200 THE MORGAN HORSE 



French Merrill, Danville,Vermont. Mr. Morrill used him for work on 

 the farm as well as in the stud, and sold him when seven to 

 a man in Massachusetts, who trained him there a little, but could not 

 pay for him, and Mr. Morrill took the horse back, and he died his 

 property in 1862. 



The following description of Morrill is from the pen of the late 

 Leonard T. Tucker of Royalton, owner of Draco 2 128^, one of the 

 best of the grandsons of Morrill: 



" He was not what would be "called a rangy horse; neither was 

 he blocky, but medium. He had an excellent head, muzzle rather 

 fine, nostrils large, eyes the very best, of a clear hazel color, large and 

 well set out and wide apart, brain large, the frontal bone straight, 

 ears well shaped and pointed and when thrown forward he had a fine, 

 expressive look, but when thrown backward they were inclined to 

 lop considerably. His throttle was fair not fine, neither was it thick 

 and fleshy ; neck good length and well crested, full, deep enough for 

 beauty, but not out of proportion. His shoulders were very strong and 

 well thrown back; withers fair, rather thick than otherwise; breast 

 very full, making him look low in front; forearm immense and long, 

 knee-pan broad and flat, with a knee-joint pinned together to stay ; 

 The back sinews stood out clear and distinct, and were very large ; 

 pasterns rather short and immensely strong, with feet resembling those 

 of the full-bred Norman, not that they were broad and flat, but wide 

 at the heel, and rather high, making a large and heavy, yet good- 

 shaped foot; hoofs not of the finest texture, but always healthy and 

 strong. His chest was deep and round, middle-piece good and loins 

 that never were and never will be surpassed. Although not ribbed 

 very close, his long, well-set hips were so beautifully rounded, and so 

 even with the swell of his ribs, that he was a very smoothly-turned 

 animal. His tail was set on a trifle too low, and was thin of hair for 

 four or five inches from his body, but further down it was handsome. 

 His stifles were thick, hind-quarters well let down, muscles of the 

 thigh wonderfully strong, hocks could not be bettered, legs superb 

 below the hocks, save that he set back on the hind pasterns too 

 much for perfection ; not that his hind pasterns looked weak ; on the 

 contrary, they were short, large, sinewy and very strong. We think 

 there never was the slightest blemish or unsoundness about him ; 

 and out of the several hundred colts which he left, only three or four 

 were ever known to get the least unsound in the feet or limbs ". 



Morrill had a pure trotting action, was shown in speed contests 

 at the fairs and was considered one of the fast stallions of his ' day. 



