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 .”