J-BAR RANCH - WORKSHOPS

About J-Bar Ranch

The J-Bar Brand and Philosophy
The left-shoulder J-Bar freeze-brand worn by our horses continues the brand tradition established in Texas by Dr. O.D. Butler, Jan Butler Loveless's dad and long-time head of the Animal Science Department of Texas A&M University. "O.D." retired as TAMU System Assistant Deputy Chancellor of Agriculture and Renewable Resources, after working 50 years for Texas A&M University. The new Animal Science Research facility at TAMU has been named for him in 2004.

A beef cattle expert by profession and passion, O.D. also loved fine American Quarter Horses and supported the development of the breed with agreements to stand at TAMU the best foundation Quarter Horse stallions from the King Ranch, still renowned as the top producer of cutting horses in the world. King Ranch stallion Wimpy, a descendant of their foundation sire Old Sorrel, became the first horse registered by the American Quarter Horse Association after he won the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show in 1941.

O.D. Butler encouraged Jan, her brothers and his grandchildren to love and respect all animals and to ride well. Buzz's father, Sid Loveless, did the same. The motto of his small College Station, TX ranch and student equitation/camping/gun safety program, You Tomorrow, was "Ride Hard, Shoot Straight, and Live So that You Can Look Anyone in the Eye."

Our brand, registered to Jan, Buzz and Clay Loveless for use on the left shoulder in California, honors O.D.'s memory; our ranching practices honor Sid ("Pops") Loveless and his motto.

Three of O.D. Butler's broodmares, Maybelline Texasstar ("Maybelline") and her daughters Bright Texasstar ("Little Mabel") and Maybelline's Socks ("Socks"), are the base of our breeding program. These outstanding mares, unshown but great family horses, carry over 85% American Quarter Horse foundation blood, and come from the breeding program overseen by O.D. at Texas A&M University.

The J-Bar Breeding Program
J-Bar Ranch of Visalia, California, breeds American Quarter Horses and Ponies of the America for world-level competition in Western/English pleasure and trail, as well as reined cow horse and gymkana events& but, first and foremost, to be genuine family members. We have two target markets: "select" (over age 50) riders and children under 18. In other words, we raise horses for owners at both ends of the age spectrum, since horses for these markets make superior mounts and companions for anyone. We breed for intelligence, disposition, conformation, talent and color, in that order. Nothing is more important to us than heart and a kind eye, whether we're talking about horses or their owners. Our business goal, in fact, is not selling horses. It's creating and supporting lifelong partnerships between good horses and good people.

For that reason, you will not find J-Bar horses consigned to sales. We create horse-human relationships based on the needs of both parties.

J-Bar bloodlines produce quality horses with outstanding minds. We feature AQHA bloodlines of Zippo Pine Bar, Zippos Blue Gold, Zips Chocolate Chip (www.zipschocolatechip.com), Don't Skip This Chip (www.dontskipthischip.com), Dynamic Deluxe (www.riversideranch.com), Peppy San Badger, Doc Bar, and branded Hank Wiescamp stallion Skipper W. Our Ponies of the Americas carry the blood of Supreme Champion Tough Plaudit and today's #1-in-the-nation three-year-old stallion, Ultimate Bounce (www.skyrockpoas.com).

J-Bar POAs make quiet children's mounts and competitive show prospects. Our bloodlines emphasize foundation stock valued for versatility and plain good sense.

We like horses that can win in Western pleasure and trail, work a cow, pull a cart, compete in gymkana and babysit the grandkids, all in the same day. To paraphrase an old saying J-Bar horses are "the best mounts that ever looked through a bridle."

In fact, we chuckle when we still hear that old horseman's warning, "Pretty is as pretty does." Why not have both kinds of "pretty?" Our breeding program produces foals with top conformation dressed in mighty fancy clothes. We've had flashy grays, grullos, duns, blacks, and bays, and we're expecting a loud-colored POA foal in the spring of 2005. That baby's sire, Ultimate Bounce, is a tri-color leopard, has won every color competition he's entered, and is already a multiple champion.

At J-Bar, we believe in quality, not quantity. J-Bar Ranch raises only a few foals each year so that we can imprint them at birth and handle them daily.

At Stud: Let "Refund" Give You a Little Refund
J-Bar Ranch stands 2002 AQHA and FQHA registered stallion TAMU Yuba Ebony Rey, also known as "Refund." A handsome, intelligent, coal-black horse whose grandsires include Hall of Fame cutter Peppy San Badger and World Champion reiners Nu Bar and Rey Jey, Refund was purchased from Texas A&M University with our first ranch tax refund. He is 90.625% foundation-bred and stands via artificial insemination at Pacific Crest Equine Services in Exeter, CA. Semen collection and shipping are supervised by Dr. Doug Anez. Refund is, according to Pacific Crest's vet techs, "the kindest stallion we've ever had at the clinic." Refund's foals are eligible for registration in the AQHA Incentive Fund.

Growing up at J-Bar is also a potential pleasure stud, "Ribbit Moon," born 5/5/04 during a beautiful full moon when the bullfrogs were in high chorus on the pond next to the foaling stall. A grandson of great AQHA Western Pleasure sire Dynamic Deluxe and son of black stallion Consider His Source (www.riversideranch.com), Ribbit is a crop-out paint whose double registration in AQHA and APHA is pending.

Prospective buyers may contract for breedings to Refund or apply to purchase J-Bar stock. Buyers who pass pre-screening are matched with horses by temperament, level of training and goals. J-Bar purchases are always "lease-to-buy" agreements. We complete the sale of a horse after one year of monitoring the relationship between horse and new owner. After that year, J-Bar completes the transfer of ownership, but maintains first right of refusal should a horse be resold.

All J-Bar stock is trained using Natural Horsemanship methods and vet-checked sound when it leaves the ranch. A successful buyer of J-Bar stock must have Level 1 Natural Horsemanship training or the equivalent.
The J-Bar Learning Center
In addition to breeding fine horses, J-Bar Ranch is a people development center. J-Bar offers a series of equine-assisted experiential learning workshops. See the "Workshops" tab of the J-Bar website for current offerings. Co-owner Jan Loveless is a member of the Epona Equestrian Services Advanced Study group for 2005, with a goal of Epona leadership certification in 2006.

J-Bar Ranch is an affiliate and/or supporter of Human-Equine Alliances for Learning (HEAL); Epona Equestrian Services; The Black Stallion Literacy Project; Painted Spirit Ranch Horse Rescue; the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse Adoptions; Texas A&M University Horse Center; Valley Oak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and Court Appointed Special Advocates of Tulare County.

* * *