Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-03-18
HORSES ORIGIN or THE MORGAN FREED


In my communication on this subject,
published in the late October number,
have expressed too confident an opinion in
saying believed that the original horse was
OF French Canadian origin. have recently
had some acquaintance with Morgan
horse, endowed with all the pecuiarilirs OF
the breed, suficicn, to make me torbpar any
decided opinion on the poin, in question,
until very clear evidence is adduced. The
affidavit which furnished is only probahlt
and not conclusive testimony that the origi-
nal horse WIS tf Norman French descent,
and procured in Montreal.
Tie horse which, has been with me of
late is one of those called. from being in
bred, full hlooded lIorgan-an absurd
term, for it is impossible that a descendant
con inherit full blood from IA single progeni-
tor. The term full biood or h0roueh brea
can only be used with proprriy where the
distinctive appellaiien is derived from race
or sort which furnished both parents; thus
we may say "a thorough bred or full blood
English race horse, full blood or thorough
bred Alderny COW, if both sire and dam were
of the breed or sort designated. The term
thorough bred, however, has heretofore been
almost exclusively applied to race horses,
because for centuries before the present, the
racing breed of horses has unfortunately
been the only breed Of animals highly cull-
waited, and of which the pedigrecs could be
proved by written or printed documents.
All the accounts, beng not less than half
dozen, which have heard of the origin of
the first Morgan horse, agree in this, that
one Justin Morgan Of Randolph, W., from
whom the name was derived, owned the
animal while he was We, colt Doubtless
there live persons who can testify to his
origin, whether or not it he such as repre-
scented in the late affidavit. The public
would not only be sra'lied, hut greatly bene-
fitted by such evidence. There has proba-
bly, never been another stallion whose stock
for thirty or forty years have produced so
much eltproGt to the growers.
will now endeaver to point ont what
appear to be the chief points of distinction
between the Morgan breed and the horses OF
Norman French desc mt, produced in Cana
d,. Let me premIs that "A great variety OF
races exists in the Canadian breed, vet all
'i'"i'N HHpI's>'u WIN Il certain general
character. The broad courageous looking
head, with the ears far apart. thick neck
general stnutness of frame, full hrras, aud
strong shoulder, iih a round or ileshy Group;
the low set muscles and large sinews, will,
those tough feet, that know no disease, are
Distinguishing marks of the French Canadian
horse. The shaggnrss or abundance OF
hair IN the name and tail and on the legs, are
much owing TO tho severity Of the climate,
with the manner of rearing the All mals may
he expected in great measure TO disappear
under good cultivation, long before the in
nate excellencies aud peculiari.es will per-
ceplbly change.
The Morgan horse does not pariake of all
the marks in common with the Canadian.
The clear and deep toned bay color, too,
which prevails IN the Morgan, is rare among
Canadian horses. 1t occurs in individuals !:
but, unless Characteristic of the race for a
long period Of time, it could hardly be sup.
posed that this color would so generally occur
as il does in the Morgan horses of the pre-
sent day. Peculiari'ies produced by a single