# Tennessee Walking Horse weight and height: diet, night vision and hooves

> Tennessee Walking Horse weight and height from the breed association and extension, daily hay by body weight, and notes on feed, hooves and night blindness.

Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/horse-breeds/tennessee-walking-horse
Last updated: 2026-10-09

Walking Horses run from 14.3 to 17 hands and 900 to 1,200 pounds, and the care questions that matter most are metabolic risk, hoof trimming and one inherited eye condition.

**A Tennessee Walking Horse weighs 900 to 1,200 pounds and stands 14.3 to 17 hands.** The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association gives 14.3 to 17 hands (59 to 68 inches) and 900 to 1,200 pounds (408 to 544 kg). Oklahoma State and eXtension both give an average of 15.2 hands, and Virginia Cooperative Extension lists about 15 hands and 1,000 to 1,200 pounds. (Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association, Oklahoma State University, eXtension Horses and Virginia Cooperative Extension)

| Source | Height | Weight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association | 14.3 to 17 hands | 900 to 1,200 lb |
| Oklahoma State University | 15.2 hands average | Not given |
| eXtension Horses | About 15.2 hands | Not given |
| Virginia Cooperative Extension | About 15 hands | 1,000 to 1,200 lb |

Most sources centre on 15 to 15.2 hands. The association range includes the tallest individuals.

## A wide range around a 15.2 hand average

Oklahoma State describes the average Walker as 15.2 hands, with a long neck, short back, sloping shoulders and slender but strong legs. The association’s range stretches almost three hands from 14.3 to 17, so a tape or scale on your own horse is more useful than the breed figure.

## Daily hay for a 1,050 pound Tennessee Walking Horse

The arithmetic uses 1,050 pounds, the middle of the association’s weight range.

Merck’s starting point for a healthy adult is 2 to 2.5% of body weight in feed dry matter a day, at least half of it forage, and 1.5% for an obese horse, with a warning that severe restriction can be harmful. These figures are our arithmetic from 1,050 lb, counting hay as 90% dry matter (Merck gives 88 to 90%).

Merck advises at least half of the daily dry matter to come from forage, and the lines above leave room for that with hay alone.

- 1.5% of body weight: 16 lb (7 kg) of dry matter, about 18 lb (8 kg) of hay
- 2% of body weight: 21 lb (10 kg) of dry matter, about 23 lb (11 kg) of hay
- 2.5% of body weight: 26 lb (12 kg) of dry matter, about 29 lb (13 kg) of hay

## A weight tape example for a Tennessee Walking Horse

The horse weight calculator uses the adult equation in the Merck Veterinary Manual: heart girth squared times body length, in inches, divided by 330, gives pounds. A heart girth of 71 inches and a body length of 69 inches gives 71 x 71 = 5,041, times 69 = 347,829, divided by 330 = about 1,054 lb (478 kg). Those measurements are our illustration of the formula, not a real horse.

Merck notes the equation slightly underestimates real weight and that a scale is the only exact method, so measure the same way each time to keep the trend reliable.

## Metabolic risk

Merck names Tennessee Walking Horses among the types in which equine metabolic syndrome is most common. The syndrome raises the risk of laminitis, and Merck says prevention rests on an adequate diet and a normal weight. For a horse at body condition 5 of 9 its plan is a total of 2% of body weight in forage, 21 pounds at 1,050 pounds, and 1.5%, about 16 pounds, for an obese horse. Severe restriction can be harmful, so talk to your vet before cutting below 2%.

## Night blindness

UC Davis reports a variant of the GRM6 gene in an affected Tennessee Walking Horse, called CSNB2, and an estimated 10% frequency of the allele in the breed. It says that suggests testing followed by a clinical examination is worth doing, and its test list includes CSNB2 in Tennessee Walking Horses. Horses with the condition can seem anxious in low light, resist dark stalls and trailers, and bump into things after dusk, and keeping stall lights on at night helps.

## Hooves

Merck advises trimming at intervals of 4 to 8 weeks and early attention to cracks, thrush and white line disease. The University of Minnesota says show horses may need more frequent trimming, and suggests 6 to 8 weeks in summer for other horses. Pick a shoeing or trimming interval with your farrier and keep to it.

## Body condition and riders

Merck advises a score of 4 to 6 on the 9 point Henneke scale. The University of Minnesota gives about 20% of ideal bodyweight, rider and tack together, as a comfortable load for an average adult light riding horse, which is about 210 pounds at 1,050 pounds.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does a Tennessee Walking Horse weigh?

The Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association gives 900 to 1,200 pounds (408 to 544 kg). Virginia Cooperative Extension lists 1,000 to 1,200 pounds.

### How much does a Tennessee Walking Horse eat a day?

For a 1,050 pound horse, 2% of body weight is 21 pounds of dry matter, about 23 pounds of hay, and 2.5% is 26 pounds, about 29 pounds of hay. Merck gives 2 to 2.5% as the usual range. These figures are our arithmetic.

### Can a Tennessee Walking Horse carry a 190 pound rider?

About 210 pounds, rider and tack together, is 20% of a 1,050 pound horse, the University of Minnesota’s guideline for an average adult light riding horse. A 190 pound rider with 20 pounds of tack is at that limit. Fitness and conformation change the answer.

### Do Tennessee Walking Horses get night blindness?

UC Davis found a CSNB2 variant in one affected horse and an estimated 10% allele frequency in the breed, and a test is listed. A horse that is uneasy in dim light can be examined by your vet.

## Sources (checked 2026-10-02)

- [Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association, The Breed](https://twhbea.com/the-breed/)
- [Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Tennessee Walking Horses](https://breeds.okstate.edu/horses/tennessee-walking-horses)
- [eXtension Horses, Light Horse Breed: Tennessee Walking Horse](https://horses.extension.org/light-horse-breed-tennessee-walking-horse/)
- [Virginia Cooperative Extension, Horseless Horse Project Unit 2 (4H-931)](https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/406/406-105/4H-931.pdf)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Equine Metabolic Syndrome](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/metabolic-disorders/equine-metabolic-syndrome/equine-metabolic-syndrome)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Feeding Practices in Horses and Other Equids](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-horses/feeding-practices-in-horses-and-other-equids)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Horses and Other Equids](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-horses/nutritional-requirements-of-horses-and-other-equids)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Foot Care of Horses](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/preventative-health-care-and-husbandry-of-horses/foot-care-of-horses)
- [University of Minnesota Extension, Caring for your horse’s hooves](https://extension.umn.edu/agriculture/animals-and-livestock/horse/caring-for-your-horses-hooves)
- [UC Davis Center for Equine Health, Congenital stationary night blindness](https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/congenital-stationary-night-blindness-csnb)
- [UC Davis Center for Equine Health, UC Davis horse tests](https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/uc-davis-horse-tests)
- [University of Minnesota Extension, Guidelines for weight-carrying capacity of horses](https://extension.umn.edu/agriculture/animals-and-livestock/horse/guidelines-for-weight-carrying-capacity-of-horses)