 Morgans are predominantly chestnut, bay, or brown, but they can be black, palomino, buckskin, or grey. They were the first American Light Horse breed.
All registered Morgans are descended from a single original horse belonging to Justin Morgan in the late 1700's. This particular horse was renowned for its stamina, strength, speed, and good nature, as well as its long lifetime. As a result, it was bred often, and became one of the greatest breeding horses of all time ... unlike other horses, its qualities always seemed to pass on to its offspring. Morgans became the mainstay of the settling of the west. They were not large horses, but they did everything, from carrying soldiers in the American Civil War, to helping miners make their way to the Gold Rush. They won harness races, and pulled the fanciest rigs. (The only survivor in the Battle of the Little Big Horn was a Morgan). Today they are used for casual riding, showing, dressage, police work, rodeos, and cutting competitions, and alwayd do well, even when matched against horses bred specifically for those occupations. The Morgan breed has remained a strong one, but has also spawned other light horse breeds. Breeders looking for speed developed Standardbreds from the Morgan; others desiring a tireless work horse produced the American Saddlebreds. The Morgan breed has also produced the Tennessee Walking horse, and strengthened the Texas Quarterhorse strain by breeding into it. |