Never shown before and looking to start with a TWH

So I need all the advice I can get. I've been around horses my entire life...but have never ever ever shown. I don't want to get into it hardcore but I think it would be fun and I've always thought about doing it.

I grew up riding a TWH and I currently own one now. I've ridden everything from Arabs, Andalusians, Qhs, paints, MFTs, saddle and standard breds, etc. Mostly riding the arbs and walkers.

My current guy is amazing. Very well trained does his flat walk, running walk, and racks. I wanna teach him to park eventually! :)

ANWAYS ~ my fiance grew up riding arabs, showed his entire life..he's my personal trainer but I was wondering how to begin showing twhs? I've been trying to research all morning and have so many questions.

I ride western and I know most open shows don't give TWHs a second look next to the qhs and paints. But it all depends on the judge etc. So this may sound really stupid but if i'm in an open western pleasure class - like at my county fair - which doesn't offer any gaited classes....How do I know what to do? Do they ask you to trot in WP? And when they do...do I RW? I'm sooooo confused. What gait do I do compared to the qhs and paints?

I'm going to look more into more smaller open gaited shows but the county fair horse show is SO close to me I thought it would be a good first show. I don't' even care about placing it's more a learning experience for ME!

I've been an avid trail rider with my TWHs and did more arena work with my arab. So I feel a little lost.

Any and all advice will be appreciated! :) Sorry if I sound like a total newb but I have no idea how to show let alone a twh in open WP. :P THANKS!!

We don't show much. When we do in an all-breed setting in a "rail" class we inform the steward or judge (as appropriate) that the horse is gaited and when the trot is called we perform the gait. I've never had a judge say "you're excused."

In Horsemanship classes, or in other circumstances where specific gaits are called for at specific times, we follow the same practice. I've had judges deduct points because the class called for a "trot" and we didn't perform the specified gait. I've no problem with that because, in fact, we didn't follow the rules of the class. There have been other instances where they didn't.

So in the "all breed" world you can have any number of reactions.

In a TWH or "gaited" show you should have no issues.

Good luck as you go forward.

G.

Look around at the shows, maybe even call a training stable and ask them. Pretty much all small open show venues have gaited classes now where I live.

Might wanna look hard at some of the atrocities committed by the TWHBEA, before you decide to support them.
There are a couple other organizations that don't allow horse abuse.

Look for a "Country Pleasure " class, as that is usually walk & your favorite gait.

Country pleasure ? Probably not to pleasurable for the horse, the stacked padded shoes and other barbaric practices to get a ribbon ? No thanks, and shame on people that do it and organizations and judges that reward it.

Woaaaaaaaaah.

Mmkay my horse is currently barefoot. I've never even had shoes on him. I definitely don't support soaring and would never attend a show that did/supported it/abuse/etc. I just want to have fun and I don't' really care if I win. Just looking for something fun to do.

I am also looking into showing my flat shod Tennesee Walking Horse, but don't personally support TWHBEA (although my boy is registered with them). At a horse expo in my area, I had a conversation with some representatives at the National Plantation Walking Horse Association. Their goal is to protect the lovely walkers and they hold fun English and Western shows. They operate out of California (I just checked and you're Illinois) ):

I would possibly contact someone from this Association and ask if they know of any similar ones in your area?

National Plantation Walking Horse Association

Hope this helps a little. Best of luck finding a similar organization in your area and showing your Walker!

Lots of non soring events and organizations out there, just have to look around and mind the sponsoring organizations,

If it's an open western pleasure class (not breed show) I'd want to show of the gaits. When a trot is asked for show the crowd that good RW. You'll have to canter when a lope is called for. Talk to the announcer so he/she can explain the gaits of the walker, emphazing the smoothness. Now, when you get motoring in the RW your faster movement is going to upset some riders if their horses want to pick up speed. This actually makes the judges job easier. Just get out there and show them what a walker can do. I wish I could be there to watch. Go for it.