TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE
This was my father's favorite breed of horse. (My last words in my post above made me change what had been going to be today's word--he often likened riding a Tennessee Walker to sitting in a rocking chair.)
The running walk is the gait for which the walking horse is most noted! This extra-smooth gliding gait is basically the same as the flat walk with a marked increase in speed. This breed can travel 10 to 20 miles per hour at this gait. As the speed is increased, the horse over-steps the front track with the back foot by from 6 to 18 inches. The more "stride" the horse has the better "walker" it is considered to be, for this gives the rider a feeling that he or she were gliding through the air as if propelled by some powerful but smooth-running machine. Walking horses relax certain muscles while doing the running-walk, some nod their heads in rhythmic timing, swing their ears in perfect motion, and some even snap their teeth. The running walk is a smooth, easy gait for both horse and rider. A bit of its history:
Mainly used for utility and riding stock, he gained wide popularity for this ease of gait and ability to stride faultlessly over hills and through the valleys of the rocky middle Tennessee terrain. For full details on all the breeds that were combined to create this breed, and more (pictures too), you can go to:
http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/tenn.htmlOk, Helen--it took me a while to find a good source! :-)
