424 TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 



cases, the head and tail are not carried so high, and there is not 

 the evidence of style in form and action which characterizes 

 the horse that is of American Saddle Horse breeding. 



Gaits. This horse must show three gaits, and three only; 

 these are the walk, trot, and canter. It is as objectionable for 

 a three-gaited horse to show more than the gaits mentioned as 

 for the five-gaited horse to know less than five gaits. 



While many people have adopted the walk, trot, canter 

 horse in preference to the five-gaited type because they accept 

 English horse fashions as law, there is still another reason why 

 the American type with its five or more gaits is not favored by 

 all riders. The reason is that there is no advantage in having 

 a horse with all the gaits unless the rider is skillful enough to 

 keep them distinct. If the man is less instructed than the horse, 

 a sad confusion of paces is apt to result. A well-mouthed, well- 

 suppled horse, with a good trot and a good canter is more useful 

 to the ordinary rider than is one of the highly accomplished 

 gaited saddlers; hence the popularity of the three-gaited horse, 

 especially in the larger cities. Saddle horse breeders recognize 

 this state of affairs and annually send to market a large number 

 of three-gaited animals, as well as large numbers of five-gaited 

 horses. 



Outside of the matter of gaits, the requirements for the five- 

 gaited and three-gaited types are so nearly identical that one 

 discussion will suffice for both. 



REQUIREMENTS OF THE SADDLE HORSE 



The essential points to be looked for in a saddle horse are 

 (1) beauty of conformation, (2) sure-footedness, (3) comfort- 

 able seat, (4) best of manners, (5) knowledge of the gaits, (6) 

 endurance and durability, and (7) dark solid color. 



1. Beauty of conformation. Attractiveness of form and 

 action is almost, if not quite, as valuable in the saddle horse as 

 in the carriage horse. People who ride for pleasure take as 

 much pride in the ownership of an attractive animal as do the 

 owners of .carriage horses. 



2. Sure-footedness Saddle action must, first of all, be 

 safe and sure. A horse inclined to stumble is dangerous, and 

 cannot be highly valued for saddle purposes. 



3. Comfortable seat. Though a horse be sure-footed, 

 he will not be of much use or value for saddle work unless he 



