A Horse Named Jackson

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Meet Jackson - my beloved Arabian gelding whom I have owned for the last 18 years.  I first laid eyes on him when I was a little girl and I knew immediately that I had to have him.  What I didn't know at that time was how much I would grow to love this horse, how much he would teach me, or how much the two of us really belonged together.

Jackson was born May 15, 1991 on a small farm in central Illinois.  He made a grand entrance into the world and let his personality be known from the minute that his tiny little baby horse hooves hit the ground.  Jackson was quick to stand on his feet, nobody actually timed it, but the best guess is that it took him all of a minute to get his bearings about him and attempt that first akward stand.  A success on the first try, Jackson was already standing before the foalers had an opportunity to do their business.  So, they tried their best to do their imprinting and basic foal care.  But when they went to put iodine on his belly button, he let them have it with a full-blown cowkick.  Not five minutes after being born and this tiny little horse had already learned the "other" use of the legs. Needless to say, the poor woman who was tending to his foal needs ended up wearing the whole bottle of iodine (for weeks as it happens to have a tendency to stain).

This incident quickly earned him a reputation as a troublemaker. And, during his tenure as a weanling Jackson became increasingly known for his naughty shanagans.  But, there was something else about this horse, something that kept people coming back depsite all of his naughtiness. He had a gentle and kind soul.  He, despite his shanagans, was a top notch horse.

I don't know how else to describe it, except that to say that this horse is just plain brimming with personality.  He loves people and he loves attention (and cookies) even more.  He has one of the cutest faces I have ever seen on a plain bay horse and he has learned how to exploit the cuteness factor to make the people around him fall in love with him.

I purchased Jackson in 1996, just after he turned five years old.  And I am glad to say, that even now, at 21 years old, he is still the same horse that I fell in love with, personality and shanagans in tow.