Tennessee Walking Horses are great all-around horses. They have a good temperament, are sturdy and reliable. They are best known for their style of walking, and comfortable ride, but there is much more to Tennessee Walkers. The Tennessee Walking Horse’s gait is just one of many desirable traits of this breed. Although the footfall pattern of the running walk is the same as for the regular walk, the speed of the gait is much faster. These horses can travel at 10–20 mph (16–32 km/h).
They are very gentle and caring, and we can see this in our video, where a Tennessee Walking Horse mare takes on an orphan foal with her own. The Tennessee Walking Horse’s gait is just one of many desirable traits of this breed. There are plenty of other qualities of a Tennessee Walking horse that make them a preferred horse breed by all horsemen.
Tennessee Walking Horses are the right choice of horse for the beginner rider. These horses are known for their naturally calm disposition and desire to please their owner. They’ve been bred to exhibit the best traits of quarter horses, thoroughbreds, and standardbred horses. The result of this mixture is the Tennessee Walking Horse, a horse that is calm, willing, and athletic, traits desired in a horse for any level of rider.
But especially important to a person without much experience in horseback riding, is having a horse with a calm demeanor. A high-strung or spooky horse could derail a new riders’ enthusiasm for riding pretty quickly. Horses are large animals, and sitting on their back is quite scary for someone not used to horseback riding.
It is common to be in a group of horses and one person’s horse to spook or act up. When this happens, a beginner rider needs to be on a horse with a steady disposition and one that won’t get excited. Tennessee Walking Horses don’t spook easily.
