Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse 17
Pleasure Horses Great are going to be exaggerated by every trick of the trade that the trainer knows in order to get him to lift his feet higher . He will be drilled day in and day out . His feet will be shod in a special way , his front hooves elongated and weighted , forcing him to lift his feet high to keep from stumbling .
The long front feet would go hard on a pleasure horse on the trail . On the other hand , the show horse would not have the action necessary in the show ring without them . The high action of the show horse is not natural , therefore is man made . It is trained into him until that is all he knows how to do . Every movement of the rider is a command to the horse . The seemingly squatting position of the hindquarters of the show horse in the fiat walk is trained into him and is not a natural position . You do not find this in the pleasure horse . There are many horses trained for the show ring that just do not make the grade , therefore they are generally converted into pleasure horses . On the other hand , there are horses that are being used for pleasure that would have made fine show horses .
If you have never seen the pleasure horse in action , find a training barn and watch one in action . If you want to learn to ride the Walker , start with the pleasure mount first and learn all there is to know . If you have always wanted to ride and own a show horse , then , after learning with the pleasure horse , you can continue on with the show horse . But , above all , do not confuse your pleasure horse with the show horse . Keep in mind , that , while they are the same breed , they just do not have the same kind of action .
Remember this in your search for a good horse . Just because a horse isn ' t well marked or flashy and does not step high wide and handsome , it does not mean he is not the horse for you . Remember this , too , that the pleasure horse of today , the ones you see taking their riders on a ride through the hills or mountains , were the fine show horses of yesterday . Some of our pleasure horses of today would have put yesterday ’ s show horses to shame .
Perhaps , after all of this , I have missed something . If so , I am sorry . It is important to you , to me , to everyone , that you know the difference between the two types of Walking Horses so that you do not look for the wrong things . I think that the pleasure horse is just as important and valuable as the show horse . In a different way , perhaps , but still an integral part of our being horsemen and women . We cannot overlook the pleasure horse . They give relaxation and fulfillment to all that want to own a good riding horse . May the young and old alike , who always dreamed of owning a good horse , someday be blessed with the best of them all , a Tennessee Walking Horse .
Two Shadow Colts —$ 5,000
Just got some news from way back in Lincoln County , Tenn . ( Fayetteville ) that two yearling Shadow colts were sold for $ 2,500.00 each . That ’ s great ! I was asked if those same colts would have brought that price here . The answer is no ! They would not ! Why ? It seems strange that someone would travel from here to Tennessee and pay $ 2,500 to $ 8,500 for a colt when they could get the same breeding here .
It ' s wonderful , really , that people are so wrapped up in the Walker that they will pay a good price for a good colt , but why go so far away to do it ? That is a question that is almost impossible to answer ! Good broodmares were imported that were bred to the finest stallions available in order to have well-bred colts born in the West so that good horses could be obtained here . Not only that , but the transportation of those same colts would cost little , or nothing at all , in comparison to the transporting of the horses from the Eastern and Southern states .
In our own barn here in Sacramento a person would find mares and colts with Merry Boy , Merry Go Boy , Go Boy ' s Shadow , Last Chance , Midnight Sun , Giovanni , Brooks , Byrom ' s Allan and White Merry Boy breeding . At one time , California was the culling place for Walking Horses from the East , but that is not the case today . We have bloodlines just as high as anywhere in the United States .
California has awakened to the fact that they have to have well bred horses in order to compete with Eastern states . In this Golden State you can find Midnight Sun ' s , Midnight Secret ’ s , Midnight Mack K ’ s , Merry Go Boy ’ s Rodgers ' Perfection ' s and broodmares with the old line of Merry Boy , Wilson Allen , Joe Allen , Slippery Allan , White Merry Boy , Blue Namron , Giovanni , Mountain
Man and many others . We are proud of our horses .
It took time to obtain those excellent lines of breeding , but we did it . Yes , indeed , we are proud of our Walking Horses . Just ask the Californian who owns one .
Reporter Gets ‘ 3-Hour ’ Story
On Monday , February 11 , 1963 , a reporter from the Sacramento Bee had an appointment with Leonard Dunn , a Walking Horse trainer at the Leonard Dunn Training Stables in Sacramento . I too got a story on the Tennessee Walking Horse , its popularity , growth in California , use of the horse , the pleasure boom , the difference in training for pleasure and show and all other phases of the Walking Florse industry from its birth to the modem day Walker . We discussed the Walking Horse in its entirety .
The reporter asked us what he should look for at a horse show , how he could tell whether the horse was performing correctly or not , how long it took for the horse to become a polished show horse , and many other things regarding the Walking Horse . We took out two horses , saddled them , and put them through a performance test , one a fine show horse , the other an ordinary pleasure horse .
From this showing , he could see the difference in the way they were handled , trained , ridden , and he could also see for himself the difference between the two types of horses . Altogether , I believe we spent about three hours discussing the Walking Horse . A photographer is going to come out , now , and get pictures to go along with the story . Just when the story will break , we do not know- . However , it will be in the special Sunday edition , so , Californians , watch for it . It should be of vital interest of all Walking Horse owners .
Midnight Joe Owner In St . Petersburg , Fla .
Mrs . Paula H . Below , 5449 100 Way , North , St . Petersburg , Fla ., writes that she is the owner of Midnight Joe , a 15-year-old son of Midnight Sun . She has owned Joe for three years and hopes to secure additional information on his background . This horse was owned for several years by Mr . H . S . Alexander of Clinton , Ky ., says Mrs . Below . She visited in the Shelbyville , Tenn ., area during the Celebration and greatly enjoyed meeting trainers , owners and breeders at the Stables in Middle Tennessee , she adds .