Who else owns a Tennessee Walker!?

[Redcatcher]

He is a fine looking horse I think. Well put together but I am curious about the bulging neck muscles on the underside of the neck. It makes me believe that he has learned to brace against the bit. Is someone riding him with heavy hands? And why is he in being ridden in a snaffle bit rather than the traditional curb? I also have to ask if he is papered. He is somewhat lacking in breed type. I am not saying he is not purebred but deviates from the typical TWH conformation.

Edit: Typo

 

[welsummerchicks]

Snaffle is traditional for some styles of riding, curb for others.

 

[theoldchick]

He looks like a nice using horse who needs to be ridden with a nice rounded back. Gaited horses are made a bit different and are wired different in the way they are supposed to move. Good fitting tack is important and stick with a natural hoof trim. May I suggest visiting Gait of Gold website? It has a lot of information on maintaining your horse's gait naturally.

 

[seminolewind]

Yes, I have one and I love her! She's a good girl, a little spooky sometimes. I've had her for 5 years,
I don't know much about TWH confirmation, but I would say that if they gait nicely, they must be put together pretty good.

 

[Redcatcher]

Quote:
Well if one chooses not to gait their TWH....

 

[Orchid]

Quote:
Well if one chooses not to gait their TWH....

My mare gaits just fine down the trail in a snaffle.

It may not be a "show" gait, but it is darned comfortable.

 

[patandchickens]

I used to do some several-hour trail rides on a borrowed TWH who would do some sort of non-WTC gait much of the time. I have no clue what it was, and presumably it would not have impressed show ring judges, but it was steady and fast and easy and clearly what the horse was "meant" to do. And that was in a snaffle.

Pat

 

[michickenwrangler]

Quote:
Yup. Same with the horse I rode in October, but he was just a baby at 2 yrs old. He needed a snaffle. He paced more than gaited, but he was mellow and willing to please. He was such a difference from my 18 yr old endurance Arab cross who balances herself perfectly downhill, responds to slight shifts of my weight and neck reins like a dream. A friend teased me "Looks like you lost your cruise control and power steering!"

What Pat has said on many different threads, riding different horses is good for you so, again, a good experience for me.

 

[welsummerchicks]

'Well if they choose not to gait their TW'

Plenty of horses gait very well in a snaffle bit. Some people have always used a curb so think it's necessary. In other parts of the world the tradition is to use a snaffle and it goes rather well....

The big lick show TW horses are generally ridden in a curb bit. That doesn't mean everyone has to use that sort of bit.

Most people don't 'bit up' or 'gait up' the TW's.

They ride in a pleasure riding style - usually not even pushing the horse up into the bridle, just easing along on a loose rein. A mild curb bit(for western riders) or a snaffle(for the english riders) is what most people use for them.

The gait is not as exaggerated as the show 'big lick', and is very comfortable.

 

[Hound]

How absurd to think a TWH can only gait in a curb bit. I wouldn't want to own any horse of any breed that can only perform a certain gait in a certain bit. Can TB's not gallop in a curb bit?

A naturally gaited horse should only have issues performing if their rider is so bad as to seriously impede them.

Back to the OP, I think he is a fine, noble looking horse. I'd be proud to own him.