PERFORMANCE OF MORGAN HORSES UNDER SADDLE 19 
Horses with the shorter, more level backs (score of 6, 7, or 8 for 
top line of back) covered the 11.35-mile course in 105.9 minutes, on 
the average, whereas animals that were longer and lower in the back 
(score of 4 or 5) averaged 112.7 minutes (table 12). 
Analyses of variance indicate that the scores for action at the walk 
and trot are significantly associated with the time required for the 
cross-country ride. In general, the horses given the best scores at 
the walk made better time than those with poorer scores (table 7). 
At the trot the results were inconsistent. There is no indication in 
the data that horses with good action at the trot performed better 
than those with medium action. There is, in fact, some indication 
that those with medium action at the trot may be the most efficient 
at covering ground. The two horses with poor action (score of 3) 
were much slower than the others. 
On the average, horses with a long stride at the trot covered the 
distance on the cross-country ride in significantly less time than 
horses with a relatively short stride (table 5). Thirteen horses with 
strides of more than 11 feet averaged 12.4 minutes faster than ten 
horses with strides less than 9.0 feet 
At performance at the walk, horses that were given good scores by 
the riders made much better time on the cross-country course than 
those given poor scores (table 8). Sixteen horses with a score of 5 
covered the distance in an average of 104.9 minutes, whereas five 
horses with a score of 1 or 2 averaged 121.9 minutes. 
The association of the score for slope of croup with the time required 
to cover the 11.35-mile course approached significance (table 12). 
However, the averages for the different scores did not show a trend 
except that the two horses having the steepest croup had very slow 
time. 
The relationship between the atmospheric temperature and the 
time required for the cross-country ride also approached significance. 
Temperatures of 40° to 49° F. appeared to be slightly more favorable 
than any others for making fast time, and temperatures of 80° or 
above were unfavorable. However, few horses were tested at these 
extremes. | 
As would be expected, the time required for the cross-country ride 
was significantly correlated with the time required to walk a mile 
(r=0.42) and to trot a mile (r=0.35). 
ENDURANCE 
At the end of the 11.35-mile course, 19 of the 68 horses were fresh 
with no signs of fatigue (score of 5); 42 showed slight signs (score of 
4); and 7 showed marked signs (score of 3). None of the horses were 
recorded as exhausted (score of 2) or extremely exhausted (score of 1). 
Both years and sexes were significantly associated with the degree of 
fatigue. The horses showed less fatigue in 1943, 1946, and 1947 
than in other years. The 6 stallions showed the least fatigue, the 
42 mares the most, and the 20 geldings were intermediate (table 11). 
Neither riders, sires, nor time required for the 11.35-mile test were 
significantly associated with the degree of fatigue shown. The rela- 
tion between this character and the others has not been studied 
except for the measurements of the cannon bones and the circum- 
