This was written by me for the NWHA Judges Newsletter. I thought it would be helpful for general perspective. Tips on Pacing As a judge I have become a member of a panel of judges representing NWHA that have promised to protect and preserve the Tennessee Walking Horse. We protect the horse through enforcing the NWHA rulebook. We preserve the breed by respecting the traditional development of the Tennessee Walking Horse through the last two hundred years that produced length of stride while maintaining square equal four beat timed movement. There are two easy ways to tell if a Tennessee Walking Horse is performing a proper square equal four beat gait while long striding in the traditional way. First, a Walking Horse that is correctly square while performing either the flat walk or the running walk will form a “V” with their front leg back and their rear leg forward during each stride. If there is no “V” formed it means that the horse is moving in either a stepping pace or a foxtrot altering the timing necessary to create the “V” during each stride. This “V” is created as the front leg is moving backward and just breaks contact with the ground beginning to step forward while the rear leg is just lowering back toward contact with the ground stepping under that same side front leg as it moves up out of the way into forward motion. That moment when the two legs on the same side are closest together during the stride creates a very distinct “V” formed by the two legs’ positions. This is only possible if the horse has equal and proper timing. Talent is determined by the potential stride length of each mount without losing this mandatory timing. This is what makes the Tennessee Walking Horse special and distinct in the gaited community of horse breeds and the very movement that was so prized during the late 1800’s. This lengthening of stride and equal four beat timed movement produced the glide ride that was considered so important that it became necessary to protect it in 1935 from outcrossing by creating the TWH Breeders Association. TWHBA was formed to protect a breed, not start one. This became necessary as the Saddlebred and Foxtrotter introduced trotting bloodlines into their shared genetic pool separating them forever from being the same. In this shared genetic pool, only the Tennessee Walking Horse was bred to produce length of stride. Second, length of stride can be achieved in a stepping pace. While this is true, the stepping pace fails to produce equal four beat timing so it is not equal during judging assessment. The stepping pace does not require equal balance, athleticism or strength of design as it can be performed while lumbering along in a relaxed manner. The correct flat walk and running walk are enhanced by genetic balance and stride is produced through the traditional Tennessee Walking Horse physical design handed down over the last two centuries. The deep hip allowing the rear leg to sweep under the horse’s body pushing his body forward making it necessary to shake his head to counterbalance this long stride is unique to our breed and must be correctly preserved. It is possible to headshake in the stepping pace as this gait also strides long but lacks the balance necessary and relaxation through the back to develop the traditional headshake and may seem to shake side to side instead of straight up and down. So how do you see the signs of a potential stepping pace? The horse’s legs on the same side almost always leave the ground together to move forward yet may return to the ground slightly apart to produce four beats yet lacking equal timing. The key is to see if the legs leave the ground together because this is never possible if the horse is performing the traditional square equal four beat timed movement seen in the best Tennessee Walking Horses in all divisions.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:15:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015