GAITS

 

The pivotal feature of the Tennessee Walking Horse is his gait. Gait can simply be defined as the horse's method of covering ground - his "way of going." The Tennessee Walking horse is born with the ability to perform three distinct gaits, the flat walk, running walk, and canter. The natural stride length of the Tennessee Walking horse and how well he is able to perform these gaits varies greatly. In the showring, the largest natural stride is awarded the highest merit. The huge length of stride we have been able to produce naturally through selective breeding is what sets us apart.

 

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The flat walk is a brisk, long-reaching walk that can cover from 4 to 8 miles an hour. This is a four beat gait with each of the horse's feet hitting the ground separately at regular intervals. The horse will glide over the track left by the front foot with his hind foot (right rear over right front, left rear over left front). The action of the back foot slipping over the front track is known as overstride. Overstride is unique to the walking horse breed. The hock should show only forward motion, with vertical hock action being highly undesirable. A Tennessee Walking Horse will nod his head in rhythm with the cadence of his feet. This nodding head motion along with the overstride are two features unique to the Tennessee Walking Horse breed. Copper Gen's Mischief, a brilliant show mare, performs her gaits for the videos on this page, with John Feltner Sr. up.

 

The running walk is the gait for which the walking horse is most noted. This extra-smooth gliding gait is basically the same as the flat walk with a marked increase in speed and stride length. A Tennessee Walker can travel 10 to 20 miles per hour at this gait. As the speed is increased, the horse over-steps the front track with the back foot by 6 to 18 inches. The more "stride" the horse has the better "walker" it is considered to be, for this gives the rider a feeling of gliding through the air as if propelled by some powerful but smooth-running machine. Walking horses relax certain muscles while doing the running-walk. Some swing their ears and you can hear some clack their teeth in rhythm with the headshake. The running walk is a smooth, easy gait for both horse and rider. A true Tennessee Walking Horse will continue to shake his head while performing the running walk, although the nod is usually less pronounced at this gait.

 

TRAITS

 

Tennessee Walkers can be seen in all sizes from under 14 hands to over 17. They come in all colors, though the most traditional colors are black, sorrel, chestnut and bay. The ideal Walking Horse will have the traditionally large yet refined head with small, well placed ears. The ideal horse also possesses conformation with a level topline, long sloping shoulder, a fairly short back and short, strong coupling. The bottom line should be longer than the top line, allowing for optimal length of stride.

 

The Tennessee Walker is a composite breed that evolved from the Narragansett Pacer, Canadian, Morgan, Standardbred, Thoroughbred and American Saddlebred. These bloods were fused into one animal in middle Tennessee, resulting in one of the greatest pleasure, show and trail riding horses on earth. The result, over countless years, was the Tennessee Walking Horse - the first breed of horse to bear a state name.

 

THE BREED THEN AND NOW

 

Two centuries ago, a cross between a trotter stallion called Allendorf and a Morgan mare known as Maggie Marshall produced a black colt with a white blaze. This horse, born in 1886, was known as Black Allan. He was chosen by the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' Association as the foundation sire of the Tennessee Walking Horse breed, and was designated as Allan-F1. It was a thoughtfully bred cross between Allan and the Tennessee Pacer that produced what we now recognize as the Tennessee Walking Horse. No longer found only in Tennessee, the horses can be found in all fifty United States, and many have been exported to foreign countries.

There are pages of history proving the strong influence this animal has had in the building of this country and in the daily lives of those that came before us. Originally used mainly for utility and riding stock, the Walking Horse rapidly gained popularity for his smooth, easy gait. Used for all types of farm labor, as well as family transportation and recreation, the old plantation-type horse was not trained for the show ring in those days.

The face of the breed has evolved. The Walking Horses of yesteryear did not possess the loft and length of stride it takes to command attention in the show ring of today. Like the originators of the breed, we firmly believe in the principle of selective breeding to bring out the best natural gait. Building on decades of carefully chosen bloodlines, we have been able to produce horses with strides beyond what many may think is naturally possible.

 

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