Portrait of a chestnut Morgan Horse with a fiery copper red coat.
We've probably all heard of the Justin Morgan Horse, the famous Morgan horse from which the breed originated in Massachusetts in the late 1700s. Many people think of Justin Morgan as the foundation stallion of the breed. But Justin Morgan was actually the man who owned the stallion. It was not uncommon to refer to a horse by its owner's name, as in Morgan's horse. But the horse's actual name was Figure. It is believed that Figure's sire was a thoroughbred stallion, and his dam was of unknown breeding. All Morgan Horses today trace back to this single stallion, Figure. Morgan horse coat colors are most commonly bay, black, or chestnut, but can also be gray, roan, palomino, dun/buckskin, or cremello.