Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-11-12
REGISTRATION OF MORGAN
HORSES,
LETTER OF L. L. DORSEY.


ANCHORAGE, KY, Nov. 8, 1897.
Mr.. Joseph Battel
MY DEAR SIR-Replying to your cir
cular of Oct. %, | fully endorse Mr.. G.
X. Larrabee's position as regards the
rules for registration in the Morgan
Register and will even go further and
suggest that the produce of trotting bred
mares, even though not registered in the
National Trotting Register, be allowed
entrance to the Morgan Register when
by registered Morgan sire. There are
many mares in this section highly bred
in trotting and Morgan lines that cannot
be registered In the Trotting Register
These mares, strongly backed up with
thoroughbred blood, are among our
largest, handsomest and best acting brood
mares, just such as make the grandest
crosses with Morgan stations. The
rules for registration as adopted at
Chicago in 1896 have a tendency to in
crease the inbreeding of animals of no
especial merit, thereby decreasing size,
action and soundness, in order that the
produce will be eligible to registry.
The Morgan horse is not so numerous
that his production should be curtailed
or his merit lessened by strenuous rules.
Let's leave the Register wide open to all
of merit, and strive to breed such horses
as the public want, combining size,
style, action and easy handling qualities.
My principal experience in breeding
MOrgans has been In the Golddust
family, and the stations | have used
have always been able to stamp their
produce-no matter from what breed of
mares. In addition to my Golddust
stallion, "Goldzil," 3-year-old record
80, have secured the inbred Lambert
stallion, "Ruskin," by Ben Franklin,
first dam Kitty Addison by Addison
Lambert, second dam by Sherman Black
Hawk, that | am crossing on the Gold
dust mare, and am much pleased with
the colts from this cross, the oldest of
which are only weanlipgs. These two
stations are each 15f hands high and
weigh 100 pounds and have won the
majority of premiums at the Kentucky
fairs where they have been exhibited.
At the Worlds fair most of the Morgans
on exhibition were under size and not
such as would be of general use. My
ideal Morgan is large enough for all
purposes and should be the best general
use horse in existence. In this state
during the boom in trotting horses tie
craze was for those standardized, -
and every mare whose produce would
be ''standard' was bred to a STANDARD
bred trotting stallion of some kind,
often regardless of curbs, spavns and
other inherited defects-any cross Just
so it was STANDARD" as a conse-
quence there was produced many stand
ardbred trotters that were utterly worth
less. No doubt it has been done in
other states and been observed by many
breeders of Morgans.
From the above observation ! protest
against any great change in the first
registration rules of the Morgan Regis
ter as regards the breeding Of animals.
Better far require that they be of proper
size and general makeup and free from
defects and unsOundness which will
likely be transmitted to their produce
Pardon me for the space have occupied
but being an interested breeder and
among those who register large mum
Der annually in the Morgan Register.
have made the above suggestions for the
welfare of the greatest breed of horses
for all purposes.
Yours very truly,
l.. L. DORSEY.