Mission
Statement
Alpha Morgan Horse Farm is dedicated to the
exclusive perpetuation of authentic Lippitt and Lambert Morgan Horses
-- the most genetically pure families in the breed. Resisting fad and
fashion, we still believe that the hallmarks of real, old-type
Morgans are temperament, beauty, hardiness and versatility. The
appearance, characteristics and attributes of 21st Century Morgans
should be similar to that of their early ancestors. Our Morgans are
members of the family: they are loved, treasured and respected.
History
of the Morgan Horse
The Morgan Horse has the distinction of
being the first recognized American breed originating in 1789 with
the birth of Justin Morgan 1 (also known as "Figure"). The exact
ancestry of the original Morgan Horse has never been substantiated.
Most historians attribute Figure's sire to be True Briton (also
known as "Beautiful Bay") -- a fine stallion of old Arabian or
Thoroughbred blood. Figure's dam is thought to be of Arabian or
Barb blood herself. Although Figure's paternity will forever
remain a mystery, there is no doubt that he was one of the greatest
equines to ever live.
According to D.C. Linsley, at maturity,
Justin Morgan was about fourteen hands high, and weighed about nine
hundred and fifty pounds. A dark bay with no white, he had black
legs, mane and tail. His head was good, bony and lean with a straight
face, broad forehead with small delicate ears. He had dark, medium
size, pleasantly expressed eyes without white on the rim. His muzzle
was small with very large nostrils. His back was short; the shoulder
blades and hip bones long and oblique; legs short; the loins very
broad and muscular. His body was of round and deep form with good
length. Perhaps most important, he was perfectly gentle, kind to
handle, loved to be groomed, and playful when not working.
Arguably, no stallion in history exceeded
Justin Morgan in superlative prepotency; he consistently passed on
his excellence to his get and through the generations.
There is no doubt whatever of this -- "that
the breed of the Morgan [H]orse was, and is now, in the few
instances where it can be found, by far the best breed of horses for
general use that ever was in the United States -- probably the best
in the world." Weissinger, formerly one of the editors of the
Louisville Journal, 1845.
Lippitts
and Lamberts: Real Morgans
All Morgans are not created equal. As the
fountainhead of the breed that bears his name, Justin Morgan 1 -- who
died in 1821-- was the only 100% Morgan. His direct sons and
daughters carried only 50% of his blood. Two hundred years after his
birth, today's Lippitt and Lambert Morgans possess the highest
percentage of Justin Morgan blood. Because of the dedication and
commitment of a handful of breeders, a small number of "real" Morgans
survive to this day. While the number of registered Morgans exceed
95,000, there are only about 1,000 Lippitts and 200 Lamberts living
today.
Lippitts and Lamberts are the only Morgans today whose ancestors
trace on all branches of their pedigrees to the foundation horses in
Volume One of the Morgan Horse and Register and none of whose
ancestors were registered under, now defunct and repealed, Rule 2.
Aficionados of today's "modern, show Morgans" do not talk
about Rule 2. Why? Because Rule 2 allowed the registration of the
offspring of only one registered Morgan parent. Under Rule 2
registered Morgan stallions and mares were bred outside of the breed
to Saddlebreds, Thoroughbreds, etc., to achieve the uncharacteristic
height, ultra-refinement and inefficient hock action so sought after for
the show ring. Regretfully, Rule 2 was not rescinded until January 1,
1948.
The Lippitt Morgan is a very unique horse. This family of Morgans
trace back directly to Justin Morgan 1 through his son, Woodbury 7.
In Lippitts, the concentration of Justin Morgan 1 blood is most
impressive. A number of living Lippitts can trace back to this
progenitor in as little as 12 generations, and the average percentage
of Justin Morgan's blood in modern Lippitts is between 22% and 25%,
more than a grandson or granddaughter usually had. The Lippitt Morgan
has been inbred and linebred for generations, reinforcing the
extraordinary Morgan qualities and solidifying true type. The
qualities the original Morgans were prized for and still possessed by
Lippitts include tractability, endurance, hardiness, intelligence,
longevity and versatility. Because of its unique genetic purity, its
homozygosis, the Lippitt Morgan represents a genetic pool that the
Morgan breed cannot afford to lose.
The Lambert Morgans are a special family of Morgan horses whose
sire line goes directly back to Justin Morgan 1 through Sherman
Morgan 5 and Daniel Lambert 62, with multiple crosses. The Lamberts
are high percentage Morgans as are the Lippitts; they share the same
characteristics that were possessed by the original Morgan horses.
The Lamberts tend to be chestnuts and are known for their golden
temperaments, floating trots, and "the look of eagles". S. W. Parlin
wrote in the American Horse Breeder in 1905: "The Morgans were
the handsomest horses in the world, and Daniel Lambert in his prime
was the handsomest of Morgans. Few horses have ever lived that
possessed greater power of stamping their offspring and imparting to
them the ability to perpetuate their good qualities through
succeeding generations, than did this renowned son of Ethan Allen. .
. . No other horse of his day did as much to improve the beauty,
style and road qualities of the horse stock of New England as Daniel
Lambert. . . . As a broodmare sire he was far superior to any other
stallion that stood in New England, and, opportunities considered,
will rank high in this respect among the best that ever lived." |
