How is the walk judged in working western rail and why is it often the deciding factor in close classes?

The walk is judged in working western rail on the same qualities that define a correct walk in any performance context — a true four-beat gait with clear overstride, a relaxed swinging back, a softly nodding head, and ground-covering forward movement — but it carries particular weight in working western rail because it is the most difficult gait to train well and the most revealing of the horse's genuine training quality. The walk is a four-beat gait with a specific footfall sequence: left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore. Any deviation from this pure four-beat sequence — any tendency toward a lateral amble or a pace-like rhythm — is a serious fault. Judges listen as well as watch at the walk, and a horse with a clean, rhythmic four-beat walk is immediately distinguished from one whose walk is compromised. Overstride is a key quality: the hind foot should land in front of the track left by the front foot, demonstrating that the horse is using its hindquarters with sufficient drive and freedom of movement. A horse that merely walks along without overstriding is not showing the forward-reaching movement the class rewards. The reason the walk is often the deciding factor in close classes is that most trainers spend very little time specifically developing the walk, while devoting extensive time to the jog and lope. A horse whose walk is as deliberately trained and confirmed as its other gaits stands out immediately in a class where most competitors' horses simply walk along between cues. Clinton Anderson emphasizes developing the walk specifically, noting that horses whose walk has been neglected often develop pace-like tendencies that become ingrained and difficult to correct.