" 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