American Morgan Horse Association

Background on American Morgan Horse Association

Popular in all 50 states and more than 30 foreign countries, Morgan horses can be traced back to a single bay colt acquired by Vermont-native Justin Morgan in 1789 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Throughout the 19th century Morgans were in demand due in part to their effortless ability to perform a wide variety of tasks ranging from field work on farms to transportation for commercial stagecoaches. By the 1840s, an effort to concentrate the line was underway and breeders in Vermont and western Massachusetts located second, third, and fourth generation descendants of the original Morgan horse to establish the foundations of the breed. In 1857, D.C. Linsley’s book Morgan Horses was published, becoming the first book to document to the history of Justin Morgan and origins of the breed.

During the Civil War, Morgans became valued for yet another feature: their ability to serve as capable cavalry mounts and artillery horses. Throughout the duration of the war, Morgans were in high demand and were often viewed as the horse that could accomplish feats that other teams could not. Indeed, the First Vermont Cavalry used only Morgan horses as mounts and quickly earned a reputation as an accomplished fighting unit.

In 1909, the Morgan Horse Club was established and in 1927 the club was incorporated as a membership corporation; this was the first time the club issued certificates of registration. Nearly five decades later in 1971, the Morgan Horse Club, Inc. was renamed the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA). The headquarters of the AMHA moved to its permanent home in Shelburne, Vermont in 1988 where the association continues to maintain the breed registry, publish The Morgan Horse magazine, and offer a variety of public informaation and educational services.