horses, published in 1857. He foresaw with true intuition what 

 would happen if Morgan breeders set up a speed standard. These 

 were his words on this subject: 



There are some breeders of Morgan horses who, although they will not breed from 

 animals decidedly inferior in form, merely because they may happen to be fast, are 

 yet inclined to lay too much stress upon great speed a good quality, but one which 

 we think is often purchased at the expense of qualities even more valuable. 



If animals are selected for breeding which can make the best time for a mile, we 

 think the tendency will be to depreciate the value of the breed . Bred for that one pur- 

 pose, they will lose some of their compactness, become more leggy and "rangy," and 

 lack the stamina of the true Morgan. The general business qualities of the Morgan 

 are what give him his great value. His admirable traveling gait, and his stoutness, 

 courage, and endurance, are what is wanted for the road. It is not wise, therefore, to 

 attempt to make him the fastest horse in the world, for in doing this we shall be very 

 likely to lose sight of qualities far more important than the ability to trot a mile in 

 2 minutes 30 seconds. 



This is exactly what happened, although even Linsley could 

 hardly have foreseen that the effect would be almost to exterminate 

 the breed. 



When the especial value of the Hambletonian and George Wilkes 

 lines for speed production began to be recognized, Morgan breeders 

 resorted to crosses with them, and the Morgan soon became affected 

 by the change in breeding methods. The desire for greater size in 

 the Morgan found its expression in similar and even more violent 

 crosses. As a result we have the Morgan situation of to-day a 

 few real Morgans fostered by breeders who were loyal to breed 

 standards and who were not carried away by the fashion of the hour, 

 and a very great many which trace to Justin Morgan and are registered 

 as Morgans but are Morgans only in name. Anyone witnessing the 

 Morgan exhibit at the horse show of the Louisiana Purchase Expo- 

 sition at St. Louis in 1904 could not fail to be impressed with this 

 fact. The real Morgan was there, but he was to a large extent 

 obscured by the great number of ungainly, ill-assorted horses which 

 were in type more Standardbred than anything else, but which, if 

 entered in the Standardbred classes, would have received little 

 attention from the judges. 6 



Following up the unfortunate effects of these violent and ill-judged 

 crosses, it is not surprising that the advocates of other breeds em- 

 braced the opportunity to deal the Morgan serious blows whenever 

 the occasion presented itself, nor is it remarkable that, in a short 

 space of time, prejudices arose against the breed, and, as has before 

 been observed, many even came to believe that no such thing as a 

 Morgan existed. 



a Linsley, D. C. Morgan Horses. Pp. 205-206. New York, 1857. 

 & Twenty-fourth Annual Report, Bureau of Animal Industry, II. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, p. 87. 

 [Cir. 163] 



