Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-01-20

being to establish truth more than to
promulgate private opinion.
l have recently had sufficient acquain-
lance with Morgan stallion endued with
all the peculiarities of the breed to make
me wish to forbear decided opinion I'M
til other evidence is adduced. The aft
davit which l furnished is only very
strong, not indisputable testimony, that
the original horse was of Norman French
descent, and procured in Montreal.
The horse which has been with me
of late is one of those called, from being
inbred, full-blood Morgan; a term of
questionable admissability, for a descen-
dant cannot inherit full blood from a
single progenitor.
All the accounts agree that one Justin
Morgan of Randolph, Vt, owned the
sire of this breed when four years old
and from him the name was derived.
In the Canadian breed a great variety
of races exist; all more or less impressed
with certain general character, the
broad, courageous forehead and ears set
low or wide apart, thick neck, high crest,
general stoutness of the frame, full,
broad and firm shoulders with a round
or f1eshy Group; the low set muscles and
large tendons with tough little feet sell
dom diseased-are distinguishing marks
of the French Canadian horse. The
shagginess is much owing to the severity
of climate and usage, and must disappear
under good treatment long before the pc
culiar excellencies in the race will be di-
minished.
The Morgan horse does not fully par
take of all these marks. The clear, deep
toned bay color, too, which pervails in
the Morgans, is comparatively rare among
the Canadian horses; and, unless charac-
teristc of the original race for a great
length of time, it can hardly besupposed
this color would so generally occur in
the Morgan horses to the present day.
Peculiarities produced by single cross
are apt to wear away in a few genera
tons, unless maintained by careful Sc
lections. 1t appears, too, from the reg
ular descent of color and other qualities
that the horse was one of pure stock :;
that is, not cross bred, for in that case
there would have been a greater variety
in the progeny.
The races differ in action or mode of
travelling. a Morgan glides away eight
or nine miles an hour, with an easy and
eager movement, as if his legs felt best
when so employed. The Canadian moves
by main strength, every stride resulting
from purposed exertion.
In endurance Of the feet the Canadian
has the advantage; founder and some
other diseases being almost unknown
amongst them. Some Canadian horses
possess. under a mass of shaggy hair,
dry, sinewy legs, on which the severest
service never raises a windgall. The
Morgans, tough, destitute of long hair,
have this excellent conformation in a
high degree.
The Morgan has the best wind; the
Canadian, for the most part putting forth
his energies only for a short time, and
then taking leisurely gait, as if "A slight
sense of fatigue overbalanced the aacri-
ty of his nervous system. Yet there are
splendid exceptions-that will do eighty
or ninety miles in day, with no light
weight behind them.
The head of the Canadian horse is
broader at the upper part than that of
the other, and the ears are more apt to
be on the side of the head each has that
unfailing mark of excellence. great
breadth between the eyes. The Morgan
has the best open nostril for wind and
bottom like that of the race horse; and
the muzzle, eye and ear, legs and Group,
Indicate more breeding, or a longer peri
cd of cultivation. The neck and the
thick wavy tail of the Morgan show
very much of the character of most races
of the Canadian.
The breeder finds an important differ
ence; the Morgan in cross inclines to
retain its moderate size and peculiar char
|
an increases the size of the progeny,
lengthens the time of its growth, and
frequently assimilates so that the blood
can only be recognized by practiced
observer in the development and robust
ness of form and the courage, spirit and
aptness to thrive which commonly go
for constitutional health.
Whether the Morgan can be scion of
the Canadian stock, or derived from a
Dutch or some other breed now extinct,
is an important question to those who
would select stock to improve road hor-
SEES; and whoever can give any informa-
ton on this point may crafty large
portion of Your readers. If the French
did not supply the Morgan, many would
be glad to learn what other breed has
existed in America of such excellent
qualities for common business as distin-