The History of Tennessee Walking Horses ~ by Michelle Shocklee

Tennessee Walking Horses are magnificent animals. I could spend hours watching them run through emerald green pastures, not far from where we live. But I'll be honest...I'd never heard of the breed until I moved to Tennessee and began research for my novel All We Thought We Knew, which is set on a Tennessee horse farm. The breed's unique gait, plus an abundance of controversy surrounding competitions involving these horses, not only makes for interesting research into a novel, it also makes for an interesting blog post! 

A beautiful Tennessee Walking Horse;
Photo: A Walking Horse Ranch

THE BREED

Beginning in the late 18th century in Middle Tennessee, a unique breed of horse was born - the Tennessee Walking Horse. Early settlers of this region came from Virginia, the Carolinas, and other surrounding states, and brought with them various breeds of horses. Standardbreds, Morgans, Thoroughbreds, Canadian and Narrangansett Pacers. Even gaited Spanish Mustangs from Texas had a role in the creation of a new breed of horse. By combining the traits of these great horses, the foundation was laid for the Tennessee Walker, who developed distinctive qualities of its own. 

Black Allan at James Brantley's farm, 1905

In 1886, a foal named Black Allan was born. He was out of a Morgan and Thoroughbred cross mare named Maggie Marshall, a descendant of Figure and the Thoroughbred racing stallion Messenger; and sired by Allandorf, a Standardbred stallion descended from Hambletonian 10, also of the Messenger line. Black Allan is now considered the foundation sire of all Tennessee Walking Horses. 

Tennessee Walking Horses come in all colors and a variety of patterns. The most prominent characteristic of the breed is their swift and smooth "running walk." This gait is inherited and cannot be taught to a horse who does not possess it naturally. It is a square four-beat gait with a gliding motion, and a bobbing of the head and swinging of the ears accompany each step. Some Walkers are even known to snap their teeth in time. When performing the running walk, these horses will overstride, placing the back hoof ahead of their forehoof print. Traveling at speeds from 6 to 12 miles per hour, Walkers can sustain this gait for long distances without fatigue to themselves or their passengers.

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration was founded in 1939. It began with a parade and elaborate pageant that depicted the evolution of the Tennessee Walking Horse breed from its original use as a plow and utility horse, to its present use as a show horse. The first Celebration was held in Wartrace, Tennessee, and attracted over 40,000 people.  The Celebration later moved to Shelbyville, which is located about 60 miles southeast of Nashville, and Shelbyville is now known as the Walking Horse Capital of the World.

THE CONTROVERSY

2014 Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.

(Photo: Margret Wood/Flickr)

The Celebration has often been criticized with allegations of soring of horses at the event, an abusive practice designed to make horses step higher and illegal under federal law by the Horse Protection Act of 1970. The sponsors of the Celebration have consistently denied the allegations. Every horse entered in the Celebration must undergo an inspection designed to detect sored horses conducted by an inspector before the horse is allowed to show. In 2006, the concerns escalated between trainers and inspectors. Initially, trainers refused to submit their horses for inspection, creating a stand-off that required law enforcement intervention. Then, prior to the World Grand Championship finals, inspectors disqualified all but three of the finalists. A group of approximately 150 people gathered, demanding that the disqualified horses be allowed to show. However, citing safety concerns, the show management cancelled the class altogether and no World Grand Champion was crowned that year.

While I don't get into the shameful practice of soring or the Celebration in my novel, they are part of the history of all Tennessee Walking Horses. If you're interested to read more on the subject, there are quite a few informative articles about it online. 

Tennessee Walking Horses are amazing, gentle, glorious animals that should be loved and treated with the utmost care by anyone fortunate enough to own one. 

Your turn: Are you a horse lover? Had you heard of Tennessee Walking Horses before?

Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels, including Count the Nights by Stars, winner of the Christianity Today Book Award, and Under the Tulip Tree, a Christy Awards and Selah Awards finalist. Her work has been included in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books, magazines, and blogs. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of two sons and mother-in-law to two beautiful daughters, she makes her home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Visit her online  at www.MichelleShocklee.com

ALL WE THOUGHT WE KNEW

Releases October 1, 2024

1942
Ava must put her life back together after her husband is killed at Pearl Harbor. A job at Camp Forrest provides income, but it also puts her in contact with Enemy Aliens interned on the military installation. Can she trust the German medical student whose friendship means more to her than it should?

1969
Mattie ran away from the pain when her brother was killed in Vietnam. Now she’s back in Tullahoma facing another devastating loss. Yet it is the bundle of WWII letters Mama insists she reads that makes her question everything she thought she knew about herself.

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