"Prevalance of specific horse breed used in ACW?" Topic

Hello Board,

In reviewing a number of contemporary photographs of mounted officers I'm seeing a slight pattern of more pronounced noses on these horses. It doesn't look like a more 'Arabian' style of snout.. May I ask if there was a more or less typical breed of horse used?

And are horses heads as large as they seem to measure out?? (DonLowry..beautiful set up for a "why the long face" comment). ;)

Sincerely,
Bob

Mmmm seems that I never payed much attention to snouts, however if they had less than 4 legs I would def not use them.:-)

Me? I'd never say a thing like that. I'm much wittier.

My guess is that the most popular breed was "mongrel" if there is/was such a thing for horses, or "American." I did see an old quartermaster's circular or placard advertising for horses, and it requested horses of 15 hands or more, which is not small. Arabians, as such, are probably smaller, aren't they? I'm not a horse-o-phile.

Here is a great thread on the topic off of the AC forums, lots of info in it…

link

Very basic summary:
"Blooded horses(TB, Arabs), quarter pacers, plantation or roadster horses, Morgan and cunucks for the feds, and a lot of just plain mongrels. Don't forget a lot of mules too. Plenty of others less common as well.

What wasn't used, because they weren't breeds then, to name a few were saddlebreds, foundation quarter horses, and paints. Though I'm sure some looked like what ever…and I'm sure I left some out too."

Given the scarcity of horses at times, I'm guessing the breathing four legged breeds were most popular…

While doing research into the Federal supply system I found that the Yankees were particularly fond of Morgans for cavalry horses. The officers, of course, bought whatever they could afford. Confederate cavalry had to supply their own horses, so they had whatever they brought from the farm or could commandeer. Hope that helps!

-Billy Yank

Thank you very much, guys, very helpful info. And here I thought a Morgan was just an antique car.. ;)

One of my daughters gave me the Smithsonian Handbook on Horses by Elwyn Hartley Edwards, last Christmas. The book contains wonderful color pictures of horses from throughout the world.

The Morgan is pictured and covered on pages 200 and 201. It descends from on prepotent stallion, Justin Morgan, born in either 1789 or 1793 at West Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1795 it was acquired by a Vermont schoolmaster, Justin Morgan, and was named after him. Until mechanization, the Morgan was the chosen remount of the US Army.

"It has been suggested that he was sired by an early Thoroughbred, True Briton. Another theory attributes the horse to a Friesian (from Friesland on the north Netherlands coast) import, and the Welsh claim him as the progeny of a Welsh Cob – which is not impossible."

The horse in the periods we like was "more chunky" than the current Morgan. Today it stands between 14.2 and 15.2 hands high, and appears a little more long-bodied – or perhaps short legged – that the Thoroughbred.

Today's Friesian typically stands 15 hands or more high, typically bigger and heavier than the current Morgan. It carried the German and Friesian Knights of the Crusades, and was used as an all-purpose war horse.

GdeP