The Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum is the only museum dedicated entirely to the

Tennessee Walking Horse The Tennessee Walking Horse or Tennessee Walker is a breed of gaited horse known for its unique four-beat running-walk and flashy movement. It was originally developed as a riding horse on farms and plantations in the American South. It is a ...

. It is located in downtown

Wartrace, Tennessee Wartrace is a town in Bedford County, Tennessee, Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 548 at the 2000 census and 651 at the 2010 census. It is located northeast of Shelbyville, Tennessee, Shelbyville. The downtown area is li ...

, and contains exhibits on all aspects of the Walking Horse industry.

History

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum was first established in

Shelbyville, Tennessee Shelbyville is a city in and the county seat of Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The town was laid out in 1810 and incorporated in 1819. Shelbyville had a population of 20,335 residents at the 2010 census. The town is a hub of the Tenness ...

, at which time it was housed in a room adjacent to the Calsonic Arena. In the 1990s it was moved to Lynchburg, but subsequently closed in 2005. In 2011 it reopened inside an old store in Wartrace, which is known by the nickname "The cradle of the Tennessee Walking Horse". In 2016, the museum was given over $3,000 in state grants. The money was used to restore old film of the

Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration The Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration (TWHNC), sometimes known as the Celebration, is the largest horse show for the Tennessee Walking Horse breed, and has been held annually in or near Shelbyville, Tennessee since its inception in 19 ...

and make it available for viewing.

Exhibits

The Tennessee Walking Horse National Museum contains a variety of exhibits related to all aspects of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry. There is an exhibit on the current World Grand Champion, updated yearly as a new horse wins, and

saddle The saddle is a supportive structure for a rider of an animal, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is equestrian. However, specialized saddles have been created for oxen, camels and other animals. It is not kno ...

s and

tack TACK is a group of archaea acronym for Thaumarchaeota (now Nitrososphaerota), Aigarchaeota, Crenarchaeota (now Thermoproteota), and Korarchaeota, the first groups discovered. They are found in different environments ranging from acidophilic the ...

worn by past winners. There are also exhibits honoring select breeders and trainers, which are changed periodically. One prominent piece is the saddle worn by the first National Champion,

Strolling Jim Strolling Jim (1936–1957) was the first Tennessee Walking Horse to become World Grand Champion of his breed. Since Strolling Jim's death, a restaurant, street, and an annual ultramarathon in his hometown of Wartrace, Tennessee have been named aft ...

, as well as a color portrait of him painted in 1940 by artist Bill Humphreys. Another exhibit is focused on

Betty Sain Elizabeth Fay Sain, (born November 20, 1942) is a former Tennessee Walking Horse trainer and breeder from Tennessee. In 1966 she became the first woman to win the breed's World Grand Championship with the horse Shaker's Shocker. Life Betty Sain ...

, who became the first female rider to win a World Grand Championship. Sain won the title in 1966, on her horse

Shaker's Shocker Shaker's Shocker was a Tennessee Walking Horse stallion who won his breed's World Grand Championship in 1966. Life Shaker's Shocker was foaled in 1962, by World Grand Champion Mack K's Handshaker and out of My Darling. He was bred by Tom Barham o ...

. The museum also contains a hands-on section where visitors can look through old show bills, industry-related magazines, and the like.

References

{{reflist Tennessee Walking Horses Bedford County Museums in Bedford County, Tennessee Wartrace, Tennessee Sports museums in Tennessee