Tennessee Walking Horse
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[-]Famous country musician Gene Autry owned a Tennessee Walking Horse named "Champion," as well as other horses that appeared along side him throughout his career that ranged from movies, television, radio and even a comic book series. There was Champion as well as his six other doubles, the original Champion died in 1943 of an apparent heart attack while Gene Autry was off in the service. The second Champion or "Lindy Champion" wasn't famous for appearing on television and radio, but for being the first horse to fly on a plane from Burbank, California to New York. [...]
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The Tennessee Walking Horse also known as the Tennessee Walker, or just the Walker as it is affectionately known as by breeders and owners, is considered to be one of the premier gaited horses worldwide. The horse was produced solely as a smooth riding horse for plantation owners and wealthy individuals in the southern United States to be able to comfortably travel over vast properties. Since the ground was relatively rough and uneven and often even very mountainous in some areas, these horses had to be both sturdy and sure footed as well as gaited and a smooth ride. The result was the development of the Tennessee Walking Horse.
The breed can trace its history back to the original gaited breeds such as the Canadian Pacer, the Morgan, Narragansett Pacer and the size and speed came from the Thoroughbred. The real foundation sire of the breed was actually a Standardbred stallion out of the famous Hambletonian 10 that was named Black Allan. Black Allan, despite his famous lineage, had a strange gait, which was a four beat walk and trot, rather than the traditional trot or pace of the racing Standardbred. [...]
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The original role of the Tennessee Walking Horse was to provide a comfortable mode of transportation for the tobacco plantation owners in the southern United States. Although this role was ideal for the Tennessee Walking Horse and its smooth gait, these horses were also used as driving and harness horses for taking the family back and forth to town as well as driving in areas where roads were developed. The appearance and gaited stride of the Tennessee Walking Horse made it an ideal breed for both of these tasks; although there is no doubt that they were most famous as a smooth and comfortable riding horse. Originally there were only a small number of Tennessee Walking Horses available but the legend soon spread from plantation owner to owner about the fast running walk of the breed and its ability to cover large distances in a short amount of time without any of the discomfort of the non-gaited horses.
Once the Tennessee Walking Horse became a more popular breed and many of the plantations were divided into smaller farms, the Tennessee Walking Horse was also used as a general farm horse. [...]
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Like all gaited horses the Tennessee Walking Horse is know for its own particular gaits. The two gaits associated with the breed are the flat-footed walk and the running walk. They also have a unique canter that is called a rocking horse canter as the movement is like sitting on a slightly moving rocking horse rather than the more bouncy canter of many other breeds. The Tennessee Walking Horse may also exhibit or use other gaits such as the single foot, rack and a stepping pace or even a regular trot. In horse shows a Tennessee Walking Horse using these gaits would be disqualified or severely faulted for although they are a typical gaited horse movement they are not the correct gait for a Tennessee Walking Horse.
The Tennessee Walking Horse, like all true gaited breeds, will naturally use the flat walk and the running walk. What they may not naturally do is the high extensions and exaggerated movement of the front and hind legs that are so popular in shows and parades. [...]
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Tennessee Walking Horse
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