By Joanne Hill
As the sun starts setting over a nearby ridge, Joe Cole is in the barnyard at Coles Stables, patiently and persistently waving a white bag on a stick near his stately American saddlebred horse.
“Some call it sensitivity training, others say it’s desensitizing the horse,” Cole said, adding that it’s one of many steps he uses in training a horse.
Since he was a child (born in 1951), growing up on Dan Valley Farm in Claudville, Cole has trained, showed and bred American saddlebreds.
The breed, long known for its greatness, was the horse ridden by both Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant during their service in the Civil War. Both Traveller, Lee’s horse, and Cincinnati, Grant’s horse, were held in high esteem by those who saw them perform.
When Joe Cole was a youngster, his father, Claude Cole, was manager of Dan Valley Stock Farm, which raised registered Hereford cattle, Hampshire hogs, registered Guernsey cattle and five-gaited saddle horses.
At one time, Cole said, there were 100 beef cattle, 100 milking cows, and 90 horses being pastured at the farm, which was owned by Lester Hatcher of Mount Airy, N.C. Hatcher was one of nine children and became a land speculator owning a lot of property in Virginia and North Carolina.
“Saddlebreds can be many different colors, but they are not valued for their appearance, but for their performance,” Cole said. The horse he was working with that day was a chestnut color, but Grant’s horse, for instance, was a dappled gray with a black mane and tail.
The saddlebred can be taught to walk, trot and canter, which is usually “done with style, animation and lots of presence,” according to the American Saddlebred Horse Association of America (ASHAV).
Cole is proud to say he is a third-generation trainer, breeder and show participant. His grandfather, Simon Cole, began the family tradition and then was followed by Claude and Joe.
Cole’s daughter, Carol Adams, also shows horses and her daughter Emily, who is only three years old, has already ridden in a show on a miniature horse.
Joe started riding in shows with his brother, Dr. Rick Cole of Stuart, on ponies. Later, as teens, they competed against each other and had a large following at the nearby shows.
Discussing the breeding aspect of the business, Cole said a $2,500 breeding fee is not really very much when you consider that the resulting colt could become valued at $40,000 to $50,000 in the realm of horsemanship competition.
Presently, there are 11 horses at Cole’s stables in different stages of training. Cole said he trains horses for others and can train for trail riding or showing.
He also gives riding lessons. His first lesson is free, he said, because some people think they want to ride, but after trying it they back out. Some are actually afraid to mount the horse, he said.
Several horses also grazed in a lush, green meadow. Cole said he buys hay from local farmers and feeds grain to the stabled horses twice a day.
When asked about water for the horses, he pointed at a well cover and explained that his brother had given the well to his father as a birthday present, along with a bathroom located in the training barn.
Cole said he and his parents, Claude and Iris Cole (now deceased), built the barn and the house several years ago.
Cole can shoe his own horses and has no problem getting a veterinarian to come out when needed. As a matter of fact, there is one vet that specializes in equine care, he said.
Last year, he said, he didn’t breed the horses and didn’t have any colts, but this year he is breeding five and will have two colts to sell.
Cole said it takes him two to three months to break a horse and train it to ride, and it takes longer to train a horse for the show ring.
All the horses have names and some he mentioned are Cole’s Dynamite Love, Love Stops Here, and Cole’s Astrid. Most of the names have family significance.
All the family pitches in when needed, he said. Cole’s son is not often able to help because he serves in the United States Coast Guard as a boat mechanic and is currently stationed at Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York.
Cole also has a sister who showed horses at one time, but now she enjoys homemaking and just doesn’t have time for horses.
Joe Cole and his wife Amanda, who works at a local store, also enjoy being grandparents and spending time with Emily.
So as the sun sets and dark emerges, the lights in the barn turn on, and the Dominique rooster settles on an anvil for the night. Joe stables his horse and extends an invitation to “come back again and bring your granddaughter. I’ll let her ride the pony.”
