8o THE MORGAN HORSE 



racing blood in his veins ; some insist that it came from the sire, some 

 that it came from the dam, and still others that it came from both. 

 Now, if we had no evidence, except what is derived from the descrip- 

 tions given of him and from his stock, we should know that he was 

 not a stranger to blood. His clean, lean head, his broad forehead, 

 bold, full and prominent eyes, delicate ears, and flat strong legs, 

 give unmistakable evidence of a large infusion of racing or Arabian 

 blood. Youatt says : ' Few things indicate more clearly the blood 

 of the horse than the form of the frontal bones. Who has not re- 

 marked the broad, angular forehead of the blood-horse, giving him a 

 beautiful expression of intelligence and fire, and the face gradually 

 tapering from the forehead to the muzzle, contrasted with the large 

 face of the cart or dray horse, and the forehead scarcely wider than 

 the face'? It is equally true that his exceedingly compact form, short 

 and upright pasterns, his short stride, and the small space between 

 the hip bones and ribs, assure us of a different origin in part. 



"With regard to his sire, we think there can be no reasonable 

 doubt that he was sired by True Briton, as John Morgan positively 

 states. The fact that Mr. Morgan kept True Briton two years adds 

 great weight to his testimony, for it not only shows that he had the 

 best means of knowing the facts he states, but his interest in the 

 horse would fully account for his remembering them distinctly so 

 long a time. But with regard to the blood of True Briton, Mr. Mor- 

 gan does not state positively, though he is not in doubt as to the fact 

 of the horse having been purchased by Mr. Joseph Ward of Hart- 

 ford, Connecticut, for three hundred dollars, of some person who was 

 said to have stolen him from Gen. DeLancey. 



"The letter of John Morgan seems to us conclusive evidence 

 with regard to the sire of the Justin Morgan. John Morgan was a 

 man of high character for candor, truthfulness and intelligence. He 

 lived at Springfield at the time the Morgan horse was sired, and at 

 the time Justin Morgan removed to Vermont. He kept True Briton, 

 or Beautiful Bay, two years, and he states that Justin Morgan kept 

 him one year. Living on the ground and being interested in the sire 

 of the Morgan horse, he had every means of knowledge. His letter 

 contains within itself evidence of the care and caution of John Mor- 

 gan. When he speaks of facts known to himself, he states them pos- 

 itively ; as that he was sired by True Briton, or Beautiful Bay, owned 

 by Selah Norton of Hartford, Connecticut; that he was kept at 

 Springfield one season by Justin Morgan, and two years afterwards 

 was kept two seasons by himself. When he comes to speak of the 



