A Look At The Factors Affecting Horse Performance

By Lila Barry


Nurturing the performance of a horse is quite important, as any trainer knows too well. While some horses prove difficult to ride to train, others are a piece of cake. What enables an animal perform its required duties to its full potential is good movement. In case it has bad movements, some of its muscles are overused while others are underused. The way a horse moves in largely determined by its conformation that also affects how it performs. The following are some of the factors that are responsible for horse performance.

One of the main factors is foot balance. Irrespective of how accurate the conformation of an animal is, probability is that it will not be of much use if it has a weak foot. In order for horses to perform a majority of normal activities, it is essential to have a good foot formation. For it to keep up with a normal gait, its feet should be perfectly aligned with the body and balanced at the instance they are above the ground.

Many problems related to foot balance are as a result of poor leg conformation. This leads to distortion of the hooves resulting from an uneven pressure loading. The design of the forelimb just like a pillar, for supporting most of the horses heaviness. The recommended forelimb conformation is such that a line can be drawn vertically in a way that it bisects the knee through the center.

Another factor that influences how a horse performs is the back structure. As the back is normally bowed slightly upwards, this upward curvature tends to increase when more weight is placed on the animal.

Anyone who trains or rides horses should know that in the process of riding, all types of stresses and strains are set up. This can distort the anatomy of the back, leading to muscular spasms capable of causing a lot of problems both to the animal and the rider.

Injury and stress is another contributing factor. In the case of all breeds of animals, whether gymkhana ponies or prestigious racehorses, the stamina needed to attain peak competition potential without risking injury is supreme. Conditions that prevent racehorses from achieving performance at their peak can in most cases only be figured out if the horses are stretched to it athletic limits.

For example, an animal participating in horseracing can cause a lot of stress to the system of the animal. The rigors and stresses that come with preparations for a competition and the race can lead to strains, muscle spasms and misalignment. Despite these symptoms not causing any significant immediate impact, overall performance of the horse can be affected, in some cases dramatically. Competitions the likes of show jumping lead to such stresses being present on the horses system, which if not sorted early enough can lead to long term injury.

The last factor is a tack whose fitting has not been done correctly, resulting to a wide variety of problems. For instance, a badly fitted saddle can lead to hollowing and resisting, shortening of slides and stiffness. Basically, a saddle that is poorly fitted disrupts horse performance, causing it not to achieve its full potential.




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