1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
81 
REMARKS ©N M&EEBIIG HORSES—No. III. 
Editors of the Cultivator —In ray first article 
I noticed four kinds of horses, viz: carriage horses— 
saddle horses—trotting horses and draught horses. I 
concluded my last article with a few observations on 
trotting horses. Before proceeding to remark on 
draught horses, I would introduce another, perhaps a 
distinct stock of horses—one at least that does not come 
under either of the heads above named—I refer to such 
as are generally used to promiscuous service, and pri¬ 
zed chiefly for their performance on the road—called in 
this country I believe, u horses of all work,” in England, 
u hackneys.” 
Youatt represents the hackney as a horse that should 
not exceed fifteen hands and an inch in height—thinks 
he would be sufficiently strong, and more pleasant for ge¬ 
neral use,below that standard. The bones below the knee, 
he says, should be deep and flat, and the tendon not tied 
in—the pastern should be short, and although oblique or 
slanting, yet far less so than that of the race horse. Their 
feet should be of a size corresponding with the bulk of 
the animal, neither too hollow or too flat—the fore legs 
should be perfectly straight; the back should be straight 
and short—the forehand high—the barrel round and the 
chest deep. 
I think we have no horses in our country that an¬ 
swer this description better than the Morgans. About 
the origin of these, there is much disagreement. Their 
most ardent admirers seem much concerned to prove 
that they sprung from a lucky cross of an English tho¬ 
roughbred and a Yankee mare. But the more preva¬ 
lent opinion is, that they have from the first, been strong¬ 
ly impregnated with French or Norman blood. And I 
am free to say that after careful examination of several 
specimens of the breed, and after reading all, or nearly 
all that has been claimed by their owners and admirers, 
I have adopted the more prevalent opinion. It is pos 
sible indeed, that the strain of Norman blood was ori¬ 
ginally derived, through their dam, from the descend¬ 
ants of Norfolk or Suffolk horses, imported at an early 
day by the New England Colonists; though it is much 
easier to believe that it earae from Canadian mares. 
But from whatever source it may have been derived, 
that they have it and had it, I fully believe. 
It is perhaps proper to say that my opinion as to the 
origin of these horses has been strongly biassed by the 
present appearance of their descendants; and it is pos¬ 
sible the mixture of French blood has been wholly ac¬ 
quired by the later generations, and is the result of neg¬ 
ligence in breeding. However, I consider this of mi¬ 
nor importance; I do not think the less of the horses 
because I believe they originated in the cross with the 
Normans—nor do I think their friends need disclaim it 
so strenuously ; especially as it is generally conceded, 
that they are a distinct and a valuable stock of horses. 
It cannot be denied that they possess great energy and 
courage—great strength and endurance—great ambi¬ 
tion and great docility; that they mature early and are 
easily kept; that they are pleasant drivers and always 
ready for business, and what is more important, they sell 
readily at high prices—still I cannot bestow upon them 
the unqualified praise they have so often received. 
They are not the style of horses I most admire, or that 
I would take the most pride in breeding. Driven in 
spans to light wagons, they certainly are dapper little 
animals, and in that capacity all that could be desired— 
but in other departments of service, I think they have 
many superiors. If for instance I wanted an elegant 
carriage or single horse for light and rapid driving as 
well as for family use, and occasional labor on my farm, 
I would greatly prefer one of the early descendants of 
Duroc or Messenger, of Mambrino or Bellfounder, not 
that they are more hardy or stronger or even fleeter, 
perhaps, but because they had a nobler appearance, 
greater symmetry of form, a more graceful, as well as 
a more majestic carriage, more of those commanding fea¬ 
tures, usually ascribed to the noblest specimens of their 
race. This of course is a mere matter of individual 
taste, to be approved or rejected as the reader may in¬ 
cline. 
I am well aware that the Morgan horse has been 
much admired for his style of action. Indeed I think 
this is one of the points, in which it is claimed by his 
friends that he excels all others, and perhaps my ex¬ 
ception to this opinion will be received with great sur¬ 
prise. But I really think I have never seen a Morgan horse 
that I considered either a graceful or a stately mover j 
I have seen many that were full of show and action, 
pompous little creatures, almost bursting with zeal and 
animation, but with such broad breasts and bantam fig¬ 
ures, as to give their gait too much the appearance of 
a strut or waddle, reminding me somewhat of the little 
coxcomb, who, as he parades the street, swings his 
arms and stretches back his head, and impudently 
looks every person in the face, as if to say — u You must 
not presume to think me small !” 
In answer to this it may be said, that the great endu¬ 
rance of the Morgan horse, upon the road; the facility 
with which he performs long journeys, &c., is sufficient 
evidence that, his motion is graceful and easy, for it 
is seldom indeed that a horse with labored action, is 
capable of making long and rapid journeys; very 
true; but I think the endurance of the Morgan horse 
(sometimes overrated I suspect) is attributable more to 
his great vital energy and muscular development, than 
to his easy paces. 
Again, symmetry of form is claimed as a prominent 
excellency of the Morgan horses, but I must except 
to this opinion also. I think their legs are too short 
for their length of neck and bulk of body. They are 
generally too wide forward and too close behind, so that 
many of them paddle, with their fore feet, and at the 
same time unless carefully shod, interfere with their hind 
ones. Some of them also incline too much to hollow back. 
But I need not say more, unless it be to repeat the re¬ 
mark that the most of these objections are too exclusive¬ 
ly matters of taste to bear much disputation. It may 
be proper also to add, that in my opinion of the Mor¬ 
gan horse, I do not think I am sustained by the public 
at large, aud that there are many men, better judges of 
horses than I, who would much prefer a genuine, well se¬ 
lected Morgan horse to any other that could be procured. 
As to the breeding of Morgan horses, I would stren¬ 
uously advise an immediate return to thorough-bred 
families, from which it is claimed they originated. 
They have been bred too long on common stock. I 
am confident that much of their original superiority 
may be reclaimed by a judicious crossing with higher 
bred animals, and to effect their improvement I would 
much prefer to breed from Morgan mares to thorough 
bred stallions, than from Morgan stallions to thorough 
bred mares; because as far as my observation extends, 
whenever it is sought to mix a strain of Norman blood 
in that of the Arabian or English race horse, it should 
be through the dam rather than the sire. I believe 
there are very few instances where valuable stock has 
been produced by Morgan horses and highly bred mares, 
