Horses and Performance: Beyond Victory, Towards Harmony and Resilience

Introduction — Horse and Performance

In contemporary equestrian culture, performance carries many meanings. For some, it is  measured in competition results and the long-dreamt-of red rosette; for others, it is seen in  consistency, comfort, behaviour, and wellbeing. Many riders begin focused on winning, yet  experience often brings a shift toward care, emotional awareness, and partnership.

Today, as horses are chosen companions and athletes, performance increasingly reflects how  well physiology, environment, and human relationship are aligned—rather than simply the  outcome of exertion.

Performance is not merely what a horse does, but how it feels while doing it. When we  broaden the definition beyond results, we start to see horses not just as athletes, but as  complex beings whose potential is shaped by genetics, environment, management, and the  quality of their human connection.

This essay explores horse performance as a whole-horse concept. It examines the foundations  that allow performance to emerge—genetics and conformation, nutrition and digestive  resilience, seasonal and environmental influences, workload, tack fit, and hoof balance. It  highlights integrated systems supporting movement and adaptation—including  musculoskeletal and fascial networks, visceral organs, and nervous system regulation—and  the remarkable capacity of horses to respond to care, consistency, and connection. Finally, it  considers the human–horse relationship itself, including heart coherence, presence,  synchrony, and bonds that feel deeply embedded, like an extension of one’s own DNA.

Extraordinary equine achievements are often built on trust and shared emotional awareness,  not mere athleticism.

Foundations of Performance

Genetics and Conformation

A horse’s genetic makeup determines its general conformation and forms the foundation for  physical performance, influencing locomotion efficiency, coordination, and injury risk [1–5].  Conformation affects weight distribution, limb mechanics, and joint loading, shaping how a  horse moves and adapts to work. These differences explain why a Shire horse would never  win a flat race, while a Thoroughbred excels on the track, yet each breed, and every  individual, possesses remarkable capabilities, whether in strength, elegance, or expression.

Breeders have long selectively paired horses to optimise conformation, athletic ability, and  temperament for specific disciplines [5]. Understanding form informs training programmes  that complement a horse’s natural design rather than imposing an unsuitable template.

Respecting their genetic blueprint transforms performance from imposed expectation into  celebrated potential.

Seasonal and Environmental Influences

In the UK, seasonal variation profoundly affects equine health and management. Frost in  winter and early spring alters grass composition, increasing non-structural carbohydrates and  creating hidden laminitis risk [6]. Winter also exacerbates reduced movement due to colder  temperatures, prolonged dampness, and challenges to circulation, affecting joint comfort, and  tissue integrity. Mud fever (pastern dermatitis) is most problematic in winter, particularly for  horses with long feathers or heavy coats. Gastric ulcers (EGUS) are prevalent in winter and  spring, linked to feeding changes, stress, and stabling practices [7,8]. Whilst Summer too can  bring lush pastures increasing the risk of laminitis again, uncomfortable heat, and insect borne irritation such as sweet itch.

Thoughtful seasonal management including adjusting diet, turnout, workload, providing  shade, water, and cooling strategies and comfort all goes towards supporting the individual  horse’s resilience, consistent wellbeing, and is vital if they are to reach their full performance  potential.

Season shapes not just the environment, but the horse’s internal readiness for performance.

Nutrition and Digestive Resilience

Nutrition is foundational to both performance and long-term health. Horses are natural  grazers; continuous roughage supports hindgut fermentation, energy production, and  gastrointestinal health [9,10]. A balanced diet provides the energy, protein, vitamins, and  minerals necessary not only for exercise but also for healing, maintaining musculoskeletal  integrity, and reproductive success in broodmares [11–14].

Gastric ulcers remain common, even in pasture-kept horses, particularly during winter and  spring when routine changes, stress, and reduced turnout compromise the gastric mucosa  [7,8]. Dental health is equally critical; undiagnosed dental disease leads to reduced forage  intake, quidding, compromised digestion, and lowered energy availability [10,15]. Modern  feeding practices, often reliant on commercial feeds, can challenge natural chewing and  digestion, highlighting the importance of ample, high-quality roughage alongside regular  dental care.

When digestion and metabolism are optimised, energy flows, recovery is faster, and  performance becomes sustainable.

Stress, Mental Wellbeing, and the Human–Horse Relationship

Even with optimal nutrition and management, stress can significantly impair performance,  health, and behaviour. Horses are perceptive, socially aware animals whose neuroendocrine  systems respond acutely to environmental cues, handling, and herd dynamics [16,17].  Chronic stress disrupts digestion, reduces energy, and diminishes learning capacity [18,19].

Positive routines, calm handling, and structured social environments reduce stress and  support resilience [17,20]. Human presence is a powerful modulator: handlers who cultivate  awareness, consistency, and responsiveness foster confidence and engagement, in the horse,  directly influencing performance outcomes. The iconic horses named above have  demonstrated this interplay vividly.

The mind is as much an athlete as the body; a calm horse is a capable horse.

Physical Foundations of Performance

Hoof Balance and Care

Hoof balance underpins biomechanical efficiency and comfort. Imbalances alter limb  mechanics, increase compensatory stresses, and elevate lameness risk. Scientific approaches  to trimming and shoeing emphasise functional alignment, supporting even force distribution  and joint health. Appropriate hoof care enhances movement quality, confidence, and  performance potential.

The foundation of all motion begins at the hoof.

Tack Fit — The Silent Influencer

Proper tack fit, including saddles, bridles, and girths, directly affects the horse’s  biomechanics, comfort, and behaviour. Poorly fitting tack can restrict scapular motion, inhibit  spinal articulation, and lead to muscle guarding or resistance [21]. Saddle fit influences gait  symmetry, back muscle activity, and rider balance. Ensuring correct fit is essential,  particularly for horses with limited ridden schedules or in early training.

Comfort is performance; discomfort is compromise.

Training and Workload Management

Training develops strength, stamina, coordination, and responsiveness. Discipline-specific  strategies such as dressage for balance and suppleness, show jumping for bursts of power,  allow horses to reach their genetic potential [22,23]. Interval training, alternating high-

intensity efforts with active recovery, mirrors evolutionary exertion patterns, improving  cardiovascular efficiency, muscle development, and metabolic resilience [24].

Warming up and cooling down are crucial: warm-ups increase circulation, elevate muscle  temperature, and prepare tendons, joints, and fascia, while cool-downs support recovery,  remove metabolic waste, and restore cardiovascular balance [25,26]. Tailored training  enhances physical capabilities, confidence, responsiveness, and long-term soundness.

Integrated Systems Supporting

Performance Musculoskeletal Health

Strength, balance, and joint mobility are central to performance. Gait analysis highlights the  complexity of locomotion; asymmetries increase injury risk [5]. Targeted conditioning,  stretching, and therapy support resilience while respecting individual anatomy.

Fascia — The Integrative Framework

Fascia is a continuous connective tissue system enveloping muscles, bones, nerves, and  organs [5]. It transmits forces, sustains posture, and contributes to proprioception.  Restrictions can alter movement patterns, strain distribution, and performance. Understanding  fascia as an integrative system is essential for holistic management.

Visceral Systems — Heart, Liver, Kidneys, Immune Function

Performance arises from integrated visceral physiology. Circulation, metabolism, fluid  balance, and immune protection influence stamina, recovery, and resilience. Supporting these  systems through nutrition, veterinary care, and thoughtful management honours the internal  foundation of performance.

The body is an orchestra; each system contributes to the music of movement.

Linking Genetics, Environment, and Internal Intelligence

Performance emerges from the dynamic interplay of inherited traits, environmental inputs,  and training. Selective breeding has shaped endurance, temperament, metabolic efficiency,  and stress resilience [1–5]. Yet genetics are not destiny; epigenetic changes occur through experience, influencing metabolism, neuromuscular coordination, and musculoskeletal  adaptation.

Heart rate variability studies show real-time physiological modulation in response to social  interaction, human contact, and environmental context [27,28]. Cardiovascular, respiratory,  and muscular systems adapt to training, reflecting both inherited potential and experience.

A horse is not an empty vessel awaiting instruction, but a living system that responds to  interaction.

Heart Coherence, Human–Horse Synchrony, and Healing

Heart rhythm coherence, a smooth, ordered heart rate variability pattern,supports emotional  regulation, stress reduction, and autonomic stability. In human–horse interaction, coherence  enhances calm, engagement, and performance [29]. Horses continuously read the  physiological and emotional states of humans. By consciously regulating their own state,  humans clarify cues and create predictability and safety amongst their herd.

Building on this understanding, many body-focused (somatic) and horse-centered energy  approaches describe subtle patterns in the body that link directly to how we, or the horses we  work with,feel, move, and behave. These patterns may be hard to measure with instruments,  but they show up in posture, tension, breath, and of course behavior, helping us recognize and  respond to internal states more effectively.

The brachial chakra, located at the shoulder region is particularly relevant here. It is  associated with forward motion, intention, and relational engagement. Trainers and riders  who consciously connect with this area can improve clarity and responsiveness in the horse,  especially during moments of learning, performance, or stressful anticipation. This is  something I teach and have seen exceptional results from.

Extraordinary connection with a horse arises not from force, but from the harmony of body,  heart, and mind.

Innate Healing and the Practitioner’s Role

Across physical, neurological, meridian, and energetic systems, horses possess innate  regulatory and healing capacity. Practitioners do not heal; they interact with the horse’s  systems—neuromuscular, cardiovascular, metabolic, fascial, visceral—to facilitate self regulation [30–33]. Modalities such as massage, craniosacral therapy, and acupressure  support circulation, nervous system balance, and systemic coherence.

The horse’s innate wisdom leads; our role is to create the conditions for it to shine.

Mutual Benefits of Human–Horse Connection

Interaction is subtly bi-directional. Humans influence equine physiology, behaviour, and  wellbeing, and horses reciprocally enhance human health, emotional regulation, and  awareness. Calm, coherent horses can support human nervous system regulation, providing  physiological cues that improve focus, emotional stability, and presence.

Legendary horses remind us of this. Extraordinary achievement often arises from resilience,  care, and mutual trust, rather than sheer force. Snowman, the plough horse turned champion  show jumper, captivated audiences with his unlikely rise. Aldiniti, the racehorse who  overcame a life-threatening injury, triumphed in the 1981 Grand National alongside jockey  Bob Champion, who had recently recovered from cancer. And Secretariat, hailed as “the  horse that God built,” stole the world’s imagination with his unmatched speed and heart—a  feat only made possible by the devotion of his groom, Eddie Sweat.

Performance is not a measure of achievement, but a reflection of harmony, trust, and mutual  rapport.

Conclusion — The Gift of Partnership

Equine performance is a holistic tapestry of genetics, physiology, biomechanics, behaviour,  and human connection. Horses are integrated systems capable of extraordinary achievements,  movement, resilience, and emotional alignment. Caregivers, riders, and companions should  honour this complexity with informed management, compassionate presence, and deep  respect. In doing so, the relationship transcends function and ultimately reveals the profound  gift of partnership.

Performance is less about victory and more about connection, composure, and the physical and emotional well-being of both horse and rider.

Written by Liz Wenman MSc, PGCert, BSc, MMAA, MMCP.

About Me

I am a fully qualified equine practitioner with extensive training and over a decade of  professional experience. I take a whole-horse approach to supporting physical, energetic, and  emotional wellbeing, with a focus on comfort, performance, and long-term quality of life. My  work is grounded in both advanced training and a lifelong connection with horses.

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