Famous Morgan Horses in History

The breed's trotting ability made it a favorite for harness racing in the 1840s. Morgans were then used in the Civil War as cavalry mounts, including Sheridan's "Rienz" and Stonewall Jackson's "Little Sorrel". The only survivor (from the US Army) of The Battle of Little Bighorn was the Morgan "Comanche". The breed was later used in the Pony Express. The first volume of the Morgan Horse Register was published in 1894. Since then, more than 132,000 Morgan Horses have been registered. The stud book was closed in 1948 in an effort to preserve the breed. The Morgan has influenced several other breeds, including the Standardbred, Tennessee Walker, American Quarter Horse, and the American Saddlebred. Nearly 90% of Saddlebred horses today have Morgan blood.