By Tommy Williams, publisher
The Tennessee Walking Horse industry is built on a legacy of tradition, excellence, and a profound respect for the biological instincts of the animals we cherish. As stewards of this heritage, it is our responsibility to ensure that showmanship standards align with the unyielding truths of equine biology and physical order. The practice of requiring mares and fillies to show alone, while pairing geldings with stallions, is not arbitrary—it is rooted in science, safety, and the preservation of our sport’s integrity. To dismiss these principles is to disregard both agricultural wisdom and the welfare of horses.
Mares and fillies are physiologically distinct from their male counterparts due to their reproductive cycles. During estrus, a mare’s hormonal shifts can lead to unpredictable behavior, including heightened distractibility, vocalization, or agitation. These instincts, honed over millennia, drive them to seek mates or assert dominance, creating volatile environments in group classes.
Allowing mares to compete alone eliminates distractions that compromise fairness. Judges must evaluate gait, form, and training—not a handler’s ability to mitigate a mare’s natural responses to nearby stallions or geldings. Furthermore, group settings risk safety: a mare in heat may kick, buck, or bolt, endangering riders, handlers, and other horses. To insist on mixed classes for females is to prioritize convenience over science, undermining the very essence of equitable competition.
Geldings, castrated males, lack the testosterone-driven behaviors of stallions. This calm disposition makes them ideal counterparts to stallions in show rings. When paired, geldings provide a stabilizing presence, tempering a stallion’s innate territoriality and reducing aggressive displays. This balance mirrors natural herd dynamics, where subordinate males coexist under the leadership of a dominant stallion.
Forcing stallions to show alone ignores their social nature and risks exacerbating stress, leading to hypervigilance or unruly behavior. Conversely, excluding geldings from stallion classes dismisses their role in maintaining order. Together, they create a controlled environment where judges can assess true merit, not a handler’s struggle to manage unchecked instincts.
Critics who dismiss these practices reveal a glaring ignorance of equine biology and agricultural principles. To argue that “experienced handlers can manage mixed classes” is akin to claiming humans can override millions of years of evolution. No amount of skill can negate a stallion’s drive to assert dominance or a mare’s hormonal imperatives. These rules are not relics of tradition—they are applications of modern scientific understanding.
Those who oppose this logic jeopardize the safety of participants and the credibility of the sport. The Tennessee Walking Horse industry cannot afford to cater to romanticized notions that contradict biological reality. Adaptation is progress, but only when guided by respect for nature.
Our industry’s future hinges on aligning showmanship with the immutable laws of biology. Mares and fillies must show alone to ensure fairness and safety. Geldings and stallions must share the ring to honor their social dynamics. To compromise these standards is to abandon our role as informed caretakers.
Let us champion practices that reflect both tradition and science. The horses—and the legacy we preserve for future generations—deserve nothing less. Ignorance is not an opinion; it is a liability. It is time we stand firm in defense of what is right, not what is easy.
*The author is a lifelong equestrian and advocate for ethical horsemanship. Tommy Williams is the current nationally acclaimed expert on the breed and its history.
