Justin Morgan aquired a bay colt, born in 1789, as payment of a debt and gave him the name Figure. This colt became the founding sire of the Morgan breed, the first official breed of America. While his true origins remain unknown, he is believed to have been sired by True Briton widely known as a sire of quality horses. Figure was legendary for his ability to outwalk, outtrot, outrun and outpull all other horses. His most valuable asset however, was his ability to pass on his distinguishable traits throughout generations. He and his offspring became referred to as the "Justin Morgan horse".

Throughout the 19th century, wherever the need for a horse, the Morgan seemed to serve best. He earned his keep as a general purpose frontier horse, in teams hauling freight or passengers, trotting races, pulling doctors' buggies, delivering rural mail, drawing carriages of Presidents and financiers, and being cavalry horses.

In the Civil War the 1st Vermont Cavalry was mounted exclusively on Morgans. Only 200 of the 1,000 returned home having survived 75 major conflicts. They won a reputation for being the best cavalry and artillery horses in either army.

After Justin Morgan's death, Figure moved on to other owners and spent the remainder of his life working on farms, pulling carts and as a parade mount for militia trainings. Figure died in 1821 after receiving a kick from another horse that went untreated. However, his three most famous sons, Shurman, Bullrush and Woodbury, would continue to carry on his legacy for years to come.

For more information on the Morgan horse,
please visit the Canadian Morgan Horse Association and the
American Morgan Horse Association web sites.