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.

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.

The structure of a horses back is another factor which affects its performance. In a normal animal, the back is curves slightly upwards, with this curvature tending to increase in case someone rides on it.

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 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.