Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-07-27
JOSEPH BATTELL
MiddlebuIY, VT
1.-THE MORGAN HORSE
THE INTRODUCTION TO THAT WORK, NOW
PUBLISHED.

1.-THE MORGAN HORSE.
THE INTRODUCTION TO THAT WORK, NOV
PUBLISHED
For long time many persons have
been impressed with the idea that steps
ought to be taken to perpetuate the val
liable family of Morgan horses. One o
the first essentials to this end was seer
TO be a Register, without which syste
matte and scientific breeding is hardly
possible. We believe that the true
basis of registration is blood, and tina
the object of the breeder should he t
produce "A type of animals, as nearly
perfect as may be, that may be repro
duced with uniformity. This result has
been attained among the various species
of domestic animals that are known as
pure-bred, as the greyhound and pointer
I3mong dogs, the MernO and Cotswolo
among sheep and the Jersey and Devon
shire among cattle. There are, also
types of horses that are reproduced with
great uniformity, notably the Shetland
pony and the Percheron and Clyde draft
animals; but the light harness horse OF
the present day, however excellent he
may he as an Individual, is, in breeding
a mongrel, his mingled strains of various
bloods making the character of his off
spring always to some extent a matter
of uncertainty. The prevailing system
of registration, based upon no quality
s I'VE the ability to trot or pace fast
mile, has no tendency to check this evil,
but rather fosters it as every variety of
size, color, gait, conformation and dispo-
sition is to be found among standard
trotting-bred animals.
The "old-fashOned MOrgans' were
doubtless the nearest approach to a uni
form and meritorious type of road
horses ever produced in this country.
The blood of the founder of that family
was endowed with such prepOtency that
even small infusion would govern
other mingled strains and produce the
Morgan characteristics. Moreover, the
great popularity of the breed led to in
mails too nearly related, but between
those nearly enough allied to each other
to produce typical results.
Hence resulted TIE MORGAN HORSE,
type so well known, and so often de-
scribed within, that it would be super
fluous to give the description here; a
type that has endured to the present
day, although the numbers have been in
recent years greatly reduced by crosses
intended to enhance the quality of rae
ing speed with little regard to other
characteristics.
We do not disparage the work already
done in the registry of horses in this
country. \ vast amount has been ac.
con plished in redeeming the lineage OF
the light harness horse of America from
chaos, and giving to the breeder OF
dealer a line of established facts, in
stead of Il series of guesses made with
greater or less attempt at accuracy. The
trouble with breeding road horses on
its present basis is that, unless assisted
by long and careful selection by breed
ers in given line, no uniformity of off
spring is produced. So that, while we
know perfectly well what to expect
when we are to be shown a PercherOn,
one of line of draft horses reduced to
type, we have no idea what the ami.
anal will be like when a trotter or road
sGer is to be exhibited.
In establishing the rule, that the
foundation stock to be entered in the
Morgan Register should trace in direct
male line to Justin Morgan and have at
least one siXty-fourth of his blood, we
have been governed by the following
considerations The natural division of
horses into families, as Morgan, Messen-
ger, Bellfounder, Bashaw and the like,
is by male line; and this has been es-
tablished by custom among breeders as
well as by writers and students of the
subject. The question of how remote a
descendant in the direct male line should
be deemed member of the family pre-
scented some difiicultys but considering
that the original Morgan Horse was
born more than century ago, admitting
of at least twenty-five intervening gem
erations of his blood; that very little at
tempt has been made to keep record of
Morgan pedigrees, so that there is every
probability that given animal of Nor
gan characteristics, especially if bred in
a Morgan region, possesses an indefinite