Set of 4: 22c Horses

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USA22 EXINGION SEP Morgan KY 25 1985 40511 Quarter boTC USA22 Quarter herse EXINGTON SEP 25 1985 40511 KY NIXIN USA22 Appaloose TON SEP 25 1985 40511 KY LEX Saddlebred USA 22 Saddlebred GTON SEP 25 1985 40511 KY LEX

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THE MORGAN First Day of Issue: September 25, 1985 First Issue Location: Lexington, Kentucky Unlike most American horses which have developed from the crossing of breeds, the Morgan Horse is de- scended from a single sire of incredible strength and merit. This horse was orginally named Figure, but is better known as Justin Morgan — the name of his second owner. The origins of this amazing horse are obscure. However, he was truly one of the world's most remark- able horses. Although he was renowned for his strength and endurance, Justin Morgan's horse was relatively small, standing only a little more than 41/2 feet tall and weighing around eight hundred pounds. Used to pull the plough to plant crops, clear fields and pull heavy loads, this one small horse literally worked from sunrise until dusk. When not working in the fields, Justin Morgan was matched in demanding weight-pulling contests ... and was raced under saddle and harness — never to be beaten! The qualities of this one amazing horse were carried on in his offspring establishing one of America's most popular breeds of horses. No. 85-50 ©1985 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Peter Barrett. THE QUARTER HORSE First Day of Issue: September 25, 1985 First Issue Location: Lexington, Kentucky The most numerous of all American horses — and pos- sibly the first breed developed in North America — the Quarter Horse was first bred in the early 1700s in colonial America. These muscular animals performed well under the heavy work of the harness. But their greatest fame came from their extraordinary ability to make quick starts and run incredibly fast over short distances. However, the new breed could only race at great speeds for short distances and was therefore seldom raced more than 440 yards, or a “quarter" mile – hence the horse's name. With the development of the Thoroughbred, the Quarter Horse was temporarily forgotten as a racer, and accom- panied the pioneers westward where the horse became an indispensable partner to the cowboy and farmer. Today, the strong but gentle Quarter Horse is an all- around pleasure horse and the star of rodeos everywhere. Indeed, with nearly one million registered Quarter Horses around the world, this sturdy horse is the world's most popular horse. No. 85-49 ©1985 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation • Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Peter Barrett. THE APPALOOSA First Day of Issue: September 25, 1985 First Issue Location: Lexington, Kentucky Although horses originally evolved in North America and then migrated to other parts of the world, they became extinct on the American continent during the Ice Age. The horse did not reappear on American soil again until Spanish explorers brought horses with them on their discovery journeys. Some of these horses es- caped and formed wild herds which were later domesti- cated by the American Indians. The Nez Perce Indian tribe domesticated, and actually preserved, what may be one of the oldest breeds of horses — the colorful and spotted Appaloosa. This unusual horse was prized by the Indians for its unique markings as well as its speed and hardiness. Interestingly, the Nez Perce Appaloosa was strikingly similar to the markings of an ancient breed of horse seen in early Chinese and Persian art forms. Their ancestors probably reached Europe by way of Asia and were then taken to Mexico by Spanish explorers, eventually migrating north to the Nez Perce Indians. No. 85-52 ©1985 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Peter Barrett. THE AMERICAN SADDLEBRED First Day of Issue: September 25, 1985 First Issue Location: Lexington, Kentucky Generations ago, wealthy Kentucky planters often spent long days in the saddle overseeing their fields. Because they spent so much time on horseback, they desired a horse that had a comfortable and smooth gait . . . yet was handsome in appearance. To develop such a breed, the Kentucky planters crossed a famed Thoroughbred sire with mares of other breeds including the Morgan, the early Narragansett and the Canadian Pacer. They eventually developed a beautiful new breed of horse characterized by proudly arched necks, rounded com- pact bodies, and a spirited high-stepping trot. But this new breed's greatest fame came from its incredibly smooth, comfortable ride — which earned the horse the name the Kentucky Saddler, or American Saddlebred. The Saddlebred's smooth gait won it favor throughout the South as a gentle saddle and harness horse. Today, the Saddlebred is America's supreme show horse . . . al- though this gentle-gaited breed is still loved as an all- around saddle horse. No. 85-51 ©1985 The Maximum Card Collection A Division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 Original painting by Peter Barrett.