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  Discussion on Tennessee Walker conformation
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Member:
jerre

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 20, 2007 - 11:33 am:

I am really unfamiliar with Walkers, but have had a close relationship for a few days -- 2 loose horses showed up at my house! After finally finding the owner (who is going to pick them up soon!) I find that one is a walker.

This appears to be a 2 year old filly. Now, I'm used to TBs and warmbloods, so this may just be my ignorance.

But, she has the most pronounced bull neck (hugely overdeveloped under muscle) I have ever seen -- even on horses that are improperly ridden. Because of her age and size, I am assuming she's not being ridden yet. In addition her legs are so very straight I'd call her post-legged all around.

Is this a breed characteristic, or maybe just an awkward stage? Or, does she just have poor conformation? Or will these traits be just fine when she is gaiting?

She moves with her head very high and her nose straight out in front all the time, and is probably gaited. She looks like she has at least a running walk.

No offense meant to any walker folks out there!

Jerre
Member:
tangoh

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 20, 2007 - 3:34 pm:

No, these are not typical breed characteristics. Most walking horses have slender necks and carry their heads with good natural flexion and should definitely not be post legged. If she is as post legged as you describe, I find it hard to believe that she could be doing a 4 beat run walk as there definitely needs to be suppleness in the shoulders and a deep stride with the hind legs.

In general appearance, the Tennessee Walking Horse should have an intelligent look, neat head, well-shaped and pointed ears, clear and alert eyes, and a tapered muzzle. The neck should be long and graceful and the shoulders muscular and well sloping. The back should be short with good coupling at the loins. The animal should be deep in girth and well ribbed and the chest should be of good proportion and width. The croup should be generally sloping and the hips well muscled with muscular development extending down toward the hocks. The legs should be flat and cordy.

Ideally, when viewing a walking horse from the rear for structural correctness, you should draw an imaginary line from the point of the buttocks to the ground which should bisect the gaskin, hock and hoof. This will provide equal distribution of weight, equal bone pressure and equal strain on ligaments. It is not critical that a horse be perfectly straight from the ankles down. In fact, most horses naturally stand with the cannons parallel and toe out slightly from the ankles down. This allows a horse's stifle to clear the rib cage in flight, resulting in a longer-strided, freer-moving horse.


Conformation excellence of a walking horse's hind leg structure as viewed from the side is indicated by a line from the point of the buttocks to the ground. Ideally, that line should touch the hocks, run parallel to the cannon and be slightly behind the heel. A horse with too much angle in the hock joint is sickle-hocked.

If you search walking horse images on line you will find many descriptions of proper conformation.
Member:
jerre

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 21, 2007 - 11:21 am:

Thanks Sherri. This horse was loose and very very skinny. It may not have been purebred, and it certainly was in poor condition, in addition to its conformation issues. It was only about 13hh and turns out it was 5! So, it had been ridden, which could have helped create the bull neck.

I thought I was maybe looking at an awkward juvenile and it would grow out of it. Poor filly -- she can't be much fun to ride, or have much fun being ridden, either.

Jerre
Member:
tangoh

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 21, 2007 - 12:08 pm:

Now that is very odd for it to only be 13h and 5 years old. I suspect it's been crossed with something else.
Member:
ilona

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 21, 2007 - 1:49 pm:

Sherri that was a great conformation description of a TWH. I have 2, one fits perfectly, but is un-papered, fabulous gait. The other, bless his heart, is registered and his greatest assets are his huge heart and kind disposition, for the gods were not so kind when they gave him his long back and his slightly toed out front left. Wouldn't trade for the world! He does however have the smoothest gait, go figure.
Member:
tangoh

Posted on Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 - 12:35 pm:

I know what you mean Ilona. I have 3 walking horses and though they are all papered, the one with the greatest conformation definitely doesn't have the greatest breeding on his papers. The one that's papered to the 'hilt' is coming 5, still can't find his canter and tends to be pacey. He will be a great run walking machine in time, but it will take some work. He's not nearly as naturally inclined to a good 4 beat cadence as the other two whose papers aren't nearly as impressive.

Just goes to prove, you can't ride papers!

But, from an original quarter horse girl, I sure am a convert, and though we still have a quarter horse too, I sure prefer my walking horses, their personality, intelligence and that fabulous gait makes them a wonderful breed.
Member:
ilona

Posted on Thursday, Feb 22, 2007 - 5:45 pm:

What an great image...riding papers!
I swear some of the barns I've visited, or been a part of, over the years that's all they were riding, and with great snotty pride too! No aspergens on papered horses at all..I have them, its just sometimes the attitude that accompanies them makes me giggle!
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