WALK – DON’T RUN
Walking Comes Natural to this Horse

Ellen Gehrke and Fancy. Photos by Jim evans

By Jim Evans

The Tennessee Walking Horse comes by its name naturally — by its natural gait and its origins in the middle Tennessee bluegrass region. And, according to the International Museum of the Horse, it is the first breed of horse to bear a state name.

Yes, this horse really has a unique “walk.” There are three different gaits for which the horse is famous — but the running walk is probably the gait for which the walking horse is most known. The smooth, gliding gait gives the rider the feeling of “gliding” through the air, and the horse can travel almost effortlessly at 10 to 20 miles an hour at this gait, its head nodding in cadence with every stride.

Carsten Gehrke with Lulu. Photos by Jim evans

Ellen and Carsten Gehrke of Ramona recently acquired two Tennessee Walking Horses — Fancy Flower, aka “Fancy,” and Lucinda, aka “Lulu” — to add to their already impressive stable of horses.

“They are so gentle,” said Ellen Gehrke, who has been around horses most of her life, “and they are a pleasure to ride.”

The breed’s gentle disposition and easy gait are what makes it such a popular mount. Ellen Gehrke concurred that “they are great for trail riding.”

Officially recognized as a distinct breed of light horse by the U. S. Department of Agriculture in 1950, the Tennessee Walking Horse is one of the 10 most recognized horse breeds in America, according to the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors Association. It also is one of the fastest-growing horse breeds.

The horse typically ranges from 14.3 to 17 hands and weighs 900 to 1,200 pounds.

“They have relatively short backs, with long beautiful necks, and the bottom line is shorter than the top, allowing for their long stride,” Ellen Gehrke said.

The breed represents a composite of several well-known breeds, including the Morgan, Thoroughbred, Standardbred, American Saddlebred, Narragansett Pacer and Canadian. It is possible to see many of the distinctive characteristics of these other breeds in today’s Tennessee Walking Horse, according to the International Museum of the Horse.

Tennessee Walking Horses come in all colors and a variety of patterns. Lulu, for example, is bay (brown) in color, while Fancy has a more unusual “marbled” Palomino appearance.

Because the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association — the official governing body for Tennessee Walking Horses — does not discriminate against different colors in the breed, there is something to please every horse enthusiast. More than 300,000 horses of every color are registered with the TWHBEA.

For further information about the Tennessee Walking Horse, contact the TWHBEA at (800) 350-1574 or visit www.twhbea.com.