Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-10-13
JOSEPH BATTELL
Middlebury, VT.
HE MORGAN HORSE.

Those of us who were familiar Win
and used the Morgan horse in Illinois and
farther east twenty-five and thirty years
ago know something of his practical
value. The wonder is that, as IA breed OF
tvpe. they we're ever allowed to fall back
instead of having kept front place
among the farmers and regular breeders
of the country. Surely no type of
horses has ever been bred in the United
States, or in any other country, that
was better adapted to the needs and
pleasures of people than did the origi-
nal Morgan horse furnish when in
general use.
In point of compactness in build and
in style and disposition they have no
superior. n They were always ready for
their rations, easily kept and always on
hand to perform hard days work or a
long drive. No horse ever bred possess
ed a more cheerful disposition. 1t was
an inspiration to sit behind typical
Morgan pair and watch them vie with
each other on long drive as TO which
SnOulu Stl anu llldluldlll lllN NtiN' Nv
talked with their artistic shaped ears,
and, instead of looping backward, were
always erect and telegrapng to their
driver of the different objects cited along
the roadside
The Morgan horse possesses feet and
legs that cannot be bettered in point of
utility and for the kind of labor for
which they are adapted-good bone.
clean and cordy, very short between
knee and paSterns, and seldom troubled
with splint. spawn or curb. About
twenty-five wear ago when such horses
as Star of the West came on the turf "A
horse rich in Morgan blood and began
to trot fast, and some of the Ethan Allen
get began to be crossed upon other faml-
lies of trotters, the Morgan horse star
began to wane. About this time
Hambletonian 10 and several Others
were bidding for favor on the grounds
of being able to sire extreme speed
which we believe was the means of dis
placing the Morgan horse as type
This, we are satisfied, was an irreparablC
loss to this country. Not that it wa,
wrong to foster the American trOttine
horse for pleasure and profit. but if oul
coll-blooded mares had been displaced
bv pure bred Morgan mares, today oui
horse breeding, as a business, would tel
quite IA different story in dollars anC
cents. All who are familiar with the
facts, and who deal in or drive roadsters
know that it much easier to put then
fingers on 80 trotting horse than t
find a simon pure, genuine, clean Gu
roadster that can pull buggy and two
men over our ordinary roads at IA ten o.
twelve mile an hour gait. Instead o
keeping on middle, sensible, paying
ground, the breeders separated at TIN
forks of the road, both leaving tn
valuable Morgan breed at the forks
one class taking up the trotter, the othe
class taking up the heavy draft horse
This line of breeding has gone on TO
over two decades without any cessation
until today both classes are under such
in the history of the country. |; is
fact already apparent in all the States
that fewer mares have been bred to TN
two classes above named this season
than has been for years past. This from
the fact that good work horse cal
today be bought from sixty to eight
dollars which few years ago command
ed from one hurdredIand twenty to on,
hundred and sixty to seventy-five dollar
from eastern buyers.
At the price now paid, the farmer see
no money in the business of breedin!
draft stock. Possibly the condition. ma,
change within few years after tn
present stock is exhausted and price
again increase. So far as the trotter an,
pace is concerned, the conditions are no
of such discouraging character FRS
because our population is increasin!
amazingly fast, and certain per cent o
young men will always aspire to own
breed and campaign one that he hope
NAV Out-class that of his neighbOr
Second, there is much in the fact o
tickling a mans fancy In fine trotter o
PAGER for which he will pay long pric
when the conditions are favorable AM
the animal suits his particular taste i
breeding, conformation and speed. No
so, however, in the case of the draf