Morgan Horse

 

Morgan Breed Background

Figure, the sire of the Morgan breed, was owned by a school teacher named Justin Morgan and lived in New England in the late seventeen hundreds. There is some discrepancy as to his ancestry. Some claim he was Welsh Cob, while others say he descended from a racehorse named True Briton.
He was known for his incredible strength and speed, and was a familiar face at races and weight-hauling matches. His reputation spread across New England and he became a desired stud horse. His descendants also possessed his strength and speed and his small stature.
In the 1800's, Morgans became popular driving and harness racing horses, and during the Civil War, soldiers rode Morgans and used them to pull cannons. The modern Morgan is much more refined than Figure, but still possesses his spirited nature and versatility. Today, the Morgan is one of the most popular breeds in the USA and has its own breed registry, the American Morgan Horse Association.

 

Description

Morgans tend to be small in stature (14.2 to 15.2 hands) and the most common colors are bay, brown, black, and chestnut. They have a short head with a wide forehead and their face can either be slightly dished or have a flat profile, but never a roman nose (bends outward). Their eyes are large and bright and the ears are small and nicely shaped.
Morgan Horses tend to hold their heads high and have an upright, muscular neck. They have a deep, angular shoulder, a broad chest, and a strong, short back. The withers are higher than the hips and it is ideal for the hind legs to be camped out behind. Morgans also usually have a long, thick mane and tail.
Morgans are known for having exceptionally pleasant dispositions and are extremely willing horses. They tend to step high and carry their heads and tails higher than other horses do. A few Morgans are gaited, which means they have different gaits from the normal four gaits: walk, trot, canter, and gallop.

 

Horse Care and Feeding

They are known to be easy keepers, meaning that they generally stay at a good weight on less feed than other horses might. They may need to be kept on low amounts of sweet feeds to keep them from getting overweight.

 

Horse Training and Activities

Morgans are extremely versatile as they are great carriage and saddle horses. They are historically known for their skill at driving or pulling carriages. Morgans often compete in combined driving, which is a three-day competition consisting of a dressage test, a marathon where they must navigate obstacles over a 5 to 13-mile course, and a cones course where the horses must navigate through pairs of cones that are just wide enough for the cart to fit through.
An example of an exemplary Morgan athlete is the stallion HVK Courageous Flaire, who has been world champion several times in a driving class called park harness and in an English riding class called park saddle. Morgans perform well in a wide variety of show classes including Western Pleasure, Pleasure Driving, and English Pleasure. They are also increasingly being used as dressage and jumping horses.

 

Common Health Problems

Morgans have remarkably few medical conditions present in the breed. The occurrence of genetic diseases is at about the same rate as the general horse population. They have a low incidence of leg and foot problems. Morgans tend to be long-lived and can often live past 30 years.