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Developed to be a general, all-around horse used for riding and driving as well as farm work, the "Plantation Walking Horse", now known as the Tennessee Walking Horse, traces its roots back to the middle basin of Tennessee. Among the breeds that can be credited for this breed's development are the thoroughbred, standardbred, American saddle horse, morgan, and various pacing breeds including the Narragansett and Canadian.

The first horse to be registered into the breed was a horse known as Black Allan and registered as Allan F-1. One of Black Allan's most famous sons was Roan Allen F-38. With Allan F-1's influence, the breed grew to meet the demands of the work needs, and not the show needs. This gave a very natural evolvement to the breed which can not be said of the more modern breeding geared for the show ring.

The Tennessee Walking Horse can be found in all solid colors, with blacks and dark colors dominating the show ring most recently. They have also been a very influential breed for many of the older gaited breeds as well as some of the "new" breeds like the Spotted Walking Horse and The Missouri Fox Trotter. The breed is also credited with the formation of the American Walking Pony, developed in Macon, Georgia by crossing mainly Tennessee Walkers with Welsh ponies. Another pony breed, the Walking Pony, was formed or Tennessee Walking Horses who were of pony size.