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The Tennessee Walker, otherwise known as the Tennessee Walking Horse, Plantation Horse, and other variations upon these themes, is a singularly tractable and comfortable riding horse. The breed was originally bred to carry the owners of plantations around their lands. Their unique four-beat "running walk" is a gait unique to the breed and is incredibly comfortable to ride, making the breed a well-suited trail companion. The breed is rarely seen in any of the sport horse discipines, however, they are good for long-distance riding because of their stamina and easy temper, and are also seen in Western pleasure and under harness. The Walker is also exemplary in its disposition. It is a remarkably calm and easy-going breed, and is typically easy to train. Although many Tennessee Walking Horses are black, other colors and patterns such as roans, sorrels, bays, champagnes and pintos are common. Recently, the breed registry began to recognize the sabino pattern, a type of pinto, and many horses registered in the past as roans were actually sabinos. They are generally 15-16 hh. In conformation, the Walker has a straight profile, with a long neck and straight shoulders. In the show arena, they are known for their gliding running walk and are usually shown with long manes and tails. The breed, despite being a flashy mover, are quite hardy horses.

Tennessee Walking Horses are known for their gaits: the running walk, the flat walk, and their "rocking horse" canter. Although many members of the breed can perform other gaits, including the fox trot, rack, stepping pace, and single foot, these gaits are typically penalized in the show ring since they are not considered "correct" gaits for a Walking horse. The running walk is the most famous gait, with speeds from 6-12 mph. As the speed increases, the horse's rear foot overstrides the front print 6-18 inches. The greater the overstride, the better a "walker" the horse is said to be. The horse nods its head in both the running and the flat walk, the ears swinging with the gait. Some Walkers even snap their teeth with the gait.

There are two main classes: performance horses and flat shod.

The flat shod horses are further divided into trail/pleasure, light shod, and plantation, and are judged on way of going and animation. The trail/pleasure classes have the least animation, the plantation horses the most, with the plantation horses often wearing a heavier shoe. They are not allowed to use pads, action devices, or tail braces.

Performance horses exhibit a very flashy and animated running walk, often referred to as "big lick." They appear to sit on their hind ends, lifting their front end high off the ground. Riders wear saddleseat attire, and tack. Horses are shod in double and triple-nailed pads. These pads, along with lightweight chains around the fetlock, accentuate the gaits, making them more showy.

The dark side of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry is the abuse that is done by some trainers to produce a "big lick" Walker. Chemical agents such as mustard oil, diesel fuel, kerosene and others, usually put on the pasterns, bulbs of heel, or coronary band of the horses, irritate the horse's legs so that it will accentuate its gait. Other methods include pressure shoes and abusing the use of chains (such as using them with chemical soring agents), and "road foundering" (where the horse's feet are trimmed down too much, the horse is ridden on a hard surface, then topical anesthetics are used to get the horse past the inspectors). Although 'soring' is prohibited at sales and shows, there are still trainers who do it, and it is sometimes used on lite-shod horses as well. Currently, soring is detected by observing the horse for lameness and assessing his stance and palpating the lower legs. There are ways to get around these tests. Some trainers teach their horses not to react to the pain that palpation may cause, others time the use of the agents so that it will not be detected when the horse is examined, but will be in effect when the rider goes into the ring.

Although there are measures being taken to stop the practice, and many supporters of the TWH have banded together against such cruelty, soring is still an issue at large. The Horse Protection Act, created specifically to stop such practices, prohibits the use of soring agents. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Spervie (APHIS) is working to enforce the law, sending DPQ's (Designated Qualified Persons) to shows to inspect the horses. According to the APHIS, 525 soring violations were issued in 2003. Penalties ranged from a two-week suspension to a lifetime ban.

The Tennessee Walker originated from the Narragansett Pacer and the Canadian Pacer. In the early 1800s, these two breeds were blended by Tennessee breeders who were looking for a horse that could handle the mountainous terrain of the area. Confederate Pacer and Union Trotter blood was added during the Civil War, creating the sturdy Southern Plantation Horse (aka the Tennessee Pacer). Breeders later added Thoroughbred, Standardbred, Morgan, and American Saddlebred blood to refine and add stamina to their gaited horse.

In 1885, Black Allen was born. By the stallion Allendorf (from the Hambletonian family of trotters) and out of a Morgan mare named Maggie Marshall, he became the foundion sire of the Tennessee Walking Horse breed.

The breed became popular due to their smooth gaits and incredible stamina. It was common for farmers to hold match races with their Walkers, who they also used for plowing fields. Even after the coming of the automobile, Tennessee communities kept their Walkers to manage the poor roads of the area. The Walkers began to gain a reputation as a showy animal, and breeders sought bloodlines to produce refined, intelligent, flashy horses.

The registry was formed in 1935. The stud book was closed in 1947, so every Walker after that date has to have both parents registered to be registered themselves. The town of Shelbyville, Tennessee considers itself to be the "Walking Horse Capital of the World"

Horse Breeds Information

Akhal-Teke, American Cream, American Paint, American Quarter, American Saddlebred, American Shetland, Andalusian, Anglo Arabian, Appaloosa, Arabian, Ardennes, Asturcon, Australian Stockhorse, Azteca, Barb, Brandenburger, Canadian, Cleveland-Bay, Clydesdale, Connemara, Criollo, Dartmoor, Dole-Gudbrandsdal, Equus Kinsky, Exmoor, Fell Pony, Friesian, Galiceno, Galician Pony, Garrano, Groningen, Gypsy Vanner, Hackney Pony, Hackney, Hanoverian, Heavy Latvian, Highland Pony, Holstein, Icelandic, Irish Draught, Irish Hunter, Karabakh, Kathiawari, Konik, Latvian Light, Lipazzan, Lusitano, Mangalarga, Marwari, Metis Trotter, Miniature, Missouri Fox Trotter, Morgan, Mustang, Narragansett Pacer, Norweigan Fjord, Novokirghiz, Oldenburg, Palomino, Paso Fino, Peruvian Paso, Pleven, Russian Don, Salerno, San Fratello, Sardinian, Selle Francais, Shire, Standardbred, Suffolk Punch, Tennessee Walker, Tersk, Thoroughbred, Trakehner, Turkoman, Ukrainian Riding, Waler, Welsh Cob, Wielkopolski, Wurttemberger


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