68 THE MORGAN HORSE 



frame, full breast and strong shoulder, with a round or fleshy croup ; 

 the low set muscles and large sinews, with those tough feet that know 

 not disease, are distinguishing marks of the French Canadian horse. 

 " The shagginess, or abundance of hair in the mane and tail and 

 on the legs, is much owing to the severity of the climate, with the 

 manner of raising the animals, and may be expected in a great meas- 

 ure to disappear under good cultivation, long before the innate excel- 

 lencies and peculiarities will perceptibly change. 



" The Morgan horse does not partake of all these marks in com- 

 mon with the Canadian. The clear and deep-toned bay color, too, 

 which prevails in the Morgan, is rare among Canadian horses. It 

 occurs in individuals; but unless characteristic of the race fora long 

 period of time, it could hardly be supposed that this color would so 

 generally occur as it does in the Morgan horses of the present day. 

 Peculiarities produced by a single cross are apt to wear away in a 

 few generations, unless maintained by a careful selection on the part 

 of the breeder. If then (supposing the Morgan horse to have come 

 from Canada), his color was an accidental variety, it would not have 

 so generally marked his numerous offspring, unless great pains were 

 taken to preserve it by selection, which has not been the case. It 

 appears evident from the prevalence of this color through several 

 successive generations, as well as the similar descent of various qual- 

 ities, which are authenticated as having belonged to the first known 

 sire, that the Morgan horse, whatever may have been its origin, was 

 of one pure stock ; that is, that he was not cross-bred, or produced 

 by the union of two different breeds ; for in that case, there must 

 have been a greater variety in his progeny; some running to one 

 family, and some to the other, whereas a remarkable similarity is 

 known to prevail in all of this race. And here we may notice that 

 the breeder is apt to find an essential difference in the two races ; the 

 Morgan, crossed or mixed with the various common breeds, inclines 

 to retain its peculiar characteristics and its small size in the offspring 

 for many generations, while all the French Canadian races, though 

 not larger for the most part than the Morgan, when used as a cross, 

 increase the size of the progeny, and frequently assimilate so that 

 the blood can only be recognized by a practiced observer, in the 

 greater development and robustness of form, and the courage, spirit, 

 and aptness to thrive, which are commonly reckoned as constitutional 

 health. 



" The Morgans differ essentially from the Canadian horses in their 

 action or mode of traveling. A Morgan horse glides over the ground 

 eight or nine miles an hour, with such easy movements of his legs, 



