Tennessee Walking Horse Breed Guide: Height, Diet, and Characteristics - A-Z Animals

The Tennessee Walking Horse is a breed from, you guessed it, Tennessee! Since 1790, the Tennessee Walking Horse has captured riders’ hearts around the world because of their lovely movements and friendly personality. If you have ever wanted to know anything about the Tennessee Walking Horse, consider this your ultimate guide to the gaited breed.

The Origin of the Tennessee Walking Horse

This horse breed is a cross between the Canadian Pacer and Narragansett Pacer mixed with the Spanish Mustangs of the late 18th century. These breeds were often used for driving because of their power.

Over time, Morgans, Standardbreds, Saddlebreds, and Thoroughbreds made their way into the bloodline. The Tennessee Walking Horse is bred for its rideability and good-natured attitude.

The Gaited Gene

Tennessee Walking Horses are a gaited breed. They have a special gene that offers a smoother ride. The Paso Fino is another breed with this gene that naturally gave them distinct, show-stopping movement. The Tennesee Walking Horse’s gait is called the “running walk.” Reaching speeds of up to eight miles per hour, it’s both efficient and smooth.

Horse Soring

What’s not smooth is horse soring, the inhumane practice of purposefully inflicting pain to produce exaggerated gaits in breeds such as the Tennessee Walking Horse. They are locked away in a stall with chemicals wrapped over their legs. This practice is banned in North America, but still prevalent in places like Tennessee and Kentucky.

Tennessee Pacer, Tennessee Walker, or Tennessee Walking Horse?

You might have heard the Tennessee Walking Horse being called the Tennessee Walker. You might also see it written as a TWH. This is the same breed, there are just different ways to say it. In fact, this horse was originally known as a Tennessee Pacer!

The horse world is full of acronyms, different languages, and confusion about common questions — like what’s a breed versus a color. That’s why it’s always best to get your information from trusted sources.

Characteristics of the Tennessee Walking Horse

The Tennessee Walking Horse is a wonderful pleasure-riding mount. The breed isn’t high-strung, so their calm disposition means they are a fun horse for riders of all levels. This is what makes them one of the most popular horse breeds in North America.

But before we talk about what makes them so special to own, let’s go over the breed standard colors and the height of a typical Tennessee Walking Horse.

Common Tennessee Walking Horse Colors

The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) accepts many colors such as black, bay, brown, chestnut/sorrel, palomino, cremello, buckskin perlino, and different variations of champagne. This breed can also have patterns, dilutions, and modifiers! There is no Tennessee Walking Horse that looks exactly like the other.

Tennessee Walking Horse Height and Weight

The average height of a Tennessee Walking Horse is 14.3 to 17 hands high. They weigh between 900 to 1,200 lbs on average. They are a fairly tall breed yet have a slim build that helps them glide across the ground.

Top Traits of the Tennessee Walking Horse

This breed is most known for its flashy movements thanks to their gaited gene. They have a friendly disposition and are easy to handle, whether you’re riding or driving them. Their good-natured temperament makes them a great horse for beginner riders, but their spirited movements can also help you win in the show ring. Tennesee Walking Horses are an all-around versatile breed.

Tennessee Walking Horse Breed Guide: Suitable Uses

The Tennessee Walking Horse is an adaptable breed. They are commonly used in a variety of different ways such as for dressage, pleasure driving, trail riding, and even light farm work. This is your guide to the Tennesse Walking Horse’s uses as a gaited breed.

Dressage

Flashy movements and smooth gaits make the Tennessee Walking Horse an obvious choice for dressage. Their trot is comfortable and they have a beautiful rocking-chair canter. They also excel in this rigorous equestrian sport because of their sensible temperament and elegant presence in the ring.

Pleasure Driving

While Tennessee Walking Horses are a common dressage mount, this breed is just as naturally suited for the equestrian sport of pleasure driving. They are strong yet supple, plus their smooth pace makes riding in the carriage or cart behind them a pleasurable experience.

Trail Riding

That same pleasure is extended when you choose to ride a Tennessee Walking Horse on the trail. These horses are wonderful to ride across any distance, but especially long ones, because of their smooth gait. Plus, they are a reliable breed that isn’t high-strung or spooky.

Light Cattle Work

Their bombproof nature is also what makes the Tennessee Walking Horse great for light farm work. While this breed might not be the most popular choice, many ranch owners say these horses love to move cows. They are also adept at driving, which comes in handy for plowing fields.

The Health and Diet of a Tennessee Walking Horse

You can expect a Tennessee Walking Horse to live between 28 and 33 years. They are generally easy keepers and kind pasture mates.

Health

Tennessee Walking Horses are a generally healthy breed, but they may develop some genetic health issues over time. Here are 5 to look out for:

• Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB)
• Cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM)
• Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy type 1 (PSSM1)
• Metabolic syndrome
• Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis

If you show or compete with your Tennessee Walking Horse, they are at an increased risk of even more conditions. They can develop degenerative joint disease, shipping fever, and gastric ulcers that affect performance and quality of life.

Diet and Nutrition

If you own (or want to own) a Tennessee Walking Horse, you might wonder what they eat. Like other horses, they require between 1% and 2% of their body fat in grass, hay, or grain per day.

That percentage increases if you use your Tennessee Walker Horse for daily farm work, ride often, or compete frequently. That’s because a working breed or performance horse used in competitions will need more, higher quality feed than one used for pleasure riding. And since this breed averages around 1,000 lbs, your feed bill can add up quickly!

The Cost of a Tennessee Walking Horse in 2023: Purchase Price

As with any horse breed, the cost of a Tennessee Walking Horse depends on their age, pedigree, and experience level. A pleasure-riding horse will cost much less than a show horse, so your priorities for buying largely dictate the price.

You can expect to pay around $3,000 for a rideable Tennessee Walking Horse and closer to $10,000 for a registered horse. They are a popular breed currently, so the market and time you buy will also dictate the exact price you pay for your Tennessee Walking Horse.

The Pros and Cons of Tennessee Walking Horses

The Tennessee Walking Horse is an incredibly popular breed, and for good reason. They are sensible, calm, and easy to train. They are also incredibly fun to ride! But there have to be some cons too, right? Let’s find out.

With naturally beautiful movements and a lovely attitude to match, It’s clear to see that this breed is a catch! Now that you know all about the Tennessee Walking Horse, what breed guide should we cover next?

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Teri and Jackie Soares/Shutterstock.com