The Easygoing Tennessee Walking Horse

A light horse breed founded in middle Tennessee, the Tennessee Walking Horse is a composite of Narragansett and Canadian Pacer, Standardbred, Thoroughbred, Morgan and American Saddlebred stock. Originally bred as a utility horse, this breed is an ideal mount for riders of all ages and levels of experience. The breed easily adapts to English or Western gear, and its calm, docile temperament combined with naturally smooth and easy gaits ensure the popularity of the Tennessee Walking Horse as the “world’s greatest show, trail, and pleasure horse.”

Tennessee Walking Horses generally range from 14.3 to 17 hands, weigh 900 to 1200 pounds and possess a definitive head with small, well placed ears. The horse has a long sloping shoulder, a long sloping hip, a fairly short back, and short strong coupling. The bottom line is longer than the top line, allowing for a long stride. The Tennessee Walking Horse performs three distinct gaits: the flat foot walk, running walk, and canter, with the running walk being an inherited, natural gait unique to this breed.

The running walk is an extra-smooth, gliding gait that is basically the same as the flat walk with a noticeable increase in speed. Proper form should never be sacrificed for excessive speed in a good running walk. As the speed increases, the horse oversteps the front track with the back by a distance of six to eighteen inches. The more "stride" the horse has, the better "walker" it is considered to be. It is this motion that gives the rider a feeling of gliding through the air as if propelled by some powerful but smooth-running machine.

Considering the breed’s easy ride, the companionship, and its dependability, Tennessee Walking Horse owners find that the satisfaction they receive far outweighs the price of ownership.

Information and photos courtesy of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association. For more information, visit www.twhbea.com.