Continent: America
Country: United States
Weight: 400 – 540 kg
Height: 145 – 157 cm
The Morgan horse is one of the oldest American breeds, originating in the late 18th century in the state of Vermont (New England). Its lineage traces back to a single exceptional stallion named Figure, later known as Justin Morgan, after his owner.
The Morgan’s ancestors are believed to have come from crosses between English saddle horses, Barbs, and Arabians imported to colonial America. Figure stood out for his remarkable strength, liveliness, endurance, and balance qualities he consistently passed on to his offspring.
The Morgan is considered the first truly American horse, as it was not a simple European import but a local creation shaped by natural and utilitarian selection among the early settlers. Highly popular in the 19th century, it became the foundation stock for many other American breeds, including the Standardbred, the Tennessee Walking Horse, and the American Saddlebred.
The Morgan horse originated and first developed in the Northeastern United States, primarily in Vermont and Massachusetts. These regions, with their harsh climate and hilly terrain, favored the selection of a strong, muscular, and hardy horse, well suited for farm work and long-distance travel. Vermont remains the official birthplace of the breed, with several historic breeding farms still active today.
In the 19th century, the Morgan’s popularity expanded westward to the Midwest and the Great Lakes region, particularly in Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where it was used to improve local saddle and driving horses. Later, it became established in larger breeding regions such as Kentucky and California, becoming a symbol of the versatile American horse.
Thanks to its harmonious conformation and gentle temperament, the Morgan has spread to many countries:
The Morgan horse occupies a central place in the genetic history of American breeds. Descended from a single stallion, Figure (Justin Morgan), it transmitted its qualities with exceptional consistency, creating a bloodline of rare homogeneity in the equine world. Thanks to its strength, endurance, and willing temperament, the Morgan served as a genetic foundation for several major modern American breeds, including the Standardbred, the Tennessee Walking Horse, the American Saddlebred, and even the Quarter Horse.
The Morgan’s characteristics short back, arched neck, powerful croup, and ample movement have shaped the conformation of saddle and driving horses across North America. Its natural, balanced, and elevated gaits have contributed to improving both style and comfort in show and dressage disciplines.
The Morgan is known for its longevity, high fertility, and reliable transmission of temperament traits. These qualities make it a valuable genetic reservoir for maintaining hardiness and versatility in modern breeding programs. Its stable and efficient genetics continue to be sought after to reinforce temperament and soundness in other lines.
The story of the Morgan horse began in the late 18th century in the state of Vermont (USA). Around 1789, a young schoolteacher named Justin Morgan acquired a small brown stallion named Figure, whose exact origins remain partially uncertain. Likely descended from English saddle horses, Barbs, and Arabians, Figure quickly distinguished himself by his extraordinary strength, liveliness, natural balance, and generous character.
His reputation grew rapidly: able to pull, gallop, trot, and work with equal ease, he consistently outperformed larger and heavier horses. His offspring inherited these same qualities, marking the start of a unique bloodline known as the Morgan Horse.
During the 19th century, the Morgan became one of the most popular horses in the United States. Versatile and robust, it was used for farming, driving, warfare, and postal routes. Its strength, stamina, and speed made it a key military asset many northern cavalry regiments used Morgans during the Civil War.
This period also saw the establishment of the three great foundation lines of the studbook:
With the mechanization of transport and agriculture, the Morgan population declined in the early 20th century. However, several enthusiasts and institutions notably the U.S. Morgan Horse Farm, founded in 1907 in Weybridge (Vermont) worked to preserve the breed. The Morgan then found new purpose in sport driving, leisure riding, western pleasure, and show disciplines, maintaining its reputation as a reliable and expressive horse.
Recognized as one of the oldest surviving American horse breeds, the Morgan embodies the national horse of the United States. Its image remains linked to elegance, quiet strength, and pride. Thanks to the strict management of the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA), the breed has retained its remarkable uniformity while adapting to new disciplines and international expansion.
The Morgan horse is recognized as one of the most balanced and versatile breeds in terms of behavior. Its harmonious temperament makes it a valued riding and driving horse for both leisure riders and competitors.
The Morgan is a willing, intelligent, and energetic horse, combining sensitivity with dependability, making it a beloved companion for sport and leisure alike.
The Morgan horse is experiencing a renewed appreciation both in the United States and abroad. Long associated with shows and prestigious carriage driving, it now attracts a new generation of riders seeking an elegant, balanced, and easygoing horse. Breeders focus on preserving the original type compact, harmonious, and expressive while promoting versatile lines capable of excelling in light dressage, western pleasure, leisure riding, and equine therapy.
Selection organizations, particularly the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA), are working to maintain sufficient genetic diversity within the studbook to avoid the loss of traits inherited from the foundation stallion Figure. Breeding programs are conducted with great care to preserve old bloodlines while improving hardiness, fertility, and longevity.
The Morgan is gaining popularity in Europe and Oceania, where it appeals thanks to its versatility and reliable temperament. Breeders abroad are developing programs to adapt the breed to new leisure and outdoor disciplines, while maintaining classical conformation standards. This expansion helps diversify the global genetic base and strengthen its international reputation.
The Morgan horse is considered a hardy and long-lived breed. Many individuals remain active well past 25 years old, with some living into their thirties. Its history as a working and war horse shaped a strong, resilient constitution.
While generally healthy, a few conditions have been noted:
