Made for Walking
This Tennessee Walking Horse stallion, The Pride Piper, exhibits most of the conformational traits that seem to go with a rapid walk:
1 A short back and sloping shoulder, which seem to help him reach forward with his hind legs for a long walking stride.
2 A croup that slopes down toward his tail, which also seems to help him reach forward with his hind legs for a long walking stride.
3 An "uphill build," with his withers higher than his croup, which seems to point toward freedom of shoulder movement, essential for a good walk.
4 A moderate or even slightly narrow chest when viewed from front, and an extremely deep chest (withers to sternum) when viewed from the side. A deep chest aids lung capacity.
5 Pasterns set at a moderate 45-degree angle, which absorbs shock while retaining strength.
6 Moderate muscling, for endurance.
7 A moderately long neck and reasonably large head, which act as a pendulum for balance and rhythm. (Note that a head nod is always present during the walk and during the running walk of gaited animals.)
Dan Aadland (http://my.montana.net/draa) raises mountain bred Tennessee Walking Horses and gaited mules on his ranch in Montana. His most recent books are The Best of All Seasons, The Complete Trail Horse, and 101 Trail Riding Tips. Sketches from the Ranch: A Montana Memoir is now available in a new Bison Books edition.
