The Morgan is used for hunting, jumping, in dressage and for competing in the more artifical Park classes, either under saddle or between the shafts. It is also used for western and pleasure riding, driving and trail riding. It owes its existence to a phenomenal stallion of unprecedented prepotency, Justin Morgan, the undisputed sire of the first American breed.

Justin Morgan, a dark bay, was a horse of no more than 14hh. He was born in either 1789 or 1793 at West Springfield, Massachussets and was originally called Figure. He came into the possession of the schoolmaster Justin Morgan, after whom he was named, in 1795 and he died in 1821. He worked incredibly hard plowing, hauling and clearing woodland, but through all his lifetime of hard work and exploitation, he was never beaten in hauling matches or in races, either under saddle or in harness.

All Morgans trace to Justin Morgan through his most famous sons: Sherman, Woodbury and Bullrush. The breed played a large part in the evolution of the Standardbred, the Saddlebred, and the Tennessee Walking Horse, and it was the chosen mount for the US Army until mechanization. The Morgan is a spirited and courageous horse but easily handled and intelligent. It is also a hard, versatile horse, very powerful, well proportioned in all respects, and possesses great stamina.

Reference: The Ultimate Horse Book; Elwyn Hartley Edwards; 1991 < p>