Morgan Horse

The history of the American Morgan horse is unusual as it can be traced back to just one stallion, Justin Morgan who stood at only 14hh but had tremendous strength. Originally named Figure he was renamed by his first recorded owner Thomas Justin Morgan. It is believed that Justin Morgan had Thoroughbred, Arabian, Welsh Cob and Dutch descendants. Despite being a small horse weighing only 386kg Justin Morgan won many contests in log hauling against much larger horses. Because of his great strength he was used in wood clearing, harness and ploughing work. Justin Morgan passed his remarkable qualities on to his progeny. Three of his sons are noted for their influence on the breed. Progeny of Sherman Morgan were excellent harness horses and influenced American breeds like the Quarter Horse, the Saddlebred, the Standardbred, and the Tennessee Walker. Offspring of Woodbury Morgan were in demand as saddle and parade horses and progeny of Bulrush Morgan had great trotting speed. Many Morgan horses were used as army mounts in the battles against the Indians. With the introduction of motorised transport the interest in Morgan horses reclined. In 1909 the Morgan Horse Club was founded which helped the breed to survive. Today Morgans can be found in more the 20 countries and there are recognized Morgan Horse Clubs in Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Italy. Despite its small size the Morgan is very capable of carrying the weight of an adult river.