Description of the Justin Morgan

The original, or Justin Morgan, was about fourteen hands high, and weighed about nine hundred and fifty pounds. His color was dark-bay with black legs, mane and tail. He had no white hairs on him. His mane and tail were coarse and heavy, but not so massive as has been sometimes described; the hair of both was straight, and not inclined to curl. His head was good, not extremely small, but lean and 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 pleasant expression, and showed no white round the edge of the lid. His nostrils were very large, the muzzle small, and the lips close and firm. His back and legs were perhaps his most noticeable points. The former was very short; the shoulder-blades and hip bones being very long and oblique, and the loins exceedingly broad and muscular. His body was rather long, round and deep, close ribbed up; chest deep and wide, with the breast-bone projecting a good deal in front. His legs were short, close jointed, thin, but very wide, hard and free from meat, with muscles that were remarkably large for a horse of his size, and this superabundance of muscle exhibited itself at everystep. His hair was short, and at almost all seasons soft and glossy. He had a little long hair about the fetlocks, find for two or three inches above the fetlock on the back-side of the legs; the rest of the limbs were entirely free from it. His feet were small but well shaped, and he was in every respect perfectly sound and free from any sort of blemish. He was a very fast walker. In trotting his gait was low and smooth, and his step short and nervous ; he was not what in these days would be called fast, and we think it doubtful whether he could trot a mile much if any within four minutes, though it is claimed by many that he could trot it in three.

Although he raised his feet but little, he never stumbled. His proud, bold and fearless style of movement, and his vigorous, untiring action, have, perhaps, never been surpassed. When a rider was on him, he was obedient to the slightest motion of the rein, would walk backwards rapidly under a gentle pressure of the bit, and moved side-ways almost as willingly as he moved forward; in short, was perfectly trained to all the paces and evolutions of a parade horse; and when ridden at military reviews (as was frequently the case), his bold, imposing style, and spirited, nervous action, attracted universal attention and admiration. He was perfectly gentle and kind to handle, and loved to be groomed and caressed, but he disliked to have children about him, and had an inveterate hatred for dogs, if loose always chasing them out of sight the instant he saw them.

When taken out with halter or bridle he was in constant motion, and very playful.

He was a fleet runner at short distances. Running horses short distances for small stakes was very common in Vermont fifty years ago. Eighty rods was very generally the length of the course, which usually commenced at a tavern or grocery, and extended the distance agreed upon, up or down the public road. In these races the horses were started from a "scratch," that is, a mark was drawn across the road in the dirt, and the horses, ranged in a row upon it, went off at "the drop of a hat" or some other signal. It will be observed that the form of the Justin Morgan was not such as in our days is thought best calculated to give the greatest speed for a short distance. Those who believe in long-legged racers will think his legs, body and stride, were all too short, and to them it may perhaps seem surprising that he should be successful, as he invariably was, in such contests. But we think his great muscular development and nervous energy, combined with his small size, gave him a decided advantage in the first start over taller and heavier horses ; just as any ordinary horse can distance the finest locomotive in a ten rod race. At all events, the history of racing in this country and in England, proves conclusively, that small horses may have great speed. In such a race a horse of great spirit and nervous energy derives a decided advantage from these qualities, especially after being a little accustomed to such struggle?. When brought up to the line, his eyes flash and his ears quiver with intense excitement, he grinds the bit with his teeth, his hind legs are drawn under him, every muscle of his frame trembles, and swells almost to bursting, and at the given signal he goes off like the springing of a- steeltrap. His unvarying success in these short races may perhaps be partly accounted for in this way, though he was undoubtedly possessed of more than ordinary speed, and was a sharp runner.

Among the many races of this description that he ran, were two in 1796, at Brookfield, Vt., one with a horse called Sweepstakes from Long Island, and the other with a horse called Silver Tail from St. Lawrence Co., New York, both of these he beat with ease. Mr. Morgan (who then owned him) offered to give the owner of Silver Tail two more chances to win the stake, which was fifty dollars, by walking or trotting the horses for it, which was declined. There are many accounts of other races which he ran and won, but these accounts not fully agreeing as to the details, we have not mentioned them.

In harness the Justin Morgan was quiet but full of spirit, an eager and nimble traveller, but patient in bad spots; and although for along time steadily engaged in the heavy work of a new farm, his owner at that time informs us that he never knew him refuse to draw as often as he was required to, but he pithily adds: " I didn't very often have to ask him but once, for whatever he was hitched to generally had to como the first time trying." This uniform kindness at a pull, was one of the striking characteristics of the horse, and the same trait may be observed in the greater part of his descendants. " Pulling matches " and " pulling bees," were as common in those days as short races, and the " little horse," as he was often called, became quite celebrated for his unvarying willingness to do his best, and for his great power at what is called a " dead lift."

Ref: Morgan Horses by D.C. Linsley 1857