Breeding Morgan Horses. 17 



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Farm. Transferred, together with two young mares, to a beginner in 



Morgan-horse breeding near Troy, N. Y., who believes Morgan horses 



have an economic place in his section. 



Pluto 7331, bay, foaled 1922; sire Troubadour of WiHowmoor 

 6459; dam Folly 03093, by Bennington 5693. Bred by the U. S. 

 Morgan Horse Farm. Transferred to a Vermont breeder. 



Scotland 6000, chestnut, foaled 1906; sire General Gates 666; dam 

 Highland Mary 01033, by Lambert Chief 1489. Bred by Col. Joseph 

 Battell, Middlebury, Vt. Transferred to the Remount Service of the 

 War Department by the U. S. Morgan Horse Farm in 1922. 



SUMMARY OF SALES. 



In addition to the foregoing stallions, the following have been sold 

 from the U. S. Morgan Horse Farm during the last few years: 



Twenty-eight combination ride-and-drive Morgans; 14 double-harness Morgans, or 

 7 pairs; 18 Morgan brood mares; 10 single-harness Morgans; 3 Morgan stallions: 29 

 Morgan youngsters, too young to classify. 



All these animals were not bred on the U. S. Morgan Horse Farm, 

 25 of them being owned by private individuals in the vicinity, for 

 whom the farm acted as agent in disposing of their surplus stock. 



These figures do not include nearly 100 remount colts purchased in 

 Vermont during the last few years, all of which were sired by stallions 

 from the U. S. Morgan Horse Farm. The contract price per head 

 on these colts was $150 and they were not required to be broken, 

 except to halter. As no fee was charged for the service of the stal- 

 lions, this represents a revenue of nearly $15,000 to the farmers of 

 Vermont, not to mention the hundreds of colts on which the Govern- 

 ment's options were canceled and which were retained by the farmers 



ENDURANCE OF THE BREED. 



In the first of the official endurance rides, sponsored by various 

 breed associations and individuals interested in horse improvement, 

 which was held in 1919, Castor, the 800-pound registered Morgan, 

 completed the ride in the second-best time, but owing to a slight acci- 

 dent which affected his condition score was awarded sixth place. 

 Castor was bred by the U. S. Morgan Horse Farm and was foaled in 

 1909. He was sired by General Gates 666 out of Babe 089, by Bob 

 Morgan. The following spring Castor was shipped to Norwich Uni- 

 versity, in Vermont, where he was prepared for the 1920 endurance 

 ride. With an inexperienced cadet as rider for the first three days he 

 made a good showing, drawing seventh place in the final awards. 



Although not so fast as several in the next year's (1921) endurance 

 ride, Castor made a consistent performance throughout, and carried 

 the required 245 pounds (nearly one-third of his weight) without 

 developing any leg trouble; and his temperature, respiration, pulse, 

 and appetite demonstrated conclusively that he was up to the task 

 and had been properly conditioned. His loss of only 12^- pounds 

 during the ride was a remarkable part of his performance, especially 

 considering the fact that he was by far the smallest horse in the test. 

 One of the judges of the 1921 endurance ride said: " Justin Morgan 

 was no doubt a remarkable horse, but I don't believe he had anything 

 on Castor/' 



