Professional trainers are a breed apart— a unique blend of independent businessman, outdoor fanatic with an intense love for Tennessee Walking Horses, and determined competitor not unlike the professional athlete. They share many common bonds among themselves and quite often have similar backgrounds- their backgrounds serving as their training period prior to achieving the distinction of professional trainer.
A great many trainers, in fact the vast majority, have either been born in Tennessee or have spent a considerable amount of their developing years there. The reason is quite simple: this is the home and founding place of the breed, and there is an unwritten law that all who aspire to train this horse professionally must serve an apprenticeship " where it all began.” But there are exceptions to all rules and even to " unwritten laws,” which brings us to our subject for this month’ s Professionals on Parade article— Mr. Jack Moorman.
Jack Moorman is 41 years of age and he trains Walking Horses for a living. He was born and raised in Mississippi and has spent time in Tennessee only in the course of pursuing his life’ s work. He has never spent any " training time” in Tennessee, and has never operated a training barn anywhere outside the state of Mississippi.
Although Jack has never spent any considerable length of time in Tennessee, his name is as familiar to Middle Tennessee horse show followers as any professional ' s. Indeed, his name is familiar to Walking Horse lovers all over the country, as he has established a reputation second to none in this highly competitive and demanding field. Jack Moorman is a professional trainer in every sense of the word, and this is the highest compliment one can pay a man who earns his living throwing a leg over a horse.
Being from Mississippi— Meridian, to be exact— Jack was not born and raised with Walking Horses. His first contact with this breed was through the former number-one Walking Horse man in Mississippi,
Jack Moorm A True Pro
by David L. Howard
J. H. Noblin- a man for whom Jack had the utmost respect, and who became somewhat of a second father to Jack. Jack worked at Noblin’ s barn in Meridian after classes during high school. This first working contact with the breed was temporarily put aside when Jack graduated from school and went into the armed service for five years. Jack made his start in life in Meridian and has never located farther than 50 miles away from home. His father, J. A. Moorman, was a building contractor and, although he was not in the horse business, Jack was always around horses. Jack’ s father passed away two years ago on January 1, but his mother, Bessie, is still living in Meridian. It is ironic that J. H. Noblin, to whom Jack referred as " my second father,” passed away on January 1st exactly one year before Jack’ s dad.
Upon getting out of the service, Jack was faced with the cold reality of having to make a living, and he chose the feed and seed business as his first vocation. Jack went about it the right way and opened his own store, and was doing quite well until he encountered health problems and developed ulcers. His doctor advised him, if at all possible, to get out of that business and do " something else.”