Morgan Horse

About the breed

The Morgan is a versatile riding and driving horse from the US state of Vermont, and the entire breed traces back to a single stallion, the bay Figure, foaled in 1789. The American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) gives a height of 14.1 to 15.2 hh (14 hands 1 inch to 15 hands 2 inches, about 145–157 cm at the withers), with some individuals under or over. The breed is known for its proud carriage and upright neck, its stamina and a willing, adaptable temperament.

Figure and Justin Morgan: how the breed began in Vermont

The Morgan breed began with one horse. According to the AMHA history, Justin Morgan, a teacher, composer, businessman and horseman who had moved to Randolph, Vermont, from Springfield, Massachusetts, acquired a bay colt foaled in 1789 and named him Figure. As was the custom of the day, the horse came to be known by his owner's name, first as "the Justin Morgan horse" and then simply as Justin Morgan. The AMHA regards him as the founding sire of the breed.

His parentage is not known for certain. His sire is thought to have been the Thoroughbred stallion True Briton, while his dam, in the description the AMHA quotes, was a mare of middling size "of the Wild-air breed". The association says Figure stood just over 14 hh (14 hands is about 142 cm) and was a powerful, very sound stallion with the rare ability to stamp his characteristics on his offspring whatever mare he was bred to. He spent his life working on farms, hauling freight and serving as a parade mount at militia musters, and died in 1821 from an untreated kick from another horse, aged 32.

Registry, government farm and state animal

Every Morgan alive today descends from Figure through one of his three most famous sons: Sherman, Bulrush and Woodbury. As the AMHA explains, a registered Morgan is the result of breeding two registered Morgans, which makes the studbook closed in practice. According to Britannica, Colonel Battell of Middlebury, Vermont, first published the American Morgan Horse Register in 1894, and the Morgan Horse Club, organised in 1909, took over the Register; its successor is today's AMHA.

According to Britannica, the Morgan was once the most famous and widely disseminated horse breed in the United States. The AMHA's breed museum writes that its popularity grew throughout the 19th century: farmers first used Morgans to establish homesteads in Vermont and northern New England, and people soon found they were fast trotters that could also be raced. In the early 20th century the US government adopted the Morgan as its official military horse, establishing the United States Government Horse Farm in Weybridge, Vermont.

Britannica notes that the breed later declined in popularity and for a while its breeding was supervised by the government. Horses bred by the government farm between 1905 and 1951 are known as Government Morgans; the herd was dispersed in 1950, and the University of Vermont bought much of the breeding stock and carried the programme on. Vermont made the Morgan its official state animal by statute in 1961.

How big is a Morgan: height, weight, conformation and colours

The Morgan is a medium-sized, compact horse. In its description of the ideal Morgan, the AMHA gives a height range of 14.1 to 15.2 hh (14 hands 1 inch to 15 hands 2 inches, about 145–157 cm), adding that some individuals are under or over; Britannica gives about 145–155 cm. The German breeding association ZfdP, which keeps a daughter studbook following AMHA principles, gives about 140–155 cm in its breeding programme. Neither the AMHA standard nor the ZfdP programme sets a weight; Britannica gives about 400–500 kg for adult Morgans.

The AMHA standard calls for an expressive head with a broad forehead, large prominent eyes and a straight or slightly dished short face, and for short, shapely ears. The neck comes out on top of an extremely well-angulated shoulder, is slightly arched and considerably longer along its top line than underneath, which gives the breed its typical upright carriage. The body is compact with a short back, broad loins and well-sprung ribs, and the tail is set high. The croup should not be higher than the withers, and the legs should be straight with short cannons and round feet of dense horn.

Morgans of any colour can be registered provided they meet the other registration requirements, and the AMHA states explicitly that coat or eye colour shall have no bearing when Morgans are judged. The ZfdP breeding programme likewise accepts all colours. A breed profile published by Oklahoma State University from AMHA material describes Morgan coats as predominantly chestnut, bay or brown, with many blacks, palominos and buckskins and a few greys.

Temperament: lively yet willing and dependable

The Morgan is a lively but tractable horse that bonds readily with people. In its breed statement the AMHA describes it as reliable, loyal, tireless and versatile, a horse that adapts to its owner's lifestyle, and it lists animation, stamina, vigour, alertness, adaptability, attitude and tractability among the attributes of the ideal Morgan. The German breeding programme asks for a robust, enduring, lively, adaptable and amenable horse.

That liveliness means a Morgan notices what is going on around it and reacts quickly. In a well-schooled horse this is an asset; in a young or under-worked one it can mean more energy than a novice rider can manage. Any individual horse's temperament also depends on its bloodline, age, experience and the work it has had.

What Morgans are used for

The Morgan is a genuinely versatile breed, used both under saddle and in harness. The AMHA calls it one of the premier carriage horses in the world and lists combined driving, competitive trail and endurance riding, eventing, working western events, dressage and all show ring disciplines among its uses. In the show ring it is often called a "trotting breed", and its natural action suits the park saddle and harness, English pleasure and pleasure driving divisions.

The AMHA says the breed's desire to be with its humans makes it much in demand in therapeutic riding programmes, and it presents an annual Therapy Horse of the Year award. On the farm and in the family the AMHA presents the Morgan as an easy-maintenance, companionable horse with multi-purpose talents.

Is a Morgan suitable for beginners and children?

A Morgan can suit a beginner, but only conditionally. An older, well-schooled, quiet horse can be a dependable schoolmaster for a rider learning under an instructor, and in the context of dressage the AMHA describes Morgans as personable and family friendly for amateurs and young riders. A young, green or very responsive show horse is generally not a beginner's horse.

For children, only experienced horses of proven calmness come into question, and riding usually takes place under the supervision of a competent adult. For experienced riders the Morgan has plenty to offer, from driving and dressage to long days on the trail. Choose on the basis of the individual horse, its schooling and its health rather than the breed's reputation.

Care: hooves, teeth, vaccination and saddle fit

Caring for a Morgan is moderately demanding and much like caring for any riding horse. The UK Code of Practice for the welfare of horses (DEFRA) says horses should be groomed regularly so that the coat is clean and free from wounds or parasites, and that stabled horses should have their feet picked out when leaving the stable and horses in work before and after exercise. It adds that hooves should be trimmed or re-shod as the farrier advises, usually every 4 to 8 weeks, and that teeth should be inspected by a vet or equine dental technician at least once a year.

The same code calls for a programme agreed with a vet to control infectious disease, including vaccination, and a parasite control programme that includes faecal worm egg counts. Saddle fit is a breed-specific point: the AMHA warns that Morgans can present challenges in finding saddles that fit properly, because a broad, short back will not work well with a narrow, long saddle, and a poorly fitting saddle can lead to behaviour problems.

Feeding: an easy keeper that gains weight readily

The Morgan is well known as an easy keeper. The AMHA says it needs a minimum of grain and grass compared with most other breeds and should be watched so that it does not eat too much, especially sweetened feeds, since obesity can lead to health and soundness problems. According to the association, condition is right when the ribs can be felt without pushing through a layer of fat but cannot be seen.

The diet should be built on forage. The DEFRA code notes that in a natural state horses spend 16 to 20 hours a day grazing and browsing, so outside exercise hours they should have almost constant access to grass, hay or haylage, and always a clean supply of fresh water. Concentrates should not exceed what the horse needs for its work, and any change to the diet should be made gradually.

Exercise, turnout and equine company

A Morgan needs daily movement and the company of other horses. The DEFRA code stresses that horses are herd animals that should be able to socialise with their own species, and that isolation can have a negative psychological impact. All stabled horses, apart from those on box rest for veterinary reasons, benefit from daily turnout where they can graze and socialise with other horses.

Morgan health and lifespan

The AMHA says the breed has remarkably few medical conditions and only rare occurrences of conditions common to most breeds, such as Cushing's disease, a hormonal disorder often seen in older horses. Metabolism is the more important topic: the Merck Veterinary Manual names Morgans, alongside ponies and several other breeds, among the horses in which equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is most common. Insulin dysregulation is the core of the syndrome and raises the risk of laminitis, and obesity, regional or generalised, is among the possible signs.

In a genomic study that included 286 Morgans, University of Minnesota researchers treated Welsh ponies and Morgans as high-risk breeds for EMS and found the syndrome to be a polygenic trait with some breed-specific risk alleles. Neither the AMHA nor Britannica gives a breed-specific lifespan figure: the AMHA says most horses live 20 to 30 years and that many well-cared-for Morgans pass 30, while the Merck Veterinary Manual gives horses in general an average of 25 to 30 years.

Morgan vs American Quarter Horse: what is the difference?

The Morgan and the American Quarter Horse are American breeds of similar height but different type and purpose. The Slovenian breeding programme for the Quarter Horse gives a height of 145 to 165 cm, and Britannica describes it as short and stocky with heavy muscular development, a type that made its name in quarter-mile racing and cattle work. The AMHA standard gives the Morgan an upright, high-set neck and a compact body with a short back, and the AMHA often calls it a "trotting breed" with a natural trot.

Who the Morgan suits

The Morgan suits riders and drivers looking for a medium-sized, hardy and versatile horse for pleasure riding, trail riding, driving or dressage, and families with an experienced member to take the lead. It is less suited to anyone who needs a big sport horse for demanding show jumping, or to owners who cannot keep a close eye on its diet. It needs a stable or open barn with daily turnout, other horses for company, good hay in sensible amounts, regular work, and regular visits from the farrier, vet and equine dentist. Keeping records of vaccinations, farrier visits and dental checks is worthwhile.

Pros & cons