Luoni is a member of the gaited hose facebook page and also the breed- specific Tennessee Walking Horse Association of New Jersey (twhanj.com), which is based in the southern part of the state.

I've blogged about Tennessee Walking Horse abuse many times and will continue to do so until all the "soring" and other forms of human-induced torture of gaited horses stops.

Horse soring, which enhances the walking horse’s natural gait to create an exaggerated step known as the “Big Lick,” has been illegal since the passage of the 1970 Horse Protection Act (HPA).

Tennessee walking horses have a naturally high gait. But over the years, some trainers figured out they could achieve a higher, more accentuated walk by soring the horses' hooves and lower legs.

Tennessee Walking Horses are a staple for many in the state. But the dark side of how trainers get the horses to master the 'big lick' gait can be painful. And the image posted outside of the ...

The movement produces an even higher gait. The walk, known as the "Big Lick," is prized in walking horse competitions. The problem became so bad that Congress took action.

The association has registered 280,000 of the horses since 1935, when its registry began. The U.S. Agriculture Department recognized the Tennessee walking horse as a distinct breed in 1947.

Horse breeders in middle Tennessee combined spotted Spanish American ponies with gaited breeds like the Tennessee Walking Horse. These cross-breedings produced naturally gaited spotted horses with ...

El, at 59 inches tall, is about as tall as an Arabian or Tennessee walking horse. But he is not as delicate as those breeds. Mammoths are thick, large-headed animals more akin to linebackers.

There won't be a Graceland Challenge Trophy at the nation's premier walking horse competition next year after its donor, Priscilla Presley, decided to take it back after three decades.