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A Look At The Factors Affecting Horse Performance

By Lila Barry


Trainers understand the importance of motivating a horse to perform well. While some horses may be handicapped, there are others that are always in top form when it comes to performing various tasks. No matter which job they do, excellent movement makes it possible for a horse to perform at its best. Bad movement overstretches some muscles while other muscles are under used. The movement degree and range that an animal possesses is mainly determined by its conformation, which in turn affects how it performs. Here is a look at the factors that influence horse performance.

Foot balance is perhaps the major factor. Despite the strength and good conformation that an animal may possess, if it has weak feet it will not be of any use. It is important for a horse to have the correct foot conformation to facilitate it doing its duties correctly. The alignment of the feet to the body should be perfect, with the feet balancing when they leave the ground so that it can have an ordinary gait.

A majority of the problems that horses face about foot balance are due to improper leg conformation. This is capable of causing distortion of hooves due to pressure being loaded unevenly. How the forelimb is designed is the same as a pillar, whereby it is made to support most of the horses weight. This way, even when someone is riding on it, pressure is applied evenly to all the legs.

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 to the horse as well as stress is the other factor. In the case of all types of animals, whether racehorses or gymkhana ponies, their ability to achieve whole athletic potential without the risk of getting injured is paramount. Condition that may prevent animals participating in competitions from getting peak performance can most of the times only be known if the animal is pushed to its full 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.

A final factor concerns how a tack is fitted. Failure to fit the saddle and tack correctly can lead to many problems. Some of the problems include stiffness and shortening of strides, eventually affecting horse performance. Prior to a race a trainer should ensure the saddle is correctly fitted. This not only improves the animals performance, but also makes the rider comfortable.




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