" Sure ,” T . Jack spoke as he sipped his beer , " I know but I promised the Sneeds I would get their horses in shape for the Wood Creek Horse Show .” " Lot of good this does me ,” Bo Po interjected . T . Jack smiled as he pointed at the clock ’ s hands . " Ten o ’ clock and this is the earliest I have been off in a month .” " Can I expect you tomorrow , T . Jack , or do I have to call in one of those Carolina boys ? I understand that they don ’ t like to be called blacksmiths . Farriers , I think that is the name they go by . Right ?”
Bo Po knew this would irritate T . Jack into a frizzle , because T . Jack had never trusted those collegetrained blacksmiths . T . Jack had seen their work . He had seen how lame a horse was after the college smith worked on one for last year ’ s Walking Horse Festival over in Vesper County . This made T . Jack grit his teeth to even think about those lame Walking Horses . " I know ,” Bo Po butted in , " some of those boys are pretty good .” " Oh , hell , Bo Po , you saw Judge Bains ’ horse after that educated idiot worked on him . He cut him too close . It took six months to heal after that horse made his first run . Those S . O . B .’ s don ’ t know how to shoe a horse .” " I know , I know ,” Bo Po kept butting into T . Jack ’ s stammering words . " That is why I am here . I called one of them last night and told him that Son of Red Streak was trying to pace . He told me that he would cut him to the quick and put a shoe on him with enough lead in the toe that it would cure him from pacing .” " Oh , hell ,” was all T . Jack could muster to Bo Po ’ s statement .
" He read a whole paragraph to me on the phone . I told him I would call him back later .”
" Yeah , I know what you mean . I have no stomach for their methods . The only way to keep that horse from pacing is to make a wider shoe and put a bar across the back .” " You mean leave out the lead , T . Jack .” " Oh , hell , no ,” T . Jack said . " What you want to do is put the lead in the back , not in the front , and forget about cutting to the quick . If you put enough lead in the back part of the shoe it will cause him to put that foot out straight before it comes down .”
" Will you be over there tomorrow ?” Bo Po pleaded . " I have a winner and it won ’ t be long until the National Walking Horse Show . I have to have him ready . You know what I mean .”
" I ’ ll be there , but make sure you forget all that bull he told you .” T . Jack growled a little as he said , " Farriers ! What a name !”
T . Jack didn ’ t have to extol his wisdom to Bo Po , for he knew T . Jack was considered the best " apron man ” in the Walking Horse business . He knew T . Jack loved the Tennessee Walkers and money didn ’ t mean anything to him .
Bo Po pushed off the stool and laid a bill on the table . " Take out for the coffee and beer .” And as he reached for his change Bo Po looked over at T . Jack and said , " You gonna be there tomorrow ?” " Sure ,” T . Jack said as he sprinkled salt on the top side of his hand .
Bo Po knew T . Jack would be there , because no man likes to be told that someone else might do a better job ' than he could . barn storming
PORT ORANGE STABLES
Now you Walking Horse folk will learn what the orange and white 320 ’ x 60 ’ bam on Nova Road at Daytona Beach , Florida , is . . . it ’ s the Port Orange Walking Horse Stables . This stable has been under construction for the last year and will be the largest and best training stable in the great state of Florida , bar none .
Mr . KOENIG and his daughter ELLEN METZGER are the owners . Mr . Koenig has been in the horse business for over 25 years . He began with gaited horses and switched to Walking Horses . He is 70 years old .
KENNETH BLACK is trainer and manager . This young man started with JACK STAYDEN and has been with E . L . BURGESS , and was with STEVE HILL just before going with Port Orange Stables .
Port Orange Stables have 16 horses in training at present , and still have room for a few outside horses .
Now heading the list of horses is : Rebel ’ s Elegance , a handsome liver chestnut stallion by M & K ’ s Rebel . He is truly a stake horse , and is owned by Mr . Koenig . At stud is Rock M ’ s Eldorado , a handsome 16-hand blue-black stud by Sun ’ s Eldorado by Midnight Sim . He is one of those natural Walking Horses that can really set back and carry the mail . The horse to really watch out for is the Junior horse , Rebel ’ s Rampage . He can really set back and walk ! Guaranteed , this horse will never quit ; he has the biggest heart ydu ever saw , and can really do .
For a Junior mare they have Selma ’ s Lady Bird , owned by Dr . W . W . JONES , Deland , Fla . Ellen Metzger will be showing her and she will be a good one in 1966 .
For an aged mare and amateur horse Ellen will be showing Again Go Sue , a blue roan Walking Mare that HERSHEL TALLEY ’ S daughter won many blue ribbons on , including two sixths at the Celebration . Last month this combination wonthe Ladies ’ class at the Orlando show .
As a two-year-old they will have Triple Threat ’ s Dream , a filly by the 1965 World ’ s Champion himself . She is so natural that Ellen is training her herself and will be showing her in two-year-old classes next year . She is a sorrel doll with a flaxen mane and tail and is the cutest short-coupled mare you ever saw . She has everything anyone could desire in a filly , including a good back end and plenty of motion .
( Continued on page 23 )
December , 1965 21