Any sport we do with our horses is an athletic activity, and, just like humans, horses aren't all born athletically equivalent. Some are stronger, faster, quicker, more coordinated and more agile than others. Just as with us, it depends on how they're built.
While conformation is often an important consideration in a horse's potential for a certain discipline, it doesn't mean a horse can't be trained to compete in a discipline for which he's not ideally physically suited. Arabians and Thoroughbreds can do dressage-even to Grand Prix-and thousands of Quarter Horses and draft-crosses compete in eventing.
The trick to training these horses is to teach them to use the attributes their conformation gives them in new or different ways. And the way to do that is through flat work and through gymnastic jumping exercises, each of which builds muscles in new ways to develop suppleness.
If you or your horse don't jump or don't like to jump, you can create a wide variety of gymnastic exercise using just rails. You'll still achieve many of the benefits while staying close to the ground.
Exercises and drills are the foundation of every athletic endeavor. Football players, baseball players, basketball players and runners all practice the specific skills they need to excel at their sports by using a wide range of drills or exercises to improve their on-field performances.
These drills usually focus on one or a few aspects or situations, seeking to remove other competitive distractions to focus on improving a certain aspect of a player's game, like passing, blocking, fielding a ground ball, shooting foul shots or sprinting. Gymnastic jumping exercises can produce the same effect for you and your horse. By allowing you to focus your attention on basic but critical elements like strength, balance and coordination, your performance on course will only improve.
