STATE ANIMAL

                                Morgan Horse

       No. 42 of the acts of 1961, effective March 23, 1961, designated the
  Morgan Horse as the official State Animal.

       The forebear of all Morgan horses was a rugged little stallion which
  belonged to Justin Morgan of Randolph, a late-18th-century teacher of
  singing and penmanship and a composer of some renown.  From this
  exceptional horse sprang a new breed which traditionally could outdraw,
  outrun, and outtrot" any other horse.  By the mid-1800's, the Morgan horse
  had proven its many virtues throughout the expanding nation.  Today, the
  Morgan breed, still bearing the unique traits of its Vermont sire, is one
  of the favorite saddle, family and endurance breeds in America.


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       from Office of the Secretary of State, Vermont Legislative Directory
  and State Manual, Biennial Session, 1993-1994, p. 14.

  Image produced from a photograph by Arthur Griffin.