tlie farmers had not then come to ap-
presiatc suincicntly the improvement in horses to patronize the high
prices, ^vhich his services required, and he was removed. Since
that, at various times, different stallions have been hcpt in the
County, and among them the " Old Messenger," an imported En-
glish horse, and his descendants ; from which the stock has been
from time to time improved.
The present prevailing stock consists of the different branches of
the Morgan liorsc. These originated from the horse generally
known by the name of the "Justin Morgan." This horse was
])rought, when two years old, by Justin Morgan, from Springfield,
Mass., from which place he removed to Randolph, Vermont, in
the year 1795, and was kept by him there until March, 1798,
wlicn ISlr. jMorgan died. lie was then sold to William Ilice, of
Woodstock.It docs not appear that ho was much thought of, or
that much care Avas taken of him, until the excellence of his stock
was revealed by his colts. His sire was the " True Britain, or
Beautiful Bay," which was raised by Gen. Delancey, commander
of the refugee forces on Long Island, and was afterwards kept one
season by Justin Morgan. The True Britain was sired by the
Traveller, an imported horse also owned by Gen. Delancey. The
dam of the Justin Morgan was said to be a descendant of Wild Air,
imported also by Gen. Delancey. Mr. Josliua Scott, of Vergennes,
who has been acquainted with the Morgan horses from the first of
that breed, has a record which traces back the pedigree of the sire
and dam of the first jMorgan to the Arabian Horse Godolphin,