Silver Phoenix Ranch - The Gaits of the Tennessee Walking Horse

The Gaits of the Tennessee Walking Horse

After having worked with this breed for over a decade, I have discovered that there are some misconceptions in what the gait of the Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) truly is. I think that many people who ride a TWH know that the horse is supposed to perform the running walk, or run walk. Therefore, when they’re riding the horse and it is a smooth ride, they assume the horse is performing the running walk.

It is true that the preferred gait of the TWH is the running walk. It is executed in a precise manner that allows for maximum speed with minimal effort on the horse’s part. The cadence of the running walk creates a smooth, gliding ride for the rider, with minimal or no bounce. This movement has been refined through years of selective breeding and paying attention to the quality of the horses being bred. It cannot be trained—it’s a genetic trait that has been cultivated over time.

Within the TWH breed, however, there are many different gaits that the horses can execute. These gaits have different names based on how the body and legs are moving, concerning the timing of the footfalls, the head carriage, and the overall movement of the horse’s body. These gaits are discussed in detail on the next page.

Why are TWHs gaited?

The answer is actually quite simple. The TWH was developed by plantation owners in the Southern United States during the early 1900s. The goal was to create a smooth riding horse that had the strength and stamina to be ridden all day long throughout the hundreds of acres of crops that plantation owners had at the time. This way, the owner could check on his crops and workers, cover more ground in half the time, and not be tired at the end of the day from being bounced around in the saddle. The horses had to be strong and sturdy with a using conformation and capacity to withstand long, hot days in the humid climate of this area. The breed was also used as a working and utility horse, and has since become popular as a show and trail mount. Particularly, the breed was developed in the State of Tennessee, hence the state’s name in the horse’s breed name. It is the first breed to have been named after a state in the United States. It is possible that it is also the first gaited breed native to the United States.

So why can’t all TWHs perform the running walk?

It’s not that they can’t all perform it. It’s that some TWHs need more work to bring it out of them than others. I find there are four main issues that contribute to this.

The first issue is the mere act of putting a saddle and person on the horse’s back. The best way to explain this is to equate it with our own bodies. The combined weight of the average rider and saddle is about 230 pounds. The average weight of a horse is 1,000 pounds. This means the horse is carrying just under one-quarter of its body weight when a rider gets on its back. The average person (male or female) weighs about 175 pounds, so let’s fill a backpack with one-quarter of that person’s weight, about 44 pounds. If the person puts on this backpack, you’ll see him shift his body and carry himself differently to accommodate for the weight change. The same thing happens for a horse. While he may perform a perfect running walk in the field, it might take some coaxing to help him find his balance and be able to perform that same running walk under saddle.

The second issue is due to breeding. Over time, people have bred for certain traits such as size, color and temperament quality and have not considered the impact it could have on the horse’s gait. Therefore, some TWHs just aren’t built to correctly perform the running walk. That doesn’t mean that they’re not a true TWH or aren’t a smooth ride—it just means that it may not be in their conformation to be able to perform the true running walk that the TWH is famous for.

The third issue is poorly-fitted tack. Gaited horses are physically built different than traditional breeds. Their center of gravity is usually slightly behind their withers, while many traditional breeds’ center of gravity is at their withers. The bone and muscle structure of gaited horses is also slightly different. The legs are hinged to the shoulders and hindquarters differently than with traditional breeds. This change in conformation has developed over tens of years of breeding for the smooth gaits.

This means that tack designed for traditional breeds, such as Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, and Arabians, usually will not fit a gaited horse. Quarter Horse bars in a saddle can sit too wide on a gaited horse’s back, causing pinch points at the top of the horse’s rib cage. The trees designed for Arabian horses can be too deep for a gaited horse, causing undue pressure on the middle of the horse’s spine.

There are many manufacturers that have a line of saddles designed for gaited horses, and there are some companies that specialize mainly in gaited horse saddles (for example, Crest Ridge Saddlery). Many manufacturers have saddles designed with flexible trees that can fit a gaited horse better than a traditional tree. However, before going out and buying the first saddle you see that’s designated for a gaited horse, I highly recommend calling around to your local saddle shops or searching the Internet for someone who can help you fit a saddle to your horse. Sometimes you might get lucky and find that a traditional saddle will fit your gaited horse. For example, I used to have a saddle designed for Arabian horses that perfectly fit a Missouri Fox Trotter I was working with—he had high withers and a round back, very similar to an Arabian.

The fourth issue is lack of rider recognition of the true running walk. While I hate to say it, I find that many people that ride gaited horses truly don’t know what gait their horse is performing. If they don’t know what gait the horse is performing, then how can they help the horse to achieve his maximum capability under saddle?

Why is it important for the TWH to perform the true running walk?

There are two reasons why it’s important for the TWH to perform the true running walk. The first is because a horse that is not gaiting correctly for his conformation can wind up with back, neck, leg, knee, and shoulder problems over time. This can be a serious problem as the horse gets older as it can cause arthritis or more serious medical issues.

The second is relevant if you are interested in showing your horse. The TWH must be able to perform the gaits true to the breed in the show ring. TWH show venues all have rules and regulations specific to their venue, but the fact that the TWH must perform the gait true to the breed is consistent within all venues.

So how do I recognize the running walk?

Recognizing the running walk is easy once you know what you’re looking for. So I have attempted to explain the running walk and the other gaits of the TWH on these pages.

Please note that the following is a very basic explanation of what the different gaits are. I have tried to word the explanation of the gait so anyone can understand it. I’ve also included photos and videos to help illustrate what I’m talking about.

I also highly recommend that you consult the references included on the following page. I used these references to design these pages, and I think they are some of the best references available for explaining the gaits of all gaited breeds and helping riders understand why the above issues are so important.

Now, on to the fun part: learning about the gaits!

The TWH Gaits Chart

This chart illustrates the most common gaits I see in TWHs. It is arranged to show you how each gait works and the extremes of the gaits between the walk and the trot. Note that this doesn’t mean that these gaits are the only gaits of the TWH. There are other gaits that exist that the TWH can perform. However, I think these five gaits are the most easily recognized and are the easiest for me to explain.

Also note that other gaited breeds perform gaits that are specific to their breeds, such as the Paso Fino performing the paso llano, and the Icelandic performing the tolt. However, those gaits are not detailed here as I am mostly familiar with the TWH gaits. More about other gaited breeds’ gaits is available per the references on the following page. Those references were used to help develop these pages.

THE TWH GAITS CHART

Interpretation of the TWH Gaits Chart

Okay, so, what does all of this mean? Let’s break it down.

Lateral = On the same side; in this situation, refers to the legs on the same side of the horse.

Square = Four-cornered; in this instance, the feet hit the ground in four-cornered, evenly spaced footfalls.

Diagonal = On opposite sides and opposite corners; in this case, referring to the legs.

2-Beat = There is an obvious 2-beat sound, similar to a march.

4-Beat = There is an obvious 4-beat sound, similar to the chugging of a train.

A 2-beat gait means there is suspension between beats while the legs switch positions. In the case of a lateral 2-beat gait such as the pace, the legs on the left side are in the air while the legs on the right side are on the ground. When the two sides switch, there is a moment when all four feet are off the ground, creating a split moment of suspension. This suspension is what creates the bounce in a trot or a pace.

A 4-beat gait means there is no suspension between beats when the legs switch positions. In the flat walk, the horse usually always has three feet on the ground and one in the air as he’s traveling. In the fast 4-beat gaits, such as the speed rack, the horse will always have one foot on the ground and three feet in the air. In this way, the legs are each placed independently and there is no suspension. Therefore, this lack of suspension is what creates the smooth ride because there’s no bounce.

Next Page: The Breakdown of the Movement of the Gaits

(including the rack)

PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE BUT AS A GUIDE ONLY TO UNDERSTANDING THE GAITS OF THE TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE. WE HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO STUDY THE GAITS OF THE TENNESSEE WALKING HORSE THROUGH RESOURCES AND PERSONS EDUCATED IN THE CORRECT FORM OF EACH GAIT. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS RESULTING FROM THE ABOVE INFORMATION.