Morgan Horse
HEIGHT
14.1-15.2hh
APPEARANCE
A beautiful, quality head, broad betweeen the eyes. Neck is finely modeled, muscular, and well arched. Defined withers and compact, muscular frame with a short back and well-sprung rib cage. Deep, wide chest and a good sloping shoulder.
COLOR
Any colour; often bay or chestnut
APTITUDE
Riding, light draft, dressage, jumping, showing, competitive and Western riding.
Rarely have the origins of a horse breed been subject to such controversy as those surrounding the elegant Morgan horse, America's oldest registered breed. There are no definitive accounts for the Morgan's early history, though many challenge this, but there are a number of theories. What is set in stone is the extraordinary influence of a single stallion --- a small bay with a heart the size of a lion, known as Justin Morgan --- in the development of the breed.
First called Figure, Justin Morgan was born in New England in 1789. He was an undersized bay, standing around 14hh, but he quickly proved to have the strength, courage, and stamina of an animal twice his size. Figure is said to have been given to a man named Justin Morgan as payment for a debt when the horse was around two years old.
38 Love Thy Horse Magazine
Breed Feature
Photos courtesy of Nichola Larpent