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Last Update: 06 Aug 2010

Riding Holidays | Tennessee

Tennessee is located in the eastern USA between Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia. It is famous for the music centres of Nashville and Memphis, along with Elvis Presley and Graceland.

Tennessee is also known for its horse breeding, particularly in Shelby County and is home to the Tennessee Walking Horse. This breed was originally developed by farmers looking for a horse with good stamina capable of working all day and being comfortable to ride for long periods. A smooth gaited horse was developed by crossing Narranganett and Canadian Pacers with Saddlebreds, Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds and Morgan bloodlines, creating the Tennessee Walker known today. It is famous for its ‘flat-footed walk’, ‘running walk’ and rocking horse canter. The town of Shelbyville holds an annual Tennessee Walking Horse celebration each summer.

Horse riding holidays in Tennessee are centred mainly around the central and eastern areas of the State. Visit the countryside around Nashville and Shelbyville and you will see lots of open grassland, bisected with white post and rail fences and dotted with big red horse barns. This is the main horse breeding area, known for its Tennessee Walkers, Arabs and Thoroughbred stud farms. Horse riding holidays in central Tennessee tend to offer English riding tuition, jumping lessons and classical riding.

Travel to eastern Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains for western riding on Quarter Horses and Tennessee Walkers. Have a Tennessee western riding vacation staying at a working cattle ranch or join a Tennessee trail ride through pristine mountain pine forest. The Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the USA. Named for the smoke like mists that rise from the forests surrounding the high peaks, the Park is full of wildlife and makes a fantastic riding holiday destination.

We are always looking for new riding destinations and regularly update the information on this site. If you have information about horse riding or trail rides in Tennessee please do contact us.

Getting to Tennessee is easy with international airports at Nashville and Memphis. Summer is the best time to visit for a horse riding holiday, although mid summer can be quite hot and sticky in the central lowlands. The eastern mountains are cooler due to their higher elevation.