I can remember with precise clarity the moment I became interested in the Morgan horse. Mrs. O'Donnell, my second grade teacher, noticed my aptitude for reading and gave me a fifth grade reading textbook to take home and read at my leisure. I'm not sure what she was aiming for, but I do remember her shock when I returned it the next morning and told her I had finished.
As a reward, I was allowed to choose any book I wanted from a catalogue of Scholastic books that had been sent to teachers. I chose Marguerite Henry's Justin Morgan Had a Horse, since I was a horse-mad little girl and that was one I hadn't seen at my local library. Reading that book sparked a lifetime of admiration for the breed.
As an adult, I pursued the study and profession of history, and work in museums. On moving to Vermont for a job, I began reading and realized that there didn't seem to be a good, comprehensive history of Justin Morgan's famous stallion Figure, the progenitor of the Morgan breed.
This blog is an attempt to piece together that story, to pull historical truth out of legend, and to attempt to tell the story of that one, special, remarkable horse. Who knows where it will take me?
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions at any time for this project, please comment on this post or email me: amanda[dot]gustin[at]gmail[dot]com.
No comments:
Post a Comment