Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1897-10-21
JUSTIN MORGAN.
History and Characteristics Of Fa-
nous Vermont Horse.

History and Characteristics of Fa-
nous Vermont Horse.
About one hundred years ago, JUS
tin Morgan moved from Springfield,
Mass. to Randolph, VT, taking with
him a small, -year-old colt, that
was afterward named for its owner,
Justin Morgan. lie was said to have
been sired by True Briton, a horse
stolen from the British General De-
Lancey at Hartford, Conn, during
the revolutionary war. True Briton
was by Imported Traveler,he by Nor
toms Travellers horse that while called
an English thoroughbred, was,in fact,
an inbred Arabian. Linsley, in his
history OF the Morgan horse, describes
Justin Morgan as follows:
"rhe 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 described; the hair Of both was
straight, and not inclined TO curl. His
head was good, not extremely small,
but lean aud bony, 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 pleas
ant expression, and showed no white
round the edge of the lid. His nos
trils were very large, the muzzle small,
aud the lips close and firm. His back
and legs were perhaps his most no
liceable points. The former was very
short, the shoulder blades aud hip
bones being very long and obliquc,and
the loins exceedingly broad and mus
cular. Ills body was rather long,
round and deep, close ribbed up;chest
deep and wide, with the breast bone
projecting a good deal in the front.
His legs were short, close-jointed, thin,
very hard, wide and free from meat,
with muscles that were remarkably
large for horse Of his size, and this
superabundance of muscle exhibited !
itself at every step. His hair was
short, and at almost all seasons soft !
and glossy. He had little long hair |
about the fetlocks, and for two or
three inches above the fetlock on 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 blemish. He was |
Il very fast walker. In trutting, his !
gait was low and smooth and his step |
short and nervous. lie was not what
ia these days would be called fast, and |
we think it doubtful if he could trot
mile much, if any, within four min
ntcs, though il is claimed by many
that he could trot it in three"
This horse was used on the native
mares Of the state for many years, and
sired a class of horses that were adj
mirably adapted to the general pur-
pose work required by the inhabitants
of the Mountain state OF small farms.
The farmers required horse that
could do some blowing and teaming;
that could take a heavy load up hill
and down for long distances; that was
snre-footed and OF "A pleasant DISPOSE
tiOn; easily kept and Of strong con-
stitution. All this Justin Morgan in
herited from his Arabian ancestry and
from his intense Arabian breeding
was able to impress those sterling
qualities on the mixed class Of mares
found in the state. There are num-
Der of families of sturdy Morgans
tracing to the old horse, but perhaps
the most famous family is the Lam
bert. tracing back through Ethan Al
len, Vermont Black Hawk and Sher-
man Morgan to Justin Morgan. This
family seem to have developed iarg-
er size and more speed, as a rule, and
are sought for as driving and carriage
horses, being usually of good size,
good disposition and stylish. Also
this family Of horses are desired as
brood mares in all sections of the
country, rs founda ion for cross
with the Hambletonian family. the
strong constitution, good disposition.
and extra road qualities of the Nor
gan mares, making them, when crossed j,
with the fast trotting lines Of other !
liable TO go very fast and de-
sirable as trotters.