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The groundwork for Hayhook Tennessee
Walkers, began many years ago. Tex's grandfather, Walter Carpenter, was a teamster
who, with his beautiful team and buggy attracted the attention of Tex's
grandmother. They had one son, Wayne and one
daughter, Bernice Carpenter Badovinus. Wayne married Donna Fiske and
they had four boys. Texas "Tex" Carpenter being one of the
oldest. |
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| Tex pictured with his father's Saddlebred
Stallion circa 1943. |
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The foundation of Hayhook Tennessee Walkers began at a very
young age with guidance from Tex's father, Wayne Carpenter. The
picture on the right shows Wayne, riding his Saddlebred
Stallion Dare.
At age 16, Tex met an
elderly gentleman named Lew Smith. Lew impressed Tex with the
special manner in which he handled horses. Tex was so taken with
this man's technique that he requested the opportunity to learn Lew's ways
of horsemanship.
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Tex was given the opportunity to work with Lew
after assuring him that he was serious and not just curious. Tex's
days were busy and tiring but he was happy to sleep nights on the hard
wood floor of Lew's tiny cabin, located north of Columbus, Montana, in
order to experience his horse knowledge.
Since 1958, Tex has taken the basic principles Lew taught him and
has expanded and perfected them to create a horse training program that is
surpassed by none! |
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In 1961 Tex married Sharon Allen. His
father-in-law, Yates L. Allen, an accomplished, respected and admired
horseman, was a great resource of knowledge for Tex. Yates was a
quiet man with a soft spoken voice who worked with his horses without the
use of intimidation, a quality Tex greatly appreciated. Yates
brought smooth gaited horses to Montana from Ten Sleep, Wyoming, when he
moved to Montana in 1946. |
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Tex has not allowed this knowledge to simply stagnate with him, but has
passed on his horse handling techniques to his two sons Brandon Carpenter of
Hashknife Tennessee Walkers. (Hashknife is the livestock brand handed down from
Yates when he passed away) and the younger Justin Carpenter.
The tradition will continue to grow with Tex's grandsons who are learning the language of horses and horse handling.
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