SubscribeGift a Sub
Enable cache 100
Categories: Horse News

National Walking Horse Association National Championship is underway in Tennessee

This week, owners, riders and enthusiasts of the Tennessee Walking Horse are centered in Murfreesboro, Tenn. for the National Walking Horse Association (NWHA) National Championship. The show runs through Oct. 1 at the Miller Coliseum.



The NWHA was created for Walking Horse owners who had become disillusioned with the cruel training methods sometimes used to get the high, reaching gait of Tennessee Walking Horses in the show arena. At NWHA shows, the horses do not wear the stacked pads between the hoof and the shoe or chains around the pasterns that are standard equipment in some Walking Horse classes.



At this week’s show, Walking Horses will compete in a wide array of classes showcasing the naturally-gaited breed’s versatility. Horses and riders compete in English (saddle seat) pleasure, western pleasure, trail, speed events, driving, equitation and dressage.

To learn more about the NWHA National Show, visit NWHA.com 

View Comments

  • This is great. Soring is all too commonly the only thing people think of when they think of Tennessee Walking Horses and the NWHA is doing a fantastic job of ending that stigma. I would love to show my Walker here some day.

  • GOOD FOR THE NWHA! THE TWHBEA NEEDS TO LEARN A THING OR 2 FROM THEM!!! EVEN THO IM AN AVID ARAB OWNER, I DO HAVE INTEREST IN OTHER BREEDS, AND LIKE TO READ AND LEARN ABOUT THEM AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS. TO ME, THE SORING AND BIG LICK WOULD STOP IF THE TWHBEA AND THE JUDGES WOULD STOP AWARDING THE ONES WITH THE HIGHEST STEP. IF THE LOWER NATURAL GAITED HORSES WERE THE ONES WINNING, NO ONE WOULD HAVE ANY REASON TO SORE. PLUS THE PADS ARE STUPID. WHO WOULD WANT TO WALK AROUND IN PLATFORMS ALL DAY? SO DO AWAY WITH THE PADS, THE CHAINS AND THE BIG LICK WINNERS, AND IT WILL STOP THE CRUEL SORING!! KUDOS TO YOU NWHA FOR CARING MORE ABOUT THE BREED AND THE NATURAL GAIT, AND THE TREATMENT OF THE WALKING HORSES!!!

  • The article is interesting. Too bad it does not cover what NWHA did during this show; they decided they did not like the rulings of the DQP, so they fired him and nullified the tickets he had written. It would have been better to have conducted hearings and have a hearing panel determine who was right and who was wrong.
    Nancy

Recent Posts

An Overview of White Line Disease

It's often what you can’t see that leads to trouble, and that’s definitely the case with white line disease. Understanding…

5 hours ago

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: My Man Ira

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

24 hours ago

Riding Lipizzaners in Hungary

Two hours’ drive from Budapest in the picturesque Bükk National Park lies Szilvásvárad, a beautiful little village that is home…

2 days ago

How Horses Helped Two Boys with ADHD

During the height of the pandemic and racial tension around the U.S., two boys struggling with ADHD found healing through…

3 days ago

Adopting a Companion Horse

When you think of the term “companion horse,” one that is versatile with the ability to fill a variety of…

4 days ago

Emergency and Natural Disaster Preparedness with Horses

Each year, hurricanes, wildfires, and severe storms force thousands across the country to evacuate their homes. When preparing for a…

7 days ago