24 CIRCULAR 824, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
As judged by the riders, performance at the walk was significantly 
associated with action at the walk (table 7), speed of walk and length 
of stride at the walk (table 8), and the rider, scores for head, slope 
of croup, and temperament (table 18). Performance at the trot was 
significantly associated with temperament (table 14), and years and 
action at the walk (table 18). Performance at the canter was sig- 
nificantly associated with temperament (table 18). 
Average scores for performance at the walk varied from 3.67 to 
4.67 with riders that rode three or more horses. Horses given the 
best scores for performance at the walk, on the average, walked faster — 
and had longer strides than those given poorer scores. Horses with 
high scores for head had the best average scores for performance at 
the walk. Horses with an intermediate score for slope of croup gen- 
erally performed better than horses given extremely high or low 
scores. However, there were few horses in the extreme classes. 
There was considerable difference in the performance at the walk by 
horses of different temperaments but no consistent trend (table 14). 
There was a consistent trend for performance at the walk with action 
at the walk (table 7). The differences in the performance at the walk 
were highly significant when the horses were classified on action at 
the trot, but there was not a consistent trend. 
Horses that were active but not vicious or difficult to handle per- 
formed better at the trot than either sluggish or very active vicious 
horses (table 14). Straight, snappy action at the walk and trot was 
highly associated with a good score for performance at the trot (table 
7). Very active but easily handled horses performed best at the 
canter. 
Ease of walk to the rider was significantly associated with action 
at the walk and at the trot (tables 7 and 18), temperament (table 
14), and with riders, condition (fleshing), and type of head (table 18). 
Ease of trot to the rider was significantly associated with action at 
the walk and at the trot (tables 7 and 18), and temperament (table 
14). 
Average scores, for ease of walk to rider varied with different riders 
from 3 to 5. Although the analyses showed significant differences 
in ease of walk for horses with different scores for conformation of 
head, condition or fleshing, and temperament, the results were not 
consistent. Horses with a straight, snappy action at the walk and 
trot in general had the easiest walk (table 7). Those that were given 
the best scores for ease of walk walked faster on the average, although 
the differences did not quite reach significance. : 
The differences in ease of trot for horses of different temperaments 
showed no trend (table 14). Those with a straight, snappy walk had 
the easiest gait at the trot. However, good action at the trot was 
not consistently associated with ease of trot (table 7). 
OTHER CHARACTERS 
Length of stride at the walk varied from 4.1 to 6 feet, the average 
being 5.4 feet. It was significantly associated with time required to 
walk a mile and time required to cover the 11.35-mile course (table 5), 
performance at the walk (table 8), temperament (table 14), ease of 
walk to the rider (table 15), and ease of handling at the walk (table 18). 
