October 2002

Informational Resources Specifically for the Tennessee Walking Horse

In support of our mission statement for educational development, here is the another edition of Info Gaits.

I often receive e-mails in the WWHA e-mail box requesting information on where to learn more about the Tennessee Walking Horse. Over the three years the website and e-mail box have been around…I have collected some answers to these questions and wanted to share the accumulation of resource info with the entire membership. Note, these are just personal or other member's discoveries. They are ideas to consider and not endorsements or advertisements for the products. You’ll have to make your own judgments.

Tack shops that specialize in walking horse supplies and apparel can be found in middle Tennessee. Here are some notables -- all have catalogs:

• National Bridle Shop…show duds and tack…near TWHBEA headquarters in Lewisburg, TN. Website: www.nationalbridle.com or call 1.800.251.3474.
• World Champion Horse Equipment…. tack and apparel…. near Celebration grounds in Shelbyville, TN. Website: www.eHorseEquipment.com or call 1.800.251.3490.
• Winners Circle…tack shop right on the Celebration grounds in Shelbyville, TN, website: www.wcircle.com or call 1.800.298.7398.
• Bedford Tack…. warehouse of horse supplies (or at least it seems like it goes on forever!) saddles, bridles, tack, and attire in Bell Buckle, TN 1.800.523.4971.
• Victors…. specializing in custom made Day Coats & show attire! Huge selection of custom fabrics. 615-377-3008

Walking Horse Museum? Yep….

The official Tennessee Walking Horse museum is located in Lynchburg, TN. (Note, it use to be located on the Celebration grounds in the Calsonic Arena, but recently was re-located to it’s own building in 2001.) The museum includes the history of the walking horse, memorabilia, tack, photos, horse awards, and more. Plan to spend a few hours. View historical videos, see the World Grand Champion retirement blankets, and learn all about our wonderful breed by seeing items from the past. (Oh, and just around the corner is the Jack Daniels distillery…which is also worth a stop to tour when you are in Lynchburg. Although it’s a dry county…so no samples are given out.)

There are many videos available that you can purchase (or ask around to see if you can borrow them from other WWHA members). Learn about gaits or training techniques specifically for the TWH. Some of the most noteworthy include:

• TWHBEA training videotape series……….order on www.twhbea.com
• Diane Gueck has 8 videotapes in her series…. training tapes, gaiting, shoeing, bits, etc. Order direct at Cheveaux Training Stables or 503-682-0277.
• Lonnie Kuehn videotape series – 10 subjects gaiting, buying, workouts, etc. Order on web: www.pleasuregaitfarm.com or 931/359-0011

Read about the history of the Tennessee Walking Horse:

“The Echo of Hoof Beats,” by Bob Womack, various editions exist. This is THE GOLDEN BOOK of the entire history of the Tennessee Walking Horse…from the foundation horses, to the world grand champions of today. Learn the bloodlines and genetic building blocks of the breed. This book is out of print, but check www.Amazon.com or www.Nobles.com or other online “used” bookstores…or try your luck bidding on www.eBay.com! 1st edition is very collectable…but be prepared to spend over $100. Later editions are more comprehensive and include additional updates and information…you may get lucky and find for $35 or so.

Other books:

• “The Care and Training of the Tennessee Walking Horse,” by Joe Webb
• “The Plantation Tennessee Walking Horse, A Guide for Amateur Competitors,” by Vickie Presley Mazzola

Websites to ‘SURF for walking horse info:

• www.walkinghorseowners.com is the Walking Horse Owners Association. Their website includes show information and TWH programs of merit.
• www.twhnc.com is the official website for the annual Celebration – a 10 day show for the TWH where the world grand champion is crowned each year during the week leading up to Labor Day. Get the show bills, dates/times, ticket/box seat information, and even winners reports (realtime!).
• www.shelbyvilletn.com Is the Shelby/Bedford Chamber of Commerce…a MUST VISIT site if you are planning a trip to The Celebration or Middle Tennessee. It includes places (hotel and B&Bs directory) to stay, where to eat, and area maps.
• www.execpc.com/~wwha is the Wisconsin Walking Horse Association’s website (okay maybe this is a small advertisement), but it does contain all the information you need to know about WWHA…. show bills, winners reports, clinics, educational articles, horses for sale, links to all the other links mentioned here and more. For WWHA members, this is THE website to BOOKMARK!!

Well, I hope this helps give you some ideas of where to shop, surf, or learn more about the TWH. I’m sure there are more resources yet to be discovered. If you know of other great TWH resources, please e-mail wwha@execpc.com and we’ll add them to this list so everyone can easily locate TWH resources.

Contributor: Renee Stasiewicz…created by asking other WWHA members, hunt & peck, and perseverance.