THE MORGAN HORSE. 4J> 



shoulder-blades and tliigli-boues being very long and oblique, and 

 the loins exceedingly broad and muscular. His body was rathe^' 

 long, round, and deep, close ribbed up ; chest deep and wide, with 

 the breast-bone projecting a good deal in front. His legs were 

 short, close jointed, thin, but very wide, hard and free from meat, 

 with muscles that were remarkably large for a horse of his size, 

 and this superabundance of muscle manifested itself at every step. 

 His hair was short, and at almost all seasons soft and glossy. He 

 had a little long hair about the fetlocks, and for two or three inches 

 above the fetlock on the back side of the legs ; the rest of his 

 limbs were entirely free from it. His feet were small, but well 

 shaped, and he was in every respect perfectly sound and free from 

 blemish. He was a very fast walker. In trotting his gait was 

 slow and smooth, and his step short and nervous ; he was not what 

 in these days would be called fast, and we think it doubtful whether 

 he could trot a mile much, if any, within four minutes, though it 

 is claimed b}« many that he could trot it in three. Although he 

 raised his feet but little, he never stumbled. His proud, bold, and 

 fearless style of movement, and his vigorous untiring action, have 

 perhaps never been surpassed." 



He describes him as being fast for short distances, by which he 

 explains that he means a quarter of a mile, which he says was the 

 usual distance run in those days. From this celebrated horse are 

 descended, more or less remotely, "Black Hawk," " Ethan Allen," 

 " American Eagle," and a host of horses celebrated for gameness, 

 and many of them for fast-trotting powers. But those who dis- 

 pute the claims of Mr. Justin Morgan's horse to be considered the 

 founder of the family, assert that before his time a similar horse 

 prevailed in this district which was made up of crosses between 

 the Canadian horse and the English thorough-bred. I shall, how- 

 ever, leave this much-vexed question for the Americans to settle 

 among themselves, contenting myself with a description of the mo- 

 dern Morgan horse as he is recognised throughout the states of 

 America. He is generally, though not universally, admitted to be 

 very stout and enduring, with good action, especially in the trot, 

 and great hardness of constitution. He shows very little evidence 

 of pure blood; indeed it may be said that the reverse is the case, as 

 he invariably possesses a thick and long mane and tail, with a con- 

 siderable curl in both, signs which may be truly said are fatal to 

 his claims. In height he seldom exceeds fifteen hands. His frame 

 is corky, but not remarkably well put together, there being gene- 

 rally a deficiency in the coupling of the back and loins. The fore- 

 head is very light, and carried high, somewhat in the fashion of 

 the Canadians, but not so heavy in the crest and junction of the 

 neck to the shoulder, though the setting of the head is equally 

 thick. On the whole, the Morgan horse may be described as ex- 

 5 D 



