Tennessee walking horse world grand champions (early years)

[TNMamaBear]

oh wanted to say thank you for this, brings back so many great memories for me. I remember watching Another Masterpiece come into the ring, and I fell instantly in love with that horse. I think Shades of Carbon and Ebony's True Grit were in that one, too, Shades got it next year and Grit the one after that.I was rooting for Another Masterpiece, my aunt for Shades of Carbon, and my mom for Ebony's True Grit, I've always teased her he had to try 3 times to get it, rofl, but they were all great.tx!

[TNMamaBear]

Heavens, I was at that 1969 horse show,was a kid, and man the skies opened up, and actually flooded the whole place! The drains in the ring got plugged from so much runoff and the horses were nearly swimming, we were nearly swimming to get to our cars! lol! I can remember seeing a wallet float by with money sticking out of it, being a kid I wanted to grab it, hehe. Cars were stuck in the instant mud, people couldn't even get out of the parking lot, it was nuts, but fun in a crazy way!

[finnito200t]

My horse has Midnight Sun, Ebony's Masterpiece, Wilson's Allen, Merry Go Boy, Sun's Ace of Spade, Sun's Delight D, Go Man Go, Tripple Lady, Pride of Stanley, in her back ground and she is 8 years ofd. She is listed in Equine now. Her name is Lady's Best Girl She is Golden Champagne and she is a loveable girl. Very smart and willing does anything you ask of her.

[GhostFearMe]

so beautiful..my favorite will always be shakers shocker cause his owner never sored him & she was VERY outspoken against it!!

[TNMamaBear]

@GhostFearMe I was honored to help care for Shaker's full brother, Shaker's Southern Heir, kids could crawl over and under him and he never cared, when his owner would breed him, she never had to put him in tie downs or twitch him or any of the horrible things I've seen others do to their studs, if it looked like the mare would kick, she'd calmly call him back and he'd go right to her. Greatest horse I was ever around!

[GhostFearMe]

@TNMamaBear sooo lucky wouldve loved to have seen him in person bet he could walk a hole in the ground!

[jake4252]

very interesting. To me if you can't post or ride a 5 gaited saddlebred... The Tennessee Walking horse is the way to go. I had one his papers were burnt in a fire. he was 17 when I bought him, then sold him to a stable in Iowa. I found his new owners & he was still giving lessons to children when he was like 21 y/o! the best horse I ever owned!

[smillsy71]

Why don't any of these "riders" pat their horses on the neck for working so hard for these dumb ribbons (and money)? And come to that, why are these horses panting harder after a couple of turns around the ring than any jumper after 3 courses of 8 jumps? It's interesting to see how comfortably the old horses could canter. Now, a canter is 'spur, yank, spur, yank' just to keep the horses from falling off their high heels.

[mschris32]

So I guess from the videos that trainers didn't start torturing these poor horses until the early 70's. Thank goodness for the inspectors at WH shows.

[bigbear8291]

@mschris32 After looking at teh video again, it looks like after 1953 things began to go downhill. Noticed beginning of pads being used. Also note the reletively loose rein and a more balanced riding position in the early days. Later, riders began getting a "chair seat" and riding with a hunched back.

I'll take my natural TWH's any day over many of todays "pacers".

[bigbear8291]

@mschris32 After looking at teh video again, it looks like after 1953 things began to go downhill. Noticed beginning of pads being used. Also note the reletively loose rein and a more balanced riding position in the early days. Later, riders began getting a "chair seat" and riding with a hunched back.

I'll take my natural TWH's any day over many of todays "pacers".

[lovestwh]

@mschris32 actually they started around the early-mid 50's. it wasnt until the 70's that people got really pissed off and brought the government in to stop it.. Many of the inspectors are corrupt and bought off. Sad day that it's 2011 and soring still exists. If judges wouldnt pin then it would help put an end to this practice.. Frankly I think pads should be banned in all shows. Sad thing the majority of the public doesnt even know what a natural correct running walk looks like..

[jaburchfield]

Will you please post the video of Midnight Sun? Do you have any of Rodgers Perfection or Carbon Copy?

[scm3u]

Stop sippin on the hater-ade and lay off the walking horses! These are the trademark champions!! Many of todays champions are decendents of these that you saw. Breeders have selcetively bred over the years to improve upon these gaits and improve on what you see here! Now if you want to start on hating about selective breeding think again next time you eat a angus burger or a big nice steak!

[Calicat1994]

Look at those guys walk....they sure were beautiful.

[katphoti]

I just wish we could go back to the Haynes Peacock, Strollin Jim and Merry Maid look. What amazing gaits and beauty in the natural movement of those animals.

[steppinon]

Great video

[breyercrazy1]

my grandpa had a colt out of midnigt sun

[Shansurri]

Thank you for showcasing such lovely examples of early Walking Horse breeding. I just wish we could get back to the simplicity and purity of the 1940's and 30's gaits! I hope this gets more hits in the future-- you really put together a nice video. :)

[Hogguide]

LOL!! i watched some of the personal videos of the folks crying about these horses not being natural, when their own horses aren't doing ANYTHING near the natural gait of the Tennessee Walking horse themselves.

Ignorance is bliss I guess.

[Way2Spirited]

@Hogguide You keep mentioning how long the horses live, so you believe that if as long as what you are doing doesn't KILL a horse, at least in a short period of time, then it's OK?

[fanninfire]

Seems all the horses before GoBoy's Shadow 1955-56 have a beautiful normal gait. After that it seems like most were fake and exaggerated so that must have been about the time when soring became so popular. A sad thing indeed!

[oneblackhorse]

Very interesting how early TWH World Grand Champs such as B. Major Wilson seem to almost be doing a fast rack in the show ring. That's thrilling to watch. I would much prefer to see horses move like that in the Celebration than the modern build-up way of moving which to me makes horses look like big, bizarre, unhappy spiders or aliens who appear to breaking their front legs with every step. What happened? My Walkers look more graceful gaiting barefoot!

[imtedkennedy]

What an amazing video of all those foundation horses! I get chills watching them work!

[HeavensGaitWalkers]

Amazing how they just get better and better each year...Strolling Jim and Melody Maid couldn't walk much better than some spotted horses I have had...just amazing how the breed got SO much better. Ebony Masterpiece was way ahead of his time - he looks good enough to have competed today.

[consanna]

Surpisingly, no video of either Midnight Sun or Merry Go Boy

[thetwh]

interestingly i just found a midnight sun vid but i still can't find merry go boy

[TwoWebs]

Looking at the early greats and comparing them to the modern trail pleasure horse or light shod, I definitely think that the modern horse is better than some of the first WGCh.

[MajiksGurl224]

either way they aint goin to be. im the same way, i hate what it does to them but they tryed for years and they got was checking them for mustard oil. if ya aint got mustard oil or any kind of soreing more than likely reguardless of how many inches oyu got on your horse your clear.

[MajiksGurl224]

eboneys materpeice was a materpeice! my horse is related to sensational shadow. do u know what year prides jubilee star was wgc

[katphoti]

This is an excellent video, thetwh. It's a great example how we can show people why we need to go back to the original focus of the breed--value the horse for its gait rather than how much reach and crouch it has. I don't think the gait has deterioated, but the attitude toward the horses' care and well being has. I pray that people will stop the Big Lick and find value in the natural gait again.

[TCBinTN]

No Prob., I completely agree, more talented horses today then there have EVER been! I have a 16.2hh Jose gelding that can walk a hole in the ground keg shod, deep backend great headshake, wonderful frontend etc. Have a 14hh silver design mare that is even better and can break level in kegs when in shape. Its been years since I bought a colt that didn't have talent. Beats the dog outta the "good ole days" when you could go through a dozen colts and not get one that could really walk!

[txcat52]

You have never ridden a true Walking horse or owned one.. I have had to put to sleep 2 Reg. Tennessee Walking Horse geldings who were each 36 years old.. I was proud to own and show both or them.

[Hogguide]

And of course, the anti padded walking horse mental midgets would ruin another video on youtube.

[Sky212]

Seriously, does it really look nice to you when horses walk with sharp bits in their mouths and high heavy shoes? Look in the horses eyes and tell me if they look happy. I saw a lot pictures with winning horses, they all showed damage on their legs. Seriously is that nice to you?

[Hogguide]

Show the "damage". If these horses were so crippled and abused why did most of them live LONG LIVES as breeding stallions??

Sharp bits?? PROVE IT. High heavy shoes?? 2-3" at the heel is high?? Heavy?? most weighed less than 3 pounds.

It appears you have been caught spreading the lies you have been bottle fed by the anti padded horse crowd. Dont worry. Your not the first idiot to swallow their BS.

[Sky212]

You want me to show the damage? Ok, give me your mail adress and I send you pretty shiny advertisements of the voice magazine, were you can clearly see open wounds.

[Hogguide]

IO get voice magazine and have never seen a horse advertised thats ha s"open sores". LOL!! What a LIAR.

[Sky212]

Look again, I see them constantly and clearly.

[Hogguide]

@Sky212

Still waiting for issue and apoge number of these "open sores" you claimed to see.

Surely you weren't LYING..... LOL!!

[Sky212]

And about the shoes... Do you even know how much damage a normal shoe causes? They did alot of research with shod and unshod horses and how much impact a normal shoe causes to the horses leg. When you know these proven facts you won't think so lightly anymore about this matter. Sharp bits? 'Metal in the mouth' by Dr. Robert Cook. Read it and tell me if those bits aren't sharp anymore. If you have any other scientific proven fact that shows that your right. Show me.

[Hogguide]

Normal shoes cause damage?? Really?? Wow..Horses have been wearing them for centuries and living to ripe old ages.

I am a 3rd generation farrier. I have seen way more horses left unshod and only trimmed that have more hoof issues than those that were shod regularly and correctly.

Your have some serious issues.I hope you can get the help you need for them.

6,500 unborn children were murdered today in America alone.Think about that while you worry over a horses foot.

[Sky212]

So you don't have any proven scientific informations for me?

[Hogguide]

Try Rood and Riddle.....The most premier equine vet company in the country. They have stood behind the padded TWH and proven the USDA investigations and claims of abuse to be BOGUS and UNFOUNDED.

I have 30+ years of "scientific research" seeing padded horses live long, healthy lives long after their padded show careers are over. In the early 80's I would show a padded horse on Saturday night and remove the pads and trail ride him all day on Sunday. Your beliefs are based on 1/2 truths and lies

[oneblackhorse]

@Hogguide I've owned Walkers for most of my life and have come across MANY former build up show horses with leg problems that our vets have attributed to either soring or overworking on build-ups. It is very sad and unfortunately much more common than you might think. These horses are unreliable even as pleasure horses as they tend to trip.

[Hogguide]

Sorry, but you are wrong. I personally know of two padded horses that are in their 20's that vets have given clean bills of health on. They have been tested at UTand found sound from their head to their toes.

My son's padded horse is taken off pads every September and trail rode and he doesnt "trip".

[oneblackhorse]

@Hogguide Sorry, but I am right. Some former padded horses are lucky and don't get leg problems, granted. But others do. We have bought and sold many, many Walkers over the many years we've been involved with the breed, and have indeed come across a great many former build-up horses with tripping issues and knee and joint issues. It's quite sad. Those build-up pads are very heavy and they can't help but put undue stress on the legs. Some horses are affected for life by them.

[Hogguide]

@oneblackhorse

You are repeating the sensationalized lies and propaganda of the anti padded, anti common sense people who hate the padded walking horse.

My dad has been a farrier for 35+ years. I was one for over a decade. The most abused horses I come across were your run of the mill, common trail and plasure horses. Padded horses, for the most part, have expert vet care and pampered and taken care of, above and beyond what most horses will ever be.

[fanninfire]

@Hogguide People who fight dogs take excellent care of their animals. So does that make it right? Keeping a free spirited animal locked up in a stall all of their life and making it wear a pair of high heels 24/7 is not being well cared for. Put a pair of high heels on and wear them 24 hours a day for a few days and your back, legs, and hips will tell you that you are wrong about this. Ban the "Big Lick" and save the TWH.

[Hogguide]

@fanninfire

And another uninformed , intentionally deceitful idiot speaks up.

#1..Comparing Dog fighting to Walking horses is asanine and shows your lack of competent knowledge o the subject.

#2..The horses do not wear "high heels" . There is guidelines on the angle of the hoof and proper angles have to be followed to keep the hoof sitting correctly. Your inability to be FACTUAL and RATIONAL shows just how uneducated and ignorant you are of walking horses and the top care they receive.

[Hogguide]

@fanninfire

A little more FACTS for you to chew on...on Any typical trail ride, a Common, keg shod trail horse will place it's ankles and hooves in more stressful angles and positions than a padded walking horse ever will.

The more you anti padded morons post your typical, regurgitated bile spoonfed to you by idiots like FOSH, only further solidifies the complete ignorance it takes to believe the garbage you spew.

[fanninfire]

@Hogguide 1. Talk to someone who breeds and fights dogs and they will defend what they do, and tell you to mind your own business if you say it is wrong. The comparison is rational because neither of you will admit you are abusing your animals.

[fanninfire]

@Hogguide 2. Ask anyone in the physical therapy field and they will tell you that when you change the natural position of the body it causes problems and pain. That is a fact! Padded shoes on a horse alters the natural position and weight distribution, so pain and joint problems occur. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that, and since you clearly are not one, what is your excuse?

[Hogguide]

@fanninfire

Let me educate you a little.....Your knowledge of the facts surrounding the shoeing of padded horses is seriously lacking.

The HPA and the USDA along with the TWH industry has guidelines for angles relative to the length of natural heel and toe. They have to be kept within the NATURAL ANGLES AND PARAMETERS of the hoof in relation to the structure of the leg and body. To make it REAL simple for you,if you have "X" amount of toe , you must have "X" amount of heel to be USDA "approved"

[tunagirll]

@Hogguide Which they then totally alter by introducing a wedge shaped stack to alter the overall angle of the hoof.

[oneblackhorse]

@Hogguide If you felt so confident that padding up horses and making them perform unnatural gaits was right, why would you respond in such an angry & insecure fashion when someone questions the practice? People who care about the well being of horses are NOT morons. Correctly shod flat shod horses and barefoot horses have the most natural hoof angles you'll ever see. To say otherwise truly IS complete ignorance. Coming from someone with a lifetime experience with Walkers (both pleasure & show).

[Sky212]

The first horse was nice to watch, all the others were just painfull to watch.

[RackingMajor]

walkindressage What horse is lame i didnt see please point them out

[walkindressage]

Talk of the Town is doing a hard pace &clearly hitching on L hind. Shaker's Shocker is hitching on R hind. Sensational Shadow is off on R front, gait timing is way off. Other horses(Go Boy's Shadow, Major Wilson) are doing a rack instead of running walk, no head shake w/ bobbing tail. Lame horses during this time is a given. This is the era where the govrnt finally cracked down on the industry after horses were coming into the arena w/ open wounds on the front legs.

[Hogguide]

The video of Talk of the Town is from the 70's when he was nearing 30 years of age.

The "abuse" of that era was nowhere as near as bad or rampant as people claim it was. Oddly enough, those horses from that era lived LONG lives and left their mark on thsi breed.

[walkindressage]

WOW! You can really see the decline in the natural gait. Some of the horses are actually visibly lame. At least the riders' postures are better than many show trainers of today.

[TCBinTN]

WOW you really have no clue. I was a baby of the 70's grew up riding those "natural horses" for trail and I can tell you the "natural gait" is far better today than it has EVER been. Easier to find a real walking horse today. The horses are just better. I also helped break colts with a guy who grew up in the 40's and had been riding and training flatshod since that time. He was amazed at the improvement in the breed. Your comments are ignorant.

[walkindressage]

I don't appreciate your negative statement toward me! My original comment was referring to the loss of the "natural walking horse" over the years. I have been training NATURAL pleasure walking horses for 15 years and I KNOW the definition of a true walk. Some of the horses in this video are NOT performing the true walk. If you are a padded horse enthusiast, that's fine by me, we are all entitled to our own preferences and opinions. Lets all grow up be professional and courteous.

[thetwh]

I am not trying to be rude but nicely say that the walking horse over the years has been interesting. The early world grand champions all displayed the true walk but with the introduction of boots and pads for a while the industry was trying to get used to them so you will realize that the running walks seemed a bit pacey on horses like ebony's masterpiece. But to say that the natural gait is deteriorating is very interesting.

[thetwh]

Most top trainers would say that it is better due to the introduction of Pride of Midnight H.F. who introduced the true loss walk and running walk we know today. Then many would say that horses like the Pusher C.G. & Prides Generator made the walking horse even more fluid in the walk. You can tell this because today when top trainers, train they can use 2 fast methods instead of the main slow one used before the times of Pride of Midnight H.F.

[thetwh]

One method is the beginning pace method where you pace the horse until it slows down get the true 4 beat walk and you can see the walk one their head really starts nodding. Or the method where you try to ease into the gait by simply dog walking for a while then let the horse really get into the motion. The main method used in the past because of many of the horses lack of ability was where you would pace or walk the horse until the where tired enough to settle into the flat walk.

[thetwh]

Just look at the video of the modern grand champions and you will see the truly animated nods on their heads compared to many of the champions before them. The industry has been trying to evolve over the years and it is pretty obvious that most of the horses can create the natural motion today. Compared to the strolling Jim's who many of their sons even trotted and didn't pace because the breed wasn't developed enough. You can get all this info from any top trainer in the industry. thanks

[thetwh]

If you want the best bit of proof look at the foals in the field of any top walking horse farm and look how loose their limbs are and how their heads are nodding already. But I thank you for taking the time to look at and comment on my video.

[TCBinTN]

You ASSUME for to much, While I do think the padded horse is a beautiful thing, I have spent the vast majority of my life breaking colts, and making out trail horses. If you have really been training so called natural walking horses for 15 years then you would have seen the vast improvement of the breed. Of course these horses are not performing a "natural" walk they have been trained to travel padded. Again if you knew as much as you claim you would understand the difference.

[thetwh]

I'm sorry to tell u but unless you have trained a trail pleasure world grand champion then you have not trained the true talent of today. Have you not seen the horses that perform the trail pleasure class today they are almost getting to the level of some of the plantation horses. And if you say i claim that i know so much as you stated in an earlier comment there is no need to be negative I just want to discuss the horses with no attitudes just facts.

[TCBinTN]

I was responding to WD not to you.

[thetwh]

ok im sory fr som reason i made a mistake and thought u were wd responding 2 me

[dusty41497]

interesting to see some of these older horses I had never seen video of.