1962-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1962 May Voice | Page 27

Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse 25
Steve Hill , Trainer ( Continued from Page 24 ) Walking Horses daily , turn them out in a small paddock for a portion of each day , or else work them on a long leadline of approximately 20 feet in a circle about you . Either of these methods will take lots of the play out your horses and they will relax and settle down to work quicker . This also keeps the horses limber . A horse that stands in the stable constantly and with no exercise is prone to be tight and choppy in his gaits .
By working our two-year-olds only a small amount each day , they are fairly established in their flat-foot walk and running walk , with only a beginning in the canter at the end of their first year under saddle . But as the new year rolls around and our colts are three-year-olds , we increase their working time . They are more fully developed , larger in size and heavier in weight . As we begin to finish our colts we continue to bring them out of the barn in a flat-foot walk . We spend plenty of time on this gait , for although it is the slowest of the three gaits performed by the Tennessee Walking Horse it is by no means the least important .
As three-year-olds we work our colts alternating between the running walk and then tire flat-foot walk , because by now one gait will help perfect the other . Now it is easier for the horse to change from one gait to the other at the will of the rider . We are also doing more with the canter , and working it in more often with the flat-foot and running walk .
As far as shoeing the Tennessee Walking Horse is concerned , the weight canned by each horse together with the angle of its foot depends almost altogether with the horse ; one horse may break too slow or too fast in front and not roll , or it may break too fast behind or too slow . We think that each individual horse is a different proposition , and should be studied by the rider and the ground man . Most Tennessee Walking Horses walk better if their feet are long . If they stumble or if their legs get sore , it is indicative that their feet are not at the correct angle .
Expert Blacksmiths Needed
It is advisable to have an experienced blacksmith attend to your horse ’ s feet . You cannot make a horse
Chicago Lawyer ' s Letter Inspires Voice To Start ' Stud Registry '
A very interesting letter from Robert Owens of Chicago — a lawyer whom we surmise is " on the shady side of 60 ’’— gives us a grand idea . Starting with this issue we will have a Stud Registry in the Voice — where all the folks with breeding stallions can advertise their studs at very little expense . This registry appears on Page 29 and the following letter from Friend Robert tells exactly how we got this grand idea and have done something about it . Robert says :
" Quite some time ago I received your letter advising that you were going to put out a magazine for the Walking Horse enthusiasts .
“ I have often wondered why this wasn ' t done before . I have on numerous occasions attempted to get information and sometimes I got it and sometimes I didn ’ t
“ I have a mare and was looking for a stud over in northeast Iowa and I wrote for information regarding a registered horse in tire northeast part of Iowa and I got a list of horses from Ohio , and was told that there
in a blacksmith shop , but you may help correct a slight flaw . If we have horses that are inclined to pace in the fairly early part of their training , we shoe them with heavier shoes and ride them in loose ground , up and down the hillside , in tall -weeds , or most anywhere that the going is hard . Caution : Do not shoe your two-yearold colts too heavily , because by so doing their tendons may be pulled or their legs otherwise permanently ruined . As previously stated in this article , the pace is a one-sided gait and when your horse is inclined to be thrown off balance he will stop pacing and begin to walk . When our horses are inclined to trot , we shoe them light in front and this time find some good , hard , level ground , then take the horse back to a flat-foot walk and gradually ride him out of it into a running walk . This may take time to bit him down and get him into a good running walk , but when he hits it you can be very sure you will have a good running walk that is square on all corners .
( End of article .) were no registered horses in northeast Iowa . Upon investigation I did find one .
" Some time ago I picked up , by accident , a Western Horseman and found several very interesting articles among which was one regarding Tennessee Walkers . There was also an article on how to handle a colt , train the colt and so forth , and it was then that I began to wonder why the Walking Horse people couldn ' t sponsor something of the sort .
“ Over in the northeast part of Iowa there are quite a few Walkers and more are being acquired by the fellows on farms .
“ I have a rough farm and used to tear tailpipes off the car about every time I went to take a good look around the acres . Since I had the Walking Horse I have gotten to a lot of places that I couldn ’ t get before without walking . Having had a coronary not long ago , therefore , walking is not so good .
" I am going to make this suggesiton and believe that you could interest a lot of men of my age in the Walking Horse if you would train them to “ neck rein " and “ ground tie .’’ When going about the farm you want to stop and look at something and there is nothing but a wire fence to which to tie your horse . Therefore it is dangerous and if you could write some articles on how to teach the horse to ground tie and using the neck rein , it would be a big advantage .
" We live over in northeast Iowa about 10 miles from McGregor where last fall they held a trail ride at the end of the season and had over 600 horses . Most of the horses are quarter horses ; however many people — of the Senior Citizens ’ age — are becoming interested in Walking Horses .
“ I am enclosing herewith my check in Lhe amount of § 8.00 for a subscription for myself and a friend of mine and will anxiously await tire first edition and wish you all the success in the world .”
( Editor ’ s Note — Robert Owens is a grand guy to have on the Tennessee Walking Horse team . His office is at No . 1 , North LaSalle St ., Chicago 2 , 111 . His letter has given us great confidence and great inspiration . BAG .)