How tall is the average tennessee walking horse

His sire, Roan Allen, was able to perform many gaits, and that, in turn, led to the establishment of a breed. The Horse Protection Act of governs the show, sale, and exhibition of this breed. In the s and s, owners of Tennessee Walkers were using the process of soring to exaggerate the gait of the breed. Soring involves the intentional infliction of pain to the hooves or legs of the horse. From caustic chemicals to the insertion of several dozen nails into the hoof, the cruelty of these practices is extreme.

A sored horse cannot be entered into a show or exhibition, nor is it allowed for sale. Drivers cannot have transported sored horses to a sale or show either. Tighe-- Tennessee Walker I ride when we go out with friends. Several organizations, instead of just one association, govern Tennessee Walkers. This is due to the many controversies that exist regarding showing rules, laws against soring, and overall compliance with the stud book.

The breed registry is maintained by the breed association, which promotes all riding disciplines, but does not actually sanction any horse shows. There is a heritage preservation society to maintain original bloodlines, organizations to promote flat-shod horses, and multiple organizations to create show rules for the breed when allowed.

These horses are ability to combine their quickness and agility, but still have a milder overall temperament than the hot-blooded breeds that are out there.

This makes Tennessee Walkers one of the better overall horses for riding. There are considered to be 14 common coat colors available to Tennessee Walkers, which makes them a more diverse set of horses than other breeds which offer color restrictions.

This horse breed is also one of the few that would allow multiple registrations should the horse be a specific color, such as Palomino.

Grullo is one of the rarest colors in the breed, but it still meets breed standards. It has been held every year since and is always at or near Shelbyville, Tennessee. The founders of the Celebration simply felt that Shelbyville needed to have a festival or event every year and came up with this idea. Today a World Grand Champion horse is chosen from about 2, horses at each Celebration. About , people come to this event every year. From , The Talk of the Town became the first three-time winner of consecutive titles.

I Am Jose would be the second horse to accomplish this feat, doing so in I Am Jose would also become the first 4-year old horse to take the title of Grand Champion in almost 50 years. In , he was able to set this record again at the age of Dunn passed away in , but spent more than 40 years of his life training horses, mostly in northern Alabama.

The Tennessee Walking Horse is an easy-going horse with a long lifespan. If you need your horse to be broken in and trained when you buy it, you will need to spend more. It enjoys being around people and being active.

It can be a bit stubborn when it comes to its gate, so if you need exaggerated movements for competition, you may need to look for professional assistance. The Tennessee Walking Horse is a tall breed that often stands close to 17 hands high. It has a long neck and a well-defined head. Some of the colors you might see include bay, black, chestnut, cream, and more. It has a four-beat gate that keeps the hooves on the ground providing a smoother ride than many other breeds. Most experts recommend a circular pen with a diameter between 50 and 60 feet for training and riding, with some going as high as 65 feet or more.

Larger pens will allow your horse to go faster and reduce the strain on its inner joints, but it will cause you to run around a lot more if you are not riding it. Your horse will also need shelter from rain and snow. Nearly any enclosure is suitable as long as it will provide your horse with a foot by foot area. You will need to place plenty of hay in this enclosure for your horse to eat and lay down. It will also need a large water tank, as your horse can drink several gallons each day. Yes, the Tennessee Walking horse has an easy-going and friendly temperament and rarely becomes aggressive toward other horses and people.

Your Tennessee Walking horse primarily eats hay and grass. Another distinguishing feature is that the equine nods its head while running walk. The flat foot walk flat shod is a vivid and long-reaching walk.

It covers from 4 to 8 miles per hour. Each foot hits the ground separately at a regular pace. The legs are raised laterally while walking. The right rear goes over the right front limb. And the left rear goes over the left front limb.

Such an action is called overstriding. That is unique to Tennessee Walking Horses. As well as head nodding when walking. Both of the features are judged in competitions. The canter is a natural smooth gait that makes the horse extremely comfortable to ride.

The canter is a forward motion that is performed diagonally. The right lead has the following order: left hind, right hind and left front feet together, then the right fore leg.

The left lead is the following: right hind, left hind and right front feet together, then the left fore leg. When performing on a show ring, the equine goes from the outside to the inside of the ring. Some owners tent to training their Tennessee Walkers to perform the stepping pace, rack, single-foot, and fox trot.

Such horse gaits are allowed for pleasure riding. With the high demand for Tennessee Walking Horses performing on a stage, the practice of soring has occurred.

This led to horses lifting their front legs faster than they do it naturally. The soring horses are now prohibited for sale and show. The Horse Protection Act of protects the equines from abusive owners. The Tennessee Walking Horse may be considered as the first horse for a beginner rider. Search for an experienced equine for a rookie equestrian. It has to be familiar with riders and know what to expect from them. The horse should be already ridden under the saddle. Tennessee Walking Horses stand out with a calm temperament, which is a plus.

Tennessee Walking Horses are a superb horse breed that is ideal for riders of all levels. Horse owners are into the breed as the equine is docile with a calm tempo. Such horses are quite versatile in use. They can be used for farm working and as a family pet.