Does Your Gaited Horse Have Some Tennessee Walking Horse In it?By Gaye DeRusso

The Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) is well-known for its distinctive overstride. They were bred to cover more ground in fewer steps, which is why breeders focused on horses with that overstride. Over the years, other breeders of gaited horses decided to mix in some Tennessee Walkers to enhance their own lines. They did this to create breeds that could cover more ground with larger strides.

Which Breeds? Well, the Missouri Fox Trotter (MFT) for one. Not all lines, but definitely some. It’s like we always want to make something good into something better, right? So, by adding TWH into these lines, they did get more overstride. But, as always, other factors come into play. I have heard that some Rocky Mountain Horses also have been mixed with TWH but I have only occasionally seen that TWH hindquarters in some Rockies. 
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Now you’ve got MFT horses that don’t look quite like what we used to know. Bigger strides? Yes. Lankier back ends? You bet. You can definitely see that TWH backend in some of these horses.

So, what do you end up with? Gaited horses that might look a little different than you expected. You might notice more swing in their gait, and maybe even a bit more pace.

Why Does This Matter? It matters a lot to owners. If you’ve got one of these lines, your horse’s backend might not look the same. When things don’t look or act the same, owners call the vet. But here’s the kicker—the vet might not know that TWH was added to the breeding line. So, when the backend looks and moves differently than they’re used to, they might diagnose your horse as having neurological issues.

Tennessee Walking Horses are bred to have overstride, and as time has gone by, some lines have become extreme in their strides and very pacey. Even if you didn’t want a walking horse, you might end up with one in your horse’s lineage.

It’s crucial to know that MFT are typically known for shorter strides. But if you’ve got one that shows more stride and overstride, it may not be as surefooted. It might feel different than the ones you’ve ridden before—maybe even feel neurological.

So, the short-strided, surefooted horse you were looking for might not be what you got. You could feel a lankier, walk. Some people might tell you your horse looks odd or lame, or that it’s not a purebred.

Just remember, it might have some TWH in it, and that’s why folks don’t understand why your horse moves the way it does. This can happen with any grade gaited horse. We humans always tinker with lines, thinking we can make them better, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.

My concern is that not everyone knows this. Those horses can get misdiagnosed as neurological because of their unusual movements. You may need to ride your horse more like a TWH—more contact, more engagement. Some TWHs can be really calm and even get trippy, so you might find yourself riding this horse more than you did your previous MFT,  or grade gaited horse.
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There are many things mixed together for better or worse, but the key is understanding what they did, why they did it, and how to handle it now. MFT used to have short strides, but that’s not always the case anymore. They gait well, but now you’re seeing more pace than you did before. So, just know that if your horse moves differently, it could have some TWH in it.