Europe/British Old School training

You cannot deny that the Europe and Britain countries do well in the Olympics, the colder country's Gerrmany,Austria especially do brilliantly in Dressage, the warmer countries like Spanish and France in Show Jumping, the Brits in Eventing.
  It seems that these countries adapted their horses to their ability and the weather.  UK has both.  So does New Zealand -( - Mark Todd on  ,Charisma  12yrs & 16yrs Double Olympics), yet the Kiwis were all vetted out at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
  Why?  Perhaps they got too lazy re preparing for the heat (It was hot in Los Angeleas and r Charisma) as they thought it is such a short trip over?
  I don't know.
  But what is obvious is that they did not prepare there horses properly for the event.
  However, it seemed the above did their respected events very well.

 that's all good - the horses got to the ultimate goal - but how many of those horses do you think are happy?  Some of the owner/riders perhaps give them a spell in a paddock/massage/chrio but us normal people can't afford that.

  So if you compete full time with your horse, and you just can't get that extra bit out of him/her, whether In-Hand Showing to Eventing - take time out to take your co-worker for a pick on green grass for half an hr at least 3 times a week.
  Or just go for a 30 min hack.
 That way you are giving back instead of taking!
 Mark Todd did it with Charisma.
 

And you may be amazed how working as a team makes all the difference!