0 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.

Foot balance is one of the most significant factors. No matter how excellent the conformation of animal is, it will not be of any meaningful use if its foot is weak. To enable it do most of the activities required of it, having a proper foot formation is of essence. The feet must be aligned with the body perfectly and balance at the moment they leave the ground for the animal to have a normal gait.

Most problems associated with foot balance are as a result of inadequate leg conformation. This can lead to the hooves being distorted as a result of uneven loading of pressure. The forelimb design is similar to a pillar, in a manner that supports most of the weight of the animal. The perfect conformation of the forelimb should be such that straight line drawn vertically downwards can bisect the knee when passing through the center.

The other factor that affects how an animal performs is the structure in its back. Since the back is usually curved slightly upwards, when extra weight is placed on it, it sort of slightly strain the upward curvature.

A trainer can hence put into consideration that when someone is riding on a horse, all types of strains and stresses are triggered. This can distort the backs anatomy, resulting in muscular spasms that cause so much trouble for both riders and the animals themselves.

Stress and injury is another factor that influences how horses perform. The ability of an animal to go about their duties in top shape without getting injured is quite vital. However, the conditions that make an animal not achieve peak performance can only be known if it is stretched to the limit of competitions.

For instance, horseracing is capable of piling up significant stresses on the animals system. The stress and rigors associated with training for competitions and the actual races can cause muscle spasms, strains and misalignment. Although these symptoms are not a major cause of worry, they can influence the performance of an animal, in some instances quite dramatically. Other types of competition such as show jumping place the same stresses on the horses system, which can result in long term injuries if not treated early enough.

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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