Do you think that these are the best solutions help you ?

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Some Of The Factors That Influence Horse Performance



By Lila Barry


Trainers know the importance of enhancing the performance of a horse. Some horses are handicapped while others are physically fit and ready for a certain type of job. While some have easy when it comes to train and ride, others prove to be difficult. Irrespective of the discipline, the best movement enables an animal to utilize its potential to the fullest. Bad movement under utilizes some muscles while overstretching others. The range and degree of movement that it has is determined largely by its conformation, in turn affecting performance. Here are some of the factors affecting 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment