The Tennessee Walking horse is a light horse breed that was founded in Tennessee. It is composed of Standardbred, Thoroughbred, Morgan and American Saddlebred stock. This horse generally ranges from 14.3 - 17hh and comes in a variety of colors and patterns.
The three easy-riding gaits recognized in this breed are the flat-footed walk, the running walk and the canter. They are all natural, inherited characteristics, easily recognized even in a young foal as it walks beside its mother. The rhythm, timing and balance make the gaits of this horse not only an easy ride, but a beautiful experience to watch.
The flat-foot walk involves the horse's feet hitting the ground one at a time in a rhythmic fashion, while the head nods with each step. It is a brisk, long-reaching walk that can cover from 4 to 8 miles per hour. During this walk, the hind foot glides over the track left by the front foot, an action known as over stride. This over stride is unique to the walking horse breed.
The running-walk is the gait for which the walking horse is most noted. This extra-smooth gliding gait is the same as the flat-walk with a marked increase in speed. During this walk, the horse oversteps the front track by 6 to 18 inches and can travel from 10 to 20 miles per hour. It is said that in this gait, if he is not nodding, he is not walking.
The canter is mainly a collected gallop. It is a foreward movement performed in a diagonal manner, with lots of spring and rhythm. It is often reffered to as the rocking-chair gait in the walking horse because of the easy rise and fall motion.
The Tennessee Walking horse is an affordable breed, an enjoyable ride and a loyal companion. These qualities place the breed in a class of it's own. Its gentle disposition, dependability and intelligence are charecteristics that make this breed a lifetime friend. Its gentleness puts even the most timid rider at ease and makes an excellent learning horse for a small child.
