EastWind Stables Home of the Tennessee Walking Horse

The Flatfoot Walk:

is a bold, elaborate walk where the Tennessee Walking Horse use their huge stride to cover the ground on average of 3 - 5 mph.  It is carried with level posture that enables each hoof to lift and place independently in even, 4-beat cadence producing a smooth weight transfer where hooves land flat giving this gait its name.  This creates a smooth and energy efficient gait to ride. 

•  Watch as the front hooves reach and pull at the ground.  The shoulder roll is what gives the impression of climbing a ladder with those front feet.  

• Note the famous Tennessee Walking horse headnod. The headnod provides counterbalanced weight and power to the driving backend, much as we swing our arms to power our own walk.  It should always originate from the shoulder, never the poll. 

• See how the back feet drive far under the horse with very little hock action, the hooves barely clearing the ground, and overstriding the hoofprints of the front feet anywhere from 6 to 18 inches in a correctly timed flatwalk.  (All of these parts work together elegantly and the complete picture of the correctly moving Tennessee Walking horse should always appear flowing and graceful; coming together with ease and as much a pleasure for the horse as for the rider.  The flatwalk is an energy efficient gait that can be maintained for many miles in the well conditioned walking horse. Many walkers remain so relaxed in their topline and jaw muscles, they will actually flop their ears or snap their teeth in rhythm to their walks.