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Jack is the most handsome horse around. Like his ancestor, Midnight Sun, he was an ugly duckling that turned gorgeous swan. When Jack was born everything about his was so...big. Including his head. I joked to Pam that she must have bred Dancer to a donkey. She just smiled and said "You wait. He'll grow into it." That he did. He'd look awfully strange at a towering 16.2 hands if he had a little head with his HUGE bone and substance. 16.2h in itself is impressive, but when you couple it with Jack's HUGE bone it is breathtaking. Not only does he have the big, raw bones of the foundation walking horses (likely from the loads of Midnight Sun in his pedigree), but he's got his dam's heavy muscling as well. "Built like a tank" has nothing on those two. Though he's young and still has plenty of filling out to do, he's an incredibly STRONG horse already.
It gets better! Jack's gait is the true head-nodding-ear-flapping running walk of his ancestors. He does what he was bred to do: WALK. Check out the video clip of him at 6 weeks walking with his dam. He just...walks. Sounds simple because it IS. His head shake doesn't require training or tweaking. It's just him. Because he's such a powerful horse, you can feel his headshake come all the way from the planting of his back feet, through his spine and into his head. He is consistent, smooth and has natural rythm. At the risk of sounding like an informercial: But, wait, there's more! Jack's mind is a thing of beauty. He LOVES to work and the word "no" is not in his vocabulary. He gives you his best every single time. When you show him something new he says "yes ma'am" (or sir) and adds it to his knowledgebase. He wants nothing more than to make you happy. That makes him one of the easiest horses in the world to teach. Though he looks like a magnificent beast, his personality is humble and gentle. He is always quiet and well mannered. Physically, he could be at the top of any herd structure, but Jack is not an alpha horse. He's content to be kind to everyone, especially babies. In fact, Jack adopts the foals as his wards and shields them from the alphas. He is the best role model you could ever ask for.
Jack has always had the best of everything: feed, farrier, veterinary care and training. Pam and Jarred started teaching him young: ponying him with his dam, trailering him to different locations and even teaching him to lie down. I watched Jarred ask Jack to lie down, then Jarred climbed on him and asked Jack to get up. They came across the arena at a perfect running walk. No saddle, no bridle, just Jack. My jaw didn't just drop...it nearly fell off. Jack has extensive trail experience, has been field trialed and shown. He is suitable for just about any level of rider.
 Westwood Farms - Locust Dale, Virginia 22948 - stephanie@westwoodfarms.net - 540-82-1300 |
