Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1911-12-08
RE OAK.

Illus dIeu ilOnCilly JOuIndl Wneel anu
Saddle" donated to the interests of
breeders and owners of horses, pub
lished at San Francisco. 1t is a very
attractive journal of % pages, nine by
twelve inches, with illustrated covers
and embellshed throughout with hand
some halftones. The center piece of
the front cover is a half tone of the
Morgan Stallion Red Oak" owned by
the United States Government. We
copy from page 10 the following letter
with editorial remarks regarding Red
Oak, which, as well as his sire Gen.
Gates full brother to Lord Clinton,
race record 2:0S 3-4 in 1894 when this
had only been exceeded by a second or
two), was bred at the Bread Loaf Stock
Farms. Red Oak, when yearling, was
exhibited at the Addison County (Vt.)
Fair, and received first premium over
80 competitors. The United States do
not exhibit their stock for premiums:
THE MORGAN HORSE.
There has been in recent years, es-
pecialy in the New England States,
where the Morgan horse originated, a
desire to bring about the regeneration
of the breed. and the United States
Government few years ago accepted
the gift of a tract of land in Vermont
rom Mr.. j. Battell, the COM
pier of the Morgan Horse Register,
and began an attempt to re-establish
the breed. The very handsome stallion,
Gen. Gates, whose picture has been
so widely printed, was secured and
placed at the head of the Government
farm, and this year the farm sent Red
Oak, the first stallion by this horse,
to the Massachusetts Agricultural Col
lege, where he was placed in the stud.
Hearing of this fact and knowing that
the readers of Wheel and Saddle would
be pleased to see picture of Red Oak,
that they might form some idea of the
type of horse the Government is breed
ing, we wrote to Prof. j. A. Mclean of
the Animal Industry division of the
Amherst, and received the following
reply, accompanied by the photograph
of Red Oak which graces the title page
of Wheel and Saddle. The letter and
picture are self-explanatory
Massachusetts Agricultural College,
Division of Agriculture,
Amherst, July &c, 1911.
Mr.. d. l.. Hackett, Editor Wheel and
Saddle, San Francisco, Cal Dear Sir:
| am sending you under separate cover
picture of the Morgan stallion, Red
| Oak, as per your request of June 30th
| haven't been successful ia getting
good picture for journalistic use, but
think you may be able to use the one |
am sending.
The people in New England have not
lost their love for the Morgan, though
the type has been too nearly lost and
sufficient attention has not been given
to their perpetuation. Though this
stallion came here about the middle of
May we expect to breed twenty mares
by the end of the summer and we have
turned away more than we have bred
due to unsoundnesses. The Government
makes requirements as per enclosed
to. We are not doing experimental
breeding of Morgans here. We believe
that the Morgan is a distinct type of
horse of much beauty, great endurance,
and splendid sense; we have been able
to get the use of Red Oak, a superior
horse of the breed, for our use and for
the use of our people. This opportunity
to do good explains why we have taken
to this Morgan stallion here, and the
way our people have responded to the
opportunity confirms US in the opinion
that we are fortunate in having Red
Oak at the College.
| am very glad to send you the pic
ture, but sorry it is not better.
With kindest regards, am
Yours truly,
j. A. MCLEAN.
Red Oak is bay stallion, with a star,
hind ankles white, five years old, stand
ing l5.1 hands, and weighing 1000
pounds in breeding condition. He is
horse of excellent Morgan conformation
and all-around action. His sire is Cen
eral Gates; dam, Marguerite by White
River Morgan (4S2) second dam by
Croker Horse Q33O; third dam by
Churchill Horse QO7D.
The clause in the agreement which
the Agricultural College makes with |
the Government is as follows:
The party of the first part hereby
agrees not to breed said stallion to |
pacing mares, draft mares, mares with |
decidedly faulty conformation, such as
curby hooks, or mares with the follow /
ing physical defects: Bone SPAWN, ring
bone, side bone, heaves, stringhalt, /
lameness of any kind, roaring, periodic !
opthalmia, blindness partial or com
plete).