was quiet, but full of spirit, an 

 eager and nimble traveler, but patient in bad spots ; and although for 

 a long time steadily engaged in the heavy work of a new farm, his 

 owner at that time informs us that he never knew him to refuse to 

 draw as often as he was required to, but he pithily adds: 'I didn't 

 very often have to ask him but once, for whatever he was hitched to 

 generally had to come the first time trying'. This uniform kindness 

 at a pull was one of the striking characteristics of this horse, and the 

 same trait may be observed in the greater part of his descendants. 

 Pulling matches and pulling bees were as common in those days as 

 :short races, and the little horse, as he was often called, became quite 

 celebrated for his unvarying willingness to do his best, and for his 

 great power at what is called a dead lift". 



Mr. Linsley also inserts a long letter from Solomon Steele, who 

 ;seerns to have known the horse well, and who says, among other 

 things, that he could out-draw, out-walk, out-trot and out-run ever}' 

 horse that was ever matched against him. 



The origin of Justin Morgan seems to have first been discussed 

 in print in 1841. In the October number of the "Albany Cultiva- 

 tor" for that year appeared the following communication from George 

 Barnard of Sherbrooke, Province of Quebec. 



" Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker : I lately received great satisfaction 

 from hearing what appears to be a correct account of the origin of 



*See appendix. 



