Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse 9
From Show Ring To Round-Up
By ALETHA WIEHL 5211 East Sunset Drive Yakima, Wash.
1. Start out with a Tennessee Walking Horse. 2. Proceed with horse sense. 3. Return on s a m e Tennessee
Walker. When we bought“ Bay Gem” for a pleasure horse, we realized his training for, and experience in, the show ring could be quite a handicap for the type of pleasure riding we enjoy. But, we wanted to give a Tennessee Walker a try, and this little horse with the big way of going and endearing personality appealed to us. Just out of the stake class at the Pacific International horse show, he was obviously‘ broke to death’— but for the show ring. Obviously we’ d have no problem if we rode English and stayed in a ring or on a bridle path. But, what about our type of riding? Could he even keep his feet under him on our terrain?
He walked over, put his head in my arms. We decided to gamble on his adaptability. If he couldn’ t walk, he’ d be some pet!) And, we could always ride him around the training track under English tack. But, it might be a trick to switch him over to Western pleasure riding without breaking his legs or our necks. The big question was: Would we live long enough to see that day?
Lighter Shoes Installed
Now Bay Gem is about 15 hands. He came to us with a 4.% inch toe, thick leather pads, and 42-ounce shoe on each front foot. We cut him back to 4 inches, omitted the pad and put on a 22-ounce shoe. Then for 3 days we turned him out in a good-sized corral in the daytime where he had the opportunity of getting used to his new feet on an even, smooth, level surface.( We had been careful to keep the same angles on his hooves.)
On the fourth day he was turned out in a blue grass pasture which was level but not as smooth as the corral surface. Here he had long straight-ofways and could try his new shoes in any gait and at any speed he might choose. He gloried in this freedom, and his hind feet were pointed skyward more than once!
After a week or so of this, we opened another gate so he could go up and down a hillside. Again, this was blue grass pasture land, but bumpy in spots. Going up and down that hill brought some unused muscles into play, and he
( In Three Easy Lessons) learned to handle himself starting and stopping in all his gaits at all speeds. Many times we held our breaths, fearful he would hurt himself. But, even in his play, he showed a good sense of timing and a knowledge of just how much should he try to do. He walked slow and fast, he did his rocking horse canter, he ran, he kicked, he played, and he made some mighty fast stops when he came to the bottom of the hill and there was the fence! So far so good.
We waited for a calm day, not too cold, when the ground was dry and not frozen, for our first ride. We let him look at the Western Saddle. Snort! Then he touched it with his nose and looked again. We eased it on him, a % rigging with front cinch alone. The bridle and bit were those to which he was accustomed. For this first ride we chose the ys mile ring on our place. It is next to the highway so there’ s considerable traffic along one side of it. Awaited Familiar Cues
When Bay Gem stepped in the ring, he was ready to show, on the alert for familiar cues. But they didn ' t come. He began to get nervous. This rider wasn’ t playing the game right at all. And he could scarcely feel the familiar leg cues. Maybe he’ d missed something. Nothing but a flat footed walk, first one way and then the other. Surely he was warmed up enough now to go on! Now in to the center and in and out around 4 barrels, still in a walk at that. And as we turn left there is the pressure of the right rein on the neck. That’ s strange. And as we turn right, there’ s that same pressure only this time on the other side of the neck. Then all the way around a barrel with that pressure on the neck. Very strange.( But, by this time he had ceased to wonder when the next‘ show cue ' was coming.) He was still a little nervous. After all, what was coming next?
We left the ring and rode zig zag across the pasture, up hill and down, to the fence and stop. Out in the middle. Stop. Get off. Lead a few steps. Re-mount. And to the barn. What kind of a work-out was that! The whole thing took about 15 minutes. The temperature was in the low 40’ s or high 30’ s. We hadn’ t been out of a flat-footed walk, yet Bay Gem was wet under the saddle. But, he had responded promptly to new as well as old cues, had made not one false move and his rider was very pleased.
But how he stretched for me to dismount when we reached the barn! Without a cue!
Knew Each Other Better
However, now we knew each other a little, and next time would be different. It was. One trip each way of the ring, then out in the pasture where we checked on the fence line, back and forth, with the now familiar feel of the rein on the neck at each turn. There were some rocks to be picked up and carried to the fence. On again, off again. And then there was that stray dog. He doesn’ t belong here. By golly! At last she’ ll let me do my running walk! And look at that pup skeedaddle!
More fence line inspecting( best inspected fence this side of the Mississippi) and back to the barn. Again we’ d been out about 20 minutes, same kind of weather, but this time scarcely a hair was turned under the blanket. Ho-hum! Really now, this was a breeze! But we sure got that pup out of there!
The third time out, we headed straight for the hills, with another horse and rider along, both of whom knew the country. We had about two miles of fairly level going at first, but we encountered some rough and rocky going underfoot. I did my best to guide him thru the easiest way, riding with a rein in each hand, and watching every step. But, even before we began to climb, Bay Gem was beginning to watch and help pick his way if I relaxed for an instant.
He had started out too fast, a bit excited, over-eager. But from the start I was able to rate him as I wished, even though he was on edge with a“ where’ s the show ring” attitude. No need to urge him onward!
Soon I put both reins in one hand with fingers between, so I could give him some mouth cue with the neck rein too, and tried it out on the first sage brush we encountered. With the help of a little extra shift in body weight, it worked.
A pheasant flew up from right under our noses. Bay Gem didn’ t blink an eye.( I nearly fell off) The air was brisk, a slight breeze was blowing. The mountains in the distance were beautiful. Meadowlarks were singing. And this horse was poetry in motion! How wonderful it was just to be alive!
Yes— He Is Sure-Footed
That mood held for the entire trip! He did everything asked of him and did it beautifully. What a relief to find he was sure-footed. Not once did he stumble, and we encountered some( Continued on Page 11)