Walking Horses Vs. Quarter Horses

I'm personally a Walking Horse fan, and proud owner of two Tennessee Walkers, a Rocky Mountain, and a double registered mare: Kentucky Mountain - Tennessee Walker.

However, I've owned the best of 20 horses in my life, the majority being Quarter horses. However I enjoy the heightened personality, smooth riding, and style of my walkers over my quarters.

But for heavy showing, I would encourage a Quarter.

What do you guys think?

I have always been a QH person since that is what I grew up with. That said, I do like the height and the can do attitude of most TBs. I think a good TB can do well in any discipline due to that willingness. My OTTB has just been wonderful with learning new things and boy has he taken to kids. I can't believe I let myself get away from this world for the past 15 years!

I do love Walkers but have only ridden one a few times in my life. Very interesting gait when you are not used to it, but fun.

That's kind of an apples & oranges question. Showing in what events? What disciplines?

Yes, quarter horses tend to make a great all-'round horse (although different lines have been bred/overbred for various disciplines these days), but you wouldn't take one into a gaited class. ;)

TWH's tend to make fantastic pleasure horses & show horses in the disciplines for which they've been bred & developed, but I wouldn't throw one in a show pen full of cattle against a QH from good cutting horse lines & expect it to perform the same. That would be like expecting to turn a Belgian Draft into a world-class showjumper, or a Friesian into a typey, fancy hunter that cleans up on the A circuit.

Awesome thing about all of it is, there are a LOT of great horses in the world, regardless of breed.

$.02...

We have always just had quarters so I can't say :( I've gotten the pleasure to ride a few gaited horses and it's so different, but very cool! Both gated horses were fox trotters, and I'm trying to weasel my way in to riding some pasos! :please: I bet I would like walkers though, I like the crazy ones ;)

And showing would definitely have to depend on what type of showing you want to do.

Which is better at Jousting? :P

Seriously though, one of my life goals is to learn to joust.

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

We have always just had quarters so I can't say :( I've gotten the pleasure to ride a few gaited horses and it's so different, but very cool! Both gated horses were fox trotters, and I'm trying to weasel my way in to riding some pasos! :please: I bet I would like walkers though, I like the crazy ones ;)

And showing would definitely have to depend on what type of showing you want to do.

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Yeah definitely, I do mounted shooting with walking horses as along with poles, and the qh's I've had just haven't been able to keep up to their pace, not that their not as fast, but try to aim at a balloon while jumping on a trampoline sometime lol.

The main reason I'm such a fan of Walkers is the quality of the ride, if your into riding, and forgetting about all the shows, a walking horse is for you, hands down the highest quality, smoothest ride will come from a walking horse. But for most showing, yeah, your going to be looking at a QH-- if that's all your into.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

Which is better at Jousting? :P

Seriously though, one of my life goals is to learn to joust.

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Haha you're probably going to break a few ribs either way:P, but scientifically, if you want to generate the most force, you'll want the faster horse which will be a QH.

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Originally Posted by Kara

That's kind of an apples & oranges question. Showing in what events? What disciplines?

Yes, quarter horses tend to make a great all-'round horse (although different lines have been bred/overbred for various disciplines these days), but you wouldn't take one into a gaited class. ;)

TWH's tend to make fantastic pleasure horses & show horses in the disciplines for which they've been bred & developed, but I wouldn't throw one in a show pen full of cattle against a QH from good cutting horse lines & expect it to perform the same. That would be like expecting to turn a Belgian Draft into a world-class showjumper, or a Friesian into a typey, fancy hunter that cleans up on the A circuit.

Awesome thing about all of it is, there are a LOT of great horses in the world, regardless of breed.

$.02...

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It's nothing that personal, just your overall personal preference... What is your favorite?

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Originally Posted by LeviBP

It's nothing that personal, just your overall personal preference... What is your favorite?

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Andalusians & Lusitanos. ;)

I'm definitely a Quarterhorse kind of person ;)

That said, I don't like the "Halter" type QH, or the ones that are trained to do the extreme Western Pleasure gaits. I just like the all around, great personality and versatility kind of Quarterhorse.

For the gaited type, I like the look of the Missouri Foxtrotters, simply because to me they resemble the Quarterhorse type a bit. I just don't like narrow chested horses . That said, there are wonderful horses in every breed !!! I've ridden some "regular" horses that were smoother then some gaited ones, that were really uncomfortable. I've ridden some smooth as glass gaited horses as well.

Thankfully my QH mare is smooth, I don't much enjoy a horse with a "stabbing" or uncomfortable gait.

Its wonderful that there are so many breeds to choose from, there is something for everyone ;)

I do have to say , my QH mare has a ton of personality. I swear, she talks to me ;) I can read her like a book. Its really nice to build such a bond with a horse...

I recently purchased a registered Missouri Fox Trotter mare, and she's flat out sold me on gaited horses.

Her fox trot is FAST and can go all day long. I put a beginner rider on her the other day, and in no time they were fox trotting like champs, and I had to canter my pony to keep up.

For pleasure riding or for the show ring I am a die hard Paint person.. and all of my paints are heavily QH influenced (as most of them are).. I love the QH breed and most that they represent. I have ridin some gaited horses and they are just too different for me. But that's just my opinion. Give me a Quarter Horse with some chrome and I am happy as can be.

I see this is an old thread, but someone brought it up again, so why not reply? :)

For me personally... my heart is with Arabians. I have worked with and ridden Arabians, saddlebreds, NSH's, QH's, and a couple TB's and Mustangs. Out of those I love the Arabs best (I have a soft spot for mustangs too). They can be a bit more hyper or "jumpy", but it seems to depend on the bloodline (I definitely noticed the "jumpiness" seemed to run in certain lines), training (racers and halter-bred horses tended to be more "jumpy"), and the individual horse. I currently have an Arabian (CMK and some Polish) and a QH (ex-charreada horse, don't know his lines). I absolutely love my Arab. I have known him his entire life, I am responsible for the majority of his training. He is very alert, but not flighty or jumpy. He is so smooth and easy to ride, and he adjusts himself for the level of the person working with him (if you are a complete newbie, he'll walk on eggshells without breaking them for you). He's so very personable too. I knew both his sire and dam, as well as multiple siblings (both full and half), and all of them had/have this personality and temperament.

I will always be a heavy horse kinda gal! My first horse was 90% percheron and 10% QH. I LOVED HER SO MUCH! She was great we did everything from barrel racing to cow sorting to taking firemen back to a forest fire! I had also started dressage lesson my last year with her and our trainer was blown away by her moves. My husband had a belgain QH cross and she was almost as great! LOL...standing family joke on whos pony was better. Sadly we had to rehome then a couple of years ago due to joining the military....

As soon as we are out I will look into a Friesian, probably. I have played with my best friends for 10 yrs or so and he is almost as cool as our heavier breeds! I am just completely tired of not finding tack anywhere that fits the drafts! I had my saddle made just for us and we had to special order almost every single thing we used on them. I mean I am a girl and I wanted Rhinestone Bling on my stuff too!!!

As far as gaited ponies, it would have to be a Paso Fino! Pretty cool gait and the one I had the pleasure of riding was 20+ yrs old and knew had to canter as well and wow!! That pretty much sums him up!

Honestly I can't say I'm a fan of either one, but that's because neither are generally good at jumping. They're usually just too small to hit the distances without having to put in an extra stride. That said, I'll always have a soft spot for Arabs, where I grew up you were either a QH person or an Arab person, and there was no middle ground. Then again, if I ever stop jumping and pick up dressage, Andalusians, no question.

Thank you thread for reminding me that it's Scottsdale time! I think I'm going to have to go have a look at some very ​nice arabs.