There are many breeds of horses,
but only one Tennessee Walking Horse!
The History:
This member of the light breeds of the equine family is no mystery horse,
nor is there anything of magic or difficulty in understanding about his
makeup. In the beginning came the Narragansett and Canadian Pacer. The
War Between the States occasioned the cross breeding of the Confederate
Pacers and Union Trotters; thus the Southern Plantation Walking Horse or
Tennessee Pacer came into being. Next came the blood of the Thoroughbred,
Standardbred, Morgan and the American Saddlebred. All were fused into one
animal in the middle Tennessee bluegrass region. The result, over
countless years, was the "world's greatest show, pleasure, and trail
horse," - the first breed of horse to bear a state name - the Tennessee
Walking Horse.
For those who think the Walking Horse is comparatively new on the equine scene, pages of history reflect the strong influence this animal has had in the building of this great land and in the daily lives of our forefathers. Mainly used for utility and riding stock, he gained wide popularity for this ease of gait and ability to stride faultlessly over hills and through the valleys of the rocky middle Tennessee terrain. Being used as a utility animal for all types of farm work, as well as family transportation and recreation, the old Plantation type horse was not trained for showing in those days. This natural gait was most often inherited from his breeding.
In 1885, a cross between a stallion called Allendorf, from the
Hamiltonian family of trotters, and Maggie Marshall, a Morgan mare,
resulted in a black colt with a white blaze, off hind coronet and near
hind sock, Black Allan, foal of 1886. He was later to be chosen by the
Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' Association as the foundation sire of
the Tennessee Walking Horse and designated as Allan F-1. It was a cross
between Allan and the Tennessee Pacer that produced today's Tennessee
Walking Horse.
The Tennessee Walking Horse has impressed the nation with its gentle disposition and its kindly manner, and continues to prove itself as one of the most versatile horses in the land.
This docile temperament, together with its smooth and easy gaits, has caused it to be much in demand in all sections of the country. It serves nobly as an English or Western pleasure mount and has taken the young, the aged, the timid, as well as experienced riders along pleasant paths and trails.
The Gaits:
The flat foot walk, running walk and canter are natural, inherited gaits
and can easily be recognized from the time a young foal starts to amble
beside its mother, with rhythmic coordination of legs, head and body
movement.
The flat walk and the famed unique running walk are both basic, loose,
four-cornered gaits, a 1-2-3-4 beat with each of the horses' hooves
hitting the ground separately at regular intervals first the left front,
then the right rear, the right front, followed by the left rear. As he
moves, his head will nod in rhythm with the regular rise and fall of his
hooves, overstriding with his
hind foot the track left by his front foot - left rear over left front,
right rear
over right front. In general, he should travel in a straight, direct
motion, never winging, crossing or swinging. The flat walk should be
loose, bold and square with plenty of shoulder motion. The running walk
should also be executed with loose ease of movement, pulling with the
forefeet, pushing and driving with the hind. There should be noticeable
difference in the rate of speed between the flat walk and the running
walk. But a good running walk should never allow proper form to be
sacrificed for excessive speed.
The rocking chair canter is a high rolling collected gallop with distinct
head motion, chin tucked and in a smooth collected movement.
The world's greatest show, pleasure, and trail horse:
When today's Walking Horse becomes the topic of conversation among those who aren't well acquainted with the breed, many think of him only as a pampered pet of the show ring. In reality, he is as versatile and as usable as any of the other light horse breeds. There are many like the horses you see in the show ring that are available to be your pleasure, trail, or working horse. The primary difference lies in the training. Because of the easy gaits and even temperament, a rider can comfortably stay in the saddle many hours longer. With the increased interest in trail and endurance rides across the country, the riding value of the Tennessee Walker steadily climbs. Both horse and rider come through less fatigued because of the durability, strength, and smoothness of the walking horse gaits. Highly used in the Ride-A-Thons of yesteryear, one can't argue with success, and consequently, the Tennessee Walking Horse's talent as both a pleasure and trail horse is being more and more widely recognized. It isn't unusual to find him on the trails and hillsides of the country.
For a closer, more exact and thorough study of the gaits of the Tennessee Walking Horse, we call attention to video tapes which are available from the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association. They're next best to seeing a good horse in motion in the flesh!
This horse is now in all parts of the country. It no longer is found only in Tennessee, but there are registered individuals of the breed in all fifty United States and several foreign countries. And since the organization of the Association in the Spring of 1935, over 280,000 horses have been registered. That sustains the statement frequently made in the past . . . "If you ride one today, you'll own one tomorrow."
For additional information, contact The TWHBEA, P.O. Box 286, Lewisburg, TN 37091 - 1-800-359-1574
