Standards vary incredibly and often with ridiculous results.
One reason may be that we in the America have so many different show styles that are based on a subjective style rather than practical horsemanship. For example, a western pleasure horse does not at all resemble the practicality demonstrated by a working ranch horse. Currently, in my opinion, horse training has sunk to an all time low, people are more philosophical about training rather then learning the how-to part of riding, the result, standards much lower than what our fore fathers who depended on horses for transportation would have accepted. But let us talk about the real reason that training has sunk to an all time low in America. Let me help you decide.