Training a Trotting Tennessee Walking Horse to gait - Part 1

[pawnansell]

We do field trials with bird dogs and ride 50 miles a day when we trial the dogs and we usually go for 3 to 5 days at a time. I don't show any horses never have

[pawnansell]

Email me pawnansell@gmail.com I'll give you my number and call me I'll tell you I have had tenn walkers for 30 years and now I have 7 in the back it is all about setting the head of the horse. If you don't he will not do what he was bred to do

[pawnansell]

Now like I said before set his head tenn walking horses rock off the crown and bit, head high come up in the front and slide in the rear. If you don't do this you get a pacing horse with a low head as your horse has. And this horse has no over stride . To get a smooth ride the horse needs a 12 in or more over stride when just walking. Looks like his hips are out of place and crooked back legs, so he can get up under himself . The horse also has a long back which is also not too good for a smoot

[ivyschex]

@pawnansell Did you watch the video of Ranger (horse for sale)? He is gaiting super smoothly without the over track. We aren't training these horses to do a show rack, but to do a smooth gait.

[pawnansell]

First of all tenn walking horses do not trot!

[ivyschex]

@pawnansell Excuse me? What do you mean? This horse, in this video does trot a little. I do not encourage him to do it, he does it on his own. I have know other TWH who trotted as well, then with training, they learn to gait beautifully.

[Carbinex3]

PART II: This does two things, creates stretch/ endurance/balance and secondly, gets that one, two, three, four footfall set into their minds and makes it a habit. If you do this everyday as often as you can on AND off, eventually the horse is run walking and doesn't even know it. :)

[Carbinex3]

I have trained a few walkers and rockies that had poor gaits (some that trotted, paced and a few that couldn't do anything at all but walk). You are on the right track. Trotting is a lot easier than the run walk and usually is a sign of poor balance, strength and endurance. The best thing I have found is the simplest and seems you have the right idea. Just put him in a walk, and push him to walk as fast as he can without breaking.