Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-05-08
THE MORGAN REGISTER RULES.


THEIR REVISION SAID TO BE ANEoEssI7Y'
Editor Of the Register In the last Mid
debury REGISTER is an article by Mr..
Gorham. While not personally ac-
uuainted with him, I know him to be an
admirer of the Morgan horse, and was
glad to see an expression of his views
regarding registration. In fact, l have
been much interested in the letters of
all who have written upon the subject.
1t is certainly question needing the
most serious consideration, and 1t should
be considered now. Really, in my esti-
nation it has been delayed too long.
The future horse is the subject under
consideration-the Morgan horse, in
fact. This Morgan horse we hope in
good time to place before the world as
distinct breed. Why do we desire this
horse should become so distinctive as an
American horse? For the very best of
reasons. OF all the horse kind the
world has ever known, beauty of form
has. in the Morgan, been prominently
the most attractive. Viewed from the
standpoint either of repose or action,
there have been observed more Morgans
of great beauty than of any other family,
and believe might say all other COM
bined families of horses. No other of
the horse kind ever had such set Of the
neck upon the shoulders, expressing
beauty and strength in combination.
Although in many instances low in
stature, there was an appearance OF
greater height, and with it also there
seemed to be great substance and power.
Then, again, there is high spirit COM
bined with great docility; fine tempers,
with wonderful elastic energy and de-
sire for action.
1t is because of the presence of these
valuable qualities and characteristics
that this family of horses has been en-
deared to us, and we now desire to per-
petuate them in the future American
horse. How shall we do it? Those
who criticise the Morgan have really
but two objections to him-one is the
lack of size and the other lack of
speed. From the standpoint of the
present demand, the first of these OBJ
iectiOns is valid one. The other, a
lack of speed, is more apparent than real
Now, when | mention speed, | do not
refer to it as extreme, as seen upon our
present race tracks, but rather TO the
minute and down to the , 40 class,
with some weight to pull-speed with
weight pulling powers; capability for
burst of speed upon the road or boule-
ward while hitched to buggy carrying
one or two individuals: such a burst of
speed that no horse carrying the same
weight though he have track record
below , 20, could, either in short or
long contest, prove him inferior. This
is the speed demanded today, and our
rOadsteIs must have it.
But. says the critic, this speed
which we must have your Morgan is not
naturally endowed with. He has power
and action, but not speed" Right here
think is the mistake. The Morgans
are by nature speedy in the sense spoken
of above But as a class they have been
neglected and left undeveloped. Had
they. with their other natural endow-
ments, this speed developed and a
stature of l5:l to l5:2, the American
people would hail them as the creates t
acquisition of the century.
To become the ideal horse, the Morgan
must be improved in speed and increased
in stature. The greatest question be-
fore us is. How can this be accomplished ?
Can we best do it by crossing out upon
the thoroughbred, or car it he brought
about by proper selection and early
training of the young stock: Can we
raise the stature to desirable height
by iudicious selection and inbreeding,
and thus preserve the type as we admire
it? Can we, by proper training of the
youngsters, bring them to the proper
speed elevation and not interfere with
the type?
Personally, / am decidedly opposed
to Outcrosses upon any breed. While
now and then one gets good animal,
the most of them are neither the one
thing nor the other There is too much
difference in the types, and blood once
mingled in that way is very uncertain
for breeding purposes. Once get
foreign blood in and it takes a long and
persistent effort to strike type level
again. 1t seems to me we have had, as
1t is, altogether too much outcrossing.
Too much foreign blood Is already in
the Morgan. If we could begin now
and never make another outcross it
would be many years before we could
strike a desirable type so fixed that one
would be sure, when mating sire and
dam, that the produce would be another