08/16/2025
Fresh doesn’t always mean sound 🐎✨
We’ve all seen it: your horse is turned out in the field, tail flagged, cantering around like they’re auditioning for the next Black Beauty movie.
Then you bring them into the arena… and suddenly they’re resistant, tripping, or struggling to maintain canter.
It’s tempting to think, “Well, they can run in the pasture — this must be behavioral.”
But here’s the truth: movement in the field is not the same as movement in controlled work.
🌸Why the field can be deceiving
When horses play in turnout, they choose:
✨Their own speed
✨Their own direction
✨How much weight to put on each limb
✨When to stop, start, or switch gaits
If something feels uncomfortable, they adjust instantly — turning shorter, powering off a different leg, or stopping altogether. They can hide discomfort by self-selecting movement patterns that work for them.
In the arena, we ask for:
✨Specific gaits, speeds, and transitions
✨Circles, straight lines, and bending in both directions
✨Sustained effort in a way they may not choose naturally
That means any underlying pain, weakness, or asymmetry is far more likely to show up.
🌸The prey animal factor
Remember, horses are prey animals. Their survival instinct is to hide weakness — even from us.
A horse in the field may look spectacular because adrenaline allows them to “power through” for short bursts. That doesn’t mean their body could sustain that movement without pain or risk in a structured session.
🌸It’s not always attitude
Struggling in the arena is not automatically a training or obedience problem.
It could be:
✨Bilateral lameness (pain in both limbs, so no obvious limp)
✨Body lameness (back, pelvis, or neck pain affecting balance)
✨Subtle joint or soft tissue discomfort
✨Weakness or lack of conditioning where the body can’t yet meet the demands you’re asking
If we label this as “just behavioral” without checking for physical causes, we risk working a horse through pain and dysfunction — which can make both the physical and training problems worse.
🌸If your horse is vibrant in turnout but inconsistent or resistant in structured work:
✨Observe closely – Are there patterns in the arena struggles? Certain gaits, directions, or surfaces?
✨Test on different footing – Sometimes discomfort shows up more on hard or deep ground.
✨Check with your team – Vet, physio, farrier, or saddle fitter can help pinpoint subtle issues.
✨Scale back if needed – Build up gradually with low-impact, confidence-building work.
🌸The takeaway?
Freshness is energy — not proof of soundness.
A horse can look like a rocket in the paddock and still have discomfort that affects their ability to perform in structured work.
Listening to that difference is one of the kindest things you can do for their long-term soundness and trust in you.
🐴 If something doesn’t add up, trust your gut and investigate. Your horse will thank you.
