A History Of Tennessee's Horse

A History of Tennessee's Horse

Because of the Tennessee walking horse's origination in Tennessee, and its importance to early plantation owners of the state, the breed is often considered significant to the history of Tennessee. The walking horse's origination within the state can be pinpointed to the middle Tennessee region of the state. The walking horse is a gaited breed known for the smooth and swift gait called a running walk. The breed was very popular with plantation owners for their versatility. The walking horse helped shaped Tennessee's history by originating in the state, making Tennessee the first state with a horse breed named after it (Tennessee Walking Horse Home Page).

The Tennessee walking horse, named for the state of its origin, is a breed derived from several breeds, including the Morgan, the Standardbred, the Thoroughbred, and several other breeds, both gaited and non-gaited. Plantation owners began breeding for a smooth moving plantation horse in the central basin of the state around the 1790's (Yorkley 489). However, the foundation sire chosen by the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeder's Association was a black horse named Black Allen, born in 1886. He was the offspring of a trotter stallion, named Allendorf and a Morgan mare, named Maggie Marshall. It was the crossing between Black Allen and a mare of a breed now known as a Tennessee Pacer that created the Tennessee walking horse as we know it today.

The Tennessee walking horse in appearance can be a sight well worth seeing. The breed comes in a variety of colors, although the most common color is black. The walking horse usually has large bones, compared to other light horse breeds. Walking horses average between fourteen point three to seventeen hands high at the wither, or shoulder. A "hand" is four inches, about the width of a human hand across the knuckles at the base of the fingers. The breed is also known for their gentle, calm temperament and their long mane and tails.

Tennessee walking horses were bred for versatility on the plantations. Plantation owners wanted a calm, hardy horse that would be comfortable to ride over many acres of cotton fields. Uses for modern walking horses may be put into three categories: performance, pleasure, and work. Performance horses are used for showing in conformation shows, whether riding or leading in hand. Pleasure horses are used for recreation purposes such as trail riding. And work horses are used for ranch work or other agricultural uses such as pulling carts or buggies. The walking horse is a breed that performs well in all three categories, showing just how versatile they really are (Tennessee Walking Horse Breed Profile). Two famous performing walking horses were the Lone Ranger's horse, Silver, and Roy Roger's horse, Trigger.

The origination of the Tennessee walking horse is a highlight of Tennessee's history because of their importance to the plantation owners of the state. The origination of the walking horse in middle Tennessee helped to put that region of the state on