Tennessee Walking Horse

Tennessee Walking Horse is an American horse breed developed in the southern United States, chiefly Tennessee, in the nineteenth century by crossing Narragansett Pacer, Standardbred, Morgan, Thoroughbred and American Saddlebred stock, selecting above all for a smooth, natural four beat running walk gait distinct from the two beat trot of most horse breeds. In that running walk, the horse's hind foot oversteps the print of its front foot, giving the rider an unusually smooth ride even at speed, a trait useful to farmers and plantation owners who spent long hours in the saddle and central to the breed's development. The breed has been associated with a controversial training practice called soring, the deliberate injury of a horse's forelegs to exaggerate its show gait, which is illegal in competition and has drawn sustained scrutiny and reform efforts from regulators and animal welfare organizations. Tennessee Walking Horse remains popular for pleasure riding and showing, valued by many owners for its smooth gait and calm disposition.