The Germans applaud the Dutch for their perseverance in the preservation of the breed. The Germans maintain the exact same criteria in judging the conformation of the horse. There is no need to change or alter what the Dutch have developed as the recognized standards of the Friesian breed. However, there is a difference with regard to how the movement is scored. Scores for walk, trot, and canter are multiplied by factors of 1.2, 1.0, and 0.8, respectively.
Training can improve the most difficult gait for a Friesian, the walk.
One should expect this to be the most difficult gait particularly for foals to do well, since they have not had training. These differences are reflected in the philosophy of the Germans as they relate to the future of the Friesian horse. They rightfully believe that for the Friesian to retain and advance its status in the horse world, the Friesian must be able to compete against all the world's great horse breeds. For this horse to be competitive, it must be forward-moving. This trait is natural for some Friesians.