The athletic demands placed upon the elite show jumper are huge. It must be able to jump large fences with precision, accuracy, and care, sometimes at speed. It must be supple and able to make sharp turns and jump from a virtual standstill, while also being able to jump almost from a gallop. It must have tremendous strength in the back and hindlimbs to be able to adjust stride length and jump from ‘deep’ and bascule, with the capacity to jump large spread fences.