Focus and Fitness in Horses

groundwork. She was docile and obedient about the patterns and games that her owner liked to do with her but she went through the motions with a vacant expression and slow shuffling steps. She was bored and tuned out. The mare was not doing anything wrong per se but she resembled a sullen child sitting slumped at her desk passively listening to her teacher.
Consequently when the mare came to me at seven years old she had some persistent movement and balance challenges. She could not sustain a canter for any duration she did not bend through her spine to the right and her body posture was disorganized and unbalanced for a horse of her age. The solution? Use entirely new exercises to encourage full mental and physical engagement. Within six months she could sustain a very nice canter and developed much greater propulsive strength.
Your fitness goals rely on keeping your horses attention dialed in. Any time you notice it shifting whether tension is escalating or the horse is fading and getting dull you need to make a change. This might be as simple as speeding up or slowing down changing gaits switching to a different exercise or taking a quick break.