The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-03-05
THE oRleiNAL MORGAN HORSE.
Eha Breed ought to BE Reintroduoed and
wgawaHora7 For size

Developed Tor Size
Solomon Steele, who knew the orig
iDaI Morgan horse, Justin Morgan, said
he could outdraw, outwalk, outtrot and
outrun any horse ever matched against
him. ID. @. Linsley, who wrote a his
tory of him. says.
The original. or Justin Morgan, was
about IA hands high and weighed about
$50 pounds. His color was dark bay
with black legs, name and TAIL He
had no white hairs on him His name
and tail were coarse and heavy. but not
SO massive as has sometimes been de-
scribed the hair Of both was straight
and not inclined to curl. His head was
good, not extremely small but lean and
b0ny, the face straight, forehead broad
ears small and very fine, but set rather
wide apart His eyes were medium
size. very dark and prominent, with a
spirited but pleasant expression, and
showed no white round the edge of the
lid. His nostrils were very large, the
muzzle small and the lips close and
firm His back and legs were perhaps
his most noticeable points The former
was very short, the shoulder blade and
hip bones being very long and obique,
and the loins exceedingly broad and mus
cular His body was rather long, round
and deep. close ribbed up. chest deep
and wide, with the breastb0ue project
ing a good deal In front. His legs were
short. close 1ointed, thin, but very wide,
hard and free from meat. with muscles
that were remarkably large for a horse
of his size, and this supera bundance of
muscle exhibited itself at every step
His hair was short and at almost all
seasons soft and glossy. He had a lite
tie long hair about the fetloczs and for
lr
the back side of the legs: the rest of
the limbs was entirely free from it.
His feet were small, but well shaped.
and he was IN every respect perfectly
sound and free from any sort of blem-
iah He was very fast walker. Tia
tr0tting his gait was low and smooth
and his step short and nervous; he was
not what in these days would be called
fast. and we think it doubtful if he
could tr0t a mile much if amy within
four minutes. though it is claimed by
many that BE could trot it Ia three.
Although he raised his feet but little,
he never stumbled His proud. bold
and fearless style of movement and his
vigorous, untiring action have perhaps
never been surpassed. When a rider
was On him, lac was Obedient to the
slightest motion of the rein. would walk
back rapidly under a gentle pressure Of /
the bit and move sideways almost as
willingly as he moved forward, ia short
was perfectly trained to all the PAGES
and evolutionH of a parade horse, and
when ridden at military reviews-as
was frequently the case-his bold, inn
posing style and spirited, nervous ac-
ton attracted universal attention and
admiration. He was perfectly gentle
and kind to handle and loved to be
gr00med and caressed, but he disliked +
to have children about him and had ana
inveterate hatred for dogs if loose all +
ways chasing them out of sight the in-
slant be saw them. When taken out
with a halter or bride, be was i'm con-
slant motion and very playful Ale was
q feet runner at short distances. Rum
ming horses short distances for small
stakes was very common in Vermont 90
years ago. Eighty rods was very gen
orally the length of the course. Among
the many races of this description that
lie ran ~ ere two ia 1896, at BTookield,
VT, one with horse called Sweepstakes +
from Long Island, and the other with a
horse called Silvertail from ST. Law
renee county II. Y. Both Of these he
beat with ease Mr.. Morgan, who then
owned him. offered to give the owner Of /
SilveItail two more chances to win the
stake, which was $50. by walking OF
trotting the horses for it, but the offer
was declined.
In harness Justin Morgan was quiet,
but full of spirit, an eager and MIN BILE F
traveller, but patient ia bad spots, and
although for long time steadily en- /
gagged i'll the heavy work Of a new farm
his owner at that time informs us that
he never knew him to refuse to draw as +
often as he was required to. but lac pith-