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Walking a fine life

by Stephen B. Thornton
A first place trophy stands proudly on a shelf at Jack’s clothing store, The Classic Shop.

It started out innocently for Jack Sewell whose first horse barn was a 12-by-20 foot two-stall barn. Twenty years and five additions later, his love for training walking horses has blossomed into a 38-by-150 foot 14-stall complex.

It began with his daughter’s mare that seemed to have a natural ability for the show ring.

“Why don’t you take that horse to the county fair?” quipped a friend. Jack did and won a ribbon.

“That’s all it took … We’ve been in the horse business 20 years since, trying to make.it better,” reflects Sewell.

He, along with his partner and brother, Donnie, board, train and show 14 walking horses out of Sewell’ s home. Each horse receives the minimum of 30 minutes training each day, five days a week during its initial seven-to eight-month training.

Sewell never guarantees himself nor the horse owners of a sure-fire winner but enjoys the gamble. “You work them, train them, thinking the very next day it will all come together.”

 

After workouts, each horse receives a thorough scrub down with special attention paid to the area on the hoof where the chain rests. The chain looped around each front hoof causes the course to attempt to “step out” of the chains, this gives the walking horse its high kicking stride.
After workouts, each horse receives a thorough scrub down with special attention paid to the area on the hoof where the chain rests. The chain looped around each front hoof causes the course to attempt to “step out” of the chains, this gives the walking horse its high kicking stride.
Jack Sewell bursts forth with a laugh of embarrassment as he almost misses the saddle while mounting up for an afternoon workout.
After each workout, every horse receives a thorough scrub down, with attention payed to the area of the hoof where the chain rests. The chain looped around each front hoof cause the horse to attempt to “step out” of the chains, the giving the walking horse its high kick stride.
Jack Sewell prances his horse Selfwinder’s Black Silk around the show ring at the Kentucky Celebration in Lawrenceburg.

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