ii2 THE MORGAN HORSE 



horse ; that he was kept in the barn, across the way from his house, 

 and that both house and barn are just as they were when the horse 

 was brought there. The old-fashioned two-story house and the barn, 

 both built in 1794, are shown in the illustration. 



In the "Spirit of the Times", in 1874, is a letter written by John 

 Woodbury under date of July 22, 1857, to Hon. J. P. Kidder, form- 

 erly a well-known Vermont lawyer, who removed to Vermilion, 

 Dakota. This John Woodbury lived and died in Bethel, Windsor 

 county, Vermont, and was the owner of Woodbury Morgan. The 

 Backman horse, to which Mr. Woodbury refers, is registered within 

 under the name of " Charley (Josiah Richardson Horse)", by reference 

 to which it will be seen that he was called by our informants fifteen 

 and a half hands high. As Mr. Woodbury calls the Justin Morgan 

 about the same height, it is evident either that he was mistaken, or 

 the height of "Charley" has been exaggerated, or Justin Morgan 

 was taller than he has been reported. This is one of many sugges- 

 tions that leads us to believe that Justin Morgan was considerably 

 more than fourteen hands high. Mr. Woodbury, in his letter, says: 

 "The original Morgan, as I best recollect, was in weight not 

 more than one thousand pounds, and maybe one hundred pounds 

 less ; height, about same as Backman horse ; short back, thick shoul- 

 der and broad chest; heavy stifle, and, I think, longer body and 

 clear from flesh, with large cords and muscles; head rather small, 

 wide between eyes, which were full and hazel ; extremely large, ex- 

 tended nostrils ; jet black flowing mane and tail ; dark bay ; very fast for 

 both racing and trotting. I once saw him trot at Randolph and win 

 some fifty dollars, matched against a large English horse, called King 

 William, and whipped him easily". 



In closing the description of the original Morgan horse, it may 

 not be amiss to introduce a graphic pen-picture of one of his typi- 

 cal descendants, drawn after the old horse had slept a score of years 

 beneath the sod. It is an editorial in the " Spirit of the Times", and 

 appeared in that paper in its issue of January 8, 1842. The writer 

 is introducing a letter from George Barnard, which, he says, "will be 

 read with great interest by those who have ever had the satisfaction 

 of drawing rein over a Morgan horse. The characteristics of the 

 breed, of which we have had the pleasure of an acquaintance since 

 we first sported jacket and trousers, are seen from the following de- 

 scription of one we have frequently backed and driven" : 



" He was a deep blood bay, with no other white than a star, 

 about fifteen hands and an inch high; his light, clean limbs, and 

 small, flinty hoofs, would compare with those of many 'terribly 



