What is the order of priority for evaluating western gaits?

• A. Correctness, Quality, Degree of Difficulty
• B. Quality, Correctness, Degree of Difficulty
• C. Degree of Difficulty, Quality, Correctness
• D. Correctness, Degree of Difficulty, Quality

Answer: (A)

When evaluating western gaits, you prioritize correctness first. That means you assess whether the horse is performing the gait in its true, proper form—the correct sequence of footfall, tempo, and overall mechanics for that gait. If the gait isn’t correct, the score can’t be raised by its beauty or by how hard it tries. Once correctness is established, you evaluate quality—the flow, cadence, balance, smoothness, and overall presentation of the gait within the correct framework. Only after you’ve judged correctness and quality do you consider degree of difficulty, which rewards performances that demonstrate more demanding or advanced execution while still maintaining correct form and good quality. In short: correctness sets the baseline, quality distinguishes the execution, and degree of difficulty differentiates between performances that are already correct and well-executed.