The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association (abbreviated TWHBEA) is the oldest breed association for 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 was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in

Lewisburg, Tennessee Lewisburg is a city in, and the county seat of Marshall County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 12,288 in 2020. Lewisburg is located in Middle Tennessee, fifty miles south of Nashville and fifty-two miles north of Huntsville, Alabam ...

. The association also runs the Tennessee Walking Horse Hall of Fame.

History

The TWHBEA was founded in 1935 in

for the purpose of registering Tennessee Walking Horses and maintaining their

bloodlines Bloodline most commonly refers to heredity. Bloodline, bloodlines, blood line or blood lines may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Bloodlines (comics), ''Bloodlines'' (comics), a 1993 DC Comics crossover * ''Colossus: Blood ...

. The first president was Burt Hunter. The association was originally named the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' Association of America, but was renamed in 1974 to cover the popular show industry. The TWHBEA "closed the studbook" in 1947. This meant that after that date, new horses could only be registered if both their dam and stud stallion were each already registered. As of 2017, the TWHBEA has registered more than 520,000

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

s, and has approximately 19,000 members.

Registration

Only purebred Tennessee Walking Horses are eligible for TWHBEA registration. Beginning January 1, 2007, all foals must be DNA tested to verify their parentage before they are issued registration papers. An individual does not have to be a member of the TWHBEA to register a horse with the group. Although registration had been down since 2004, due to a slow economy and

soring Soring, or "big lick", is the use of chemicals to cause pain to the front feet and legs of horses when they touch the ground. This results in the horses picking up their front feet higher and faster than they would do naturally. People who sore t ...

allegations, 2015 saw a 7.9% increase in foal registration.

Competition and Hall of Fame

The TWHBEA has a variety of programs through which horses can earn points and awards, including distance, competitive

trail riding Trail riding is riding outdoors on trails, bridle paths, and forest roads, but not on roads regularly used by motorised traffic. A trail ride can be of any length, including a long distance, multi-day trip. It originated with horse riding, and ...

, versatility, and specific programs for

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

s or

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

s. Individuals may work to become certified as

riding instructor {{short description, Person whose job it is to teach methods of horse riding A riding instructor is a person whose job it is to teach methods of horse riding (and also horse care) to beginners and improve the intermediate and advanced rider's style ...

s through the TWHBEA. The TWHBEA publishes the ''Voice'' magazine six times per year.

Hall of Fame

The TWHBEA houses the Tennessee Walking Horse Hall of Fame, which honors notable trainers, breeders and others who made major contributions to the breed.

References

{{reflist Tennessee Walking Horses Equestrian sports competitions in the United States