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The practice of soring
Hi! Now that we have discovered the beauty and grace of the Tennessee Walking Horse, I’m afraid it’s time to speak about the dark side of the story of this breed; soring. Let me start from the beginning. In 1940’s and 1950’s, the popularity of the Tennessee Walking Horse to the American public skyrocketed thanks to this special, extended gait. In fact, the more extravagant the gait, the more charming the horse. Furthermore, it was found that horses which were not “adequately gifted” could improve their gait with some intensive training. Exaggerated gaits also began to fascinate show judges too. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, “soring is the…
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A Video of the Tennessee Walking Horse
Remember the post about the Tennessee Walking Horse? As we do with every breed, now it’s time to watch the Tennessee Walking Horse in action. Amongst the thousands of videos that exist out there, I chose for you an informative video produced by the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association. The video is in fact a compilation of clips which feature historical representatives of the breed. It shows us beautiful short films from past generations, when breeding and training a horse was a small farmer’s business and had little relevance to today’s profit-hunting and the extended exploitation and abuse. * Watch carefully how natural and relaxed horses and riders…
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The Tennessee Walking Horse
Hello, dear people! It’s been long since the last time I presented an equine breed, hasn’t it? So, I thought I should write about the famous Tennessee Walking Horse! The Tennessee Walking Horse is an American breed, founded in Middle Tennessee. Its genetics is a mixture of the Narragansett, the Canadian Pacer, the Standardbred, the Thoroughbred, the Morgan and the American Saddlebred. Weighing between 900 and 1200 pounds, the Tennessee Walking Horse is considered to be a light equine breed. It was initially bred as a working horse, but in the modern times it is considered a recreational mount, because, except for its gentle disposition and calm, manageable temperament, it also offers…