Have Some High Times With the High Stepping Tennessee Walker

In the early 1800s, Narragansett Pacers and Canadian Pacers were crossbred by breeders in the U.S. state of Tennessee while looking for a horse that could handle the hilly terrain of the area. Confederate Pacers and Union Trotters were added to the gene pool during the Civil War, creating the sturdy Southern Plantation Horse, which was also known as the Tennessee Pacer. Thoroughbred, Standardbred, Morgan, and American Saddlebreds were later added to refine and add stamina to this gaited horse. In 1885, a colt named Black Allen out of the Hambletonian family of Standardbreds and a Morgan mare was born. He became the foundation sire of the Tennessee Walking Horse, also known as the Tennessee Walker, or TWH.