This! I think about this frequently with a very classic cubicle job with-in the riveting world of ~banking compliance~
I have come to terms (and I think a lot of people feel this way) that my job does not need to fill my cup, it just should not actively drain it. If my job provides me the lifestyle and finances to enjoy the parts of life that do bring me joy than its perfectly ok for my 9-5 to be just a transaction.
As someone whose job could certainly be defined as “entering spreadsheets in a cubicle”, I suppose it depends what you consider greater and what you consider purpose, but if I were to answer personally I would say yes. It’s not my be all and end all, but I do find it fulfilling. More specifically, I appreciate the balance it brings to my life. Obviously a great love of mine is time spent with horses, but I appreciate that after spending time with my horse I have the opportunity to sit down and puzzle away quietly with my mind for a while. Sure, I could probably accomplish that another way too, but I do enjoy this way. And then I enjoy getting to go back outside and do things with my horse when I’ve done a day full of puzzles. I am satisfied with my life because of the juxtaposition of the ways I spend my time.
I assume it would be a higher percentage of the horses actually doing it than of the general population of the horses by quite a significant margin. One, because it’s a real pain as a rider to try to convince a horse to do something they don’t want to (have you tried it?) and two, because generally speaking elite athletes self-select to a certain degree. I’m not naturally gifted as a marathon runner. Therefore running a marathon would be very difficult for me and probably not very enjoyable and thus I’m likely to avoid it - I’ve self-selected out. But Lordships Graffalo is very gifted as a 5* event horse. He doesn’t find going around Badminton nearly so taxing (physically or mentally) as 99.99% of horses. So he’s much less likely to want to avoid it than the average horse, since for him it’s comparably not that hard (lol).
The video is extremely adorable.
Personally, I have a lot of trouble imagining the horse would rather be galloping around the cross country course than just doing this all day.
Especially with event horses, because how many of them really enjoy all three phases just as much? Lol.
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1221882792638069&id=100044490791572
Just chipping in here that the horses on my property (not all are mine) will spontaneously get the zoomies and race around their paddock. I’ve had some that would jump a hunt jump in the field going back and forth, just for fun. And even TB babies will race around, doing their best to be in front (as many of my TBs have wanted to be when hacking). No rider involved except in the hacking, and then I was sitting as chilly as I could. Thus I conclude that horses like the feeling of athleticism and probably like jobs that give them that feeling.
I agree most horses, unless in pain, want to move. It’s built into them, it’s how they survive in the wild. But to equate pasture zoomies to being in training, loaded in a trailer, living in a temp stall, and being told what to eat do drink constantly? No, I believe if the horses had the free will to walk away, they would gallop away. Should they work for their care? I dunno, the older I get the more I’m anti animal ownership.
I’ve never had a horse with what people would call a “Work Ethic” until this young mare that I’ve had for about a year now (she just turned 6). We aren’t - and never will be - competing at the upper levels of anything, but we go out on rigorous trails 4-5 times/week, and are conditioning to do the baby endurance distances.
She’s got a super friendly, people-oriented personality, but really the only time she gets annoyed with me is when we’re on an out-and-back ride and I ask her to turn for home.
Will she still have this much “let’s keep going” attitude in her once the distances get longer and faster? Time will tell. But she is so very clear in her desire to keep going, in a way I’ve not seen another horse. I’ve had some great trail partners over the years, and yet she’s just different…
I mean, I’m having this issue right now - 73 year old that’s been here for 40 years won’t give up control of handling the health benefits renewals for clients…like she keeps putting her hands in the online system we use to automate elections - you really need to add/update those plans?
But yes, I do think her issue is this job makes her feel relevant and giving up control means she will not be relevant anymore. She does charity with her church, has kids and grandkids and nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews but somehow, I still think she would feel irrelevant if she wasn’t working. She also starting to lose some cognitive skills and is making mistakes.
It’s just for some people, no matter the job or how inane or “unimportant” we think it is - they have so much of their identity tied to that job that they just keep doing it. I heard a story revolving around a 90+ year old man still driving around the flightline and doing the same job (as in same skill level) 20 year old high school graduates do.
I mentioned this in this thread previously - that yes some horses like jumping(barrels/racing/etc), yes horses like being athletic but none are sitting their planning their show season and to the point that they cannot beg out of a 5* if they aren’t feeling it -it isn’t just about athleticism or willingness but maybe they are coming down with a cold or a joint is hurting, maybe they took an off step or that lost shoe is bothering more than it looks. They lack that ability to say “hey, I don’t wanna today”.
Us humans need to be very aware of our horses but humans are going to human. If you are the type to ignore a little twisted ankle to finish the race, you are likely to put that nagging off step of your horse’s stride as well.
As far as “making a horse do something it doesn’t want to do” - I think that depends on the trainer and horse. Some horses you can bully better than other horses. I have seen everything from horses being bullied to one flipping itself over to express her displeasure of the task at hand. And that flipping horse got there by her opinions being ignored.
I als remember a discussion here a long time ago and a horse was mentioned that at about fence 3 on cross country would basically throw a huge fit to the point where it would run into the crowd but people on here said “but look how talented he is!” Yeah…I feel like he’s saying he doesn’t want to do it, though. This horse was at intermediate or higher.
An example of the mindset - my horse was always good about jumping unless I gave her reason to think we couldn’t safely get over correctly (a previous jump saddle liked to try to eject me, which caused my mare concern). After a VERY successful first go at Novice, we went to another event and she didn’t even feel right in dressage, stadium was OK but by the time we got to cross country, she wasn’t feeling it and refused a jump. We went home and when I told my trainer at the time, the first thing she asked is if I really got after her and made her go. I said no - she was acting squirrelly like 20ft or more out from the jump (or ditch), she was obviously in pain. It turned out to be a chiro/misaligned SI issue that is managed through regular chiropractic work but it took a while because she never showed as lame to the observer, there was mostly a lot of me saying, “I don’t know, she just doesn’t FEEL right.”
I’m sure if I had really forced, she would have gone and would be better about not refusing in the future but instead I listened to her. I never competed at the level that trainer competed at and I think this mindset is part of the reason - but it does act as a constant reminder to me that just because someone is at a higher level, they are not necessarily a better horseman, better/more empathetic rider.
People need a sense of purpose. They need the feeling that they have reasons to keep going. Often that sense directly impacts longevity.
Animals can reflect the same overall need, but in a very different way than humans. Horses don’t understand the concept of ‘gratitude’ by humans for their services, the real meaning of the satisfying ‘good boy/good girl’. But horses keenly understand ‘herd acceptance and value’ because it is critical to their survival.
Especially for younger animals with vigor, that vigor is bursting to do something. Gallop around in the pasture with the young herd members. Practice doing vigorous things like bucking and jumping things, that give them a feeling of satisfaction.
Also – vigor, purpose and belonging, through a ride when the horse understands the rider’s way of asking, and absorbs the expressed gratitude of the rider as ‘belonging’. A ride where the horse instinctively perceives a common purpose with the rider. The rider is contributing to knowing where and how to go. That’s critical input. The horse is contributing to their safety and success by executing with their strength and perhaps their speed. The herd of two accomplishes a successful purpose.
I’ve read that one reason that horses and dogs take so well to domestication, when other similar species do not, is their strong instinctive recognition of the value of the herd or pack – and of their individual value in the herd. That sense of purpose, that they get along with others, that the herd wants them. A connection not just to the herd as a whole, but also between individuals in the herd, that is more than many other herd species express.
So, imo, that’s the connection that has horses and riders/drivers/partners working together in a common purpose. Equine pasture ornaments are the byproduct of that connection.
Joining the horse’s sense of vigor and connection with human purpose has created a place for horses to exist in the world.
If humans were not interested in the connection with horses, most horses wouldn’t exist at all. Horses wouldn’t be here in the flesh, wouldn’t appear in art, books, movies, things that inspire people to a horsey-life.
Humans keep the equine species going because humans maintain that purposeful connection, a thing that is integral to being a horse.
Not the same field but I have the SAME issue - people way past retirement age who just won’t leave for… some reason. The company won’t fire them despite them making crazy, load-bearing mistakes just due to cognitive decline (and lack of tech education/savvy), for legal reasons or whatever. We end up picking up the slack and playing Therapist to these coworkers who are just in way over their heads.
It seems to me that retiring without active commitments and social circles outside the house leads very quickly to decline in a lot of people; when people lack those (or have been conditioned to make their entire identity Work Related), they tend to stick around “working” because they have no other option. I just wish they’d retire and go work part time at the grocery or knitting shop instead of making my daily job worse. And I wish my country actually supported retirees so they COULD do that!
Transitioning is a skill.
Not everyone has it. But it can be taught.
Maybe they have no other financial option.
My 30 year old, when younger, would jump all of the jumps set up in the indoor if turned out inside (due to weather.)
Gee, thanks for that dismissive comment. 
I am past retirement age and running this farm and breeding program (as opposed to owning it). I have tech education and savvy that I have applied to everything here. My… “some reason”… is that I need to keep working so that I can look after myself and save money (my barn apartment also goes with the job) and eventually retire - and I care about this herd. I am everything to them. I know this place inside out and upside down. I have no cognitive decline. I am sorry if some people like me doing our best and caring about our job are simply “working” or “sticking around” and being inconvenient.
NO ONE picks up my slack. 
I have been sidelined for 6 weeks now after foot surgery and while I am grateful for those helping in the meantime, everything has sort of fallen apart - and I am anxious to get back on top of things and have everything running smoothly again. In other words, picking up the slack from my well-meaning helpers who are not attentive to detail, think they know better (and know this herd better) and are not tech savvy.
Sorry for that rant - but I had a new person at the feed store (I cannot drive yet but went along for the ride) take one look at me with my knee scooter and start talking to me as if I was an unfortunate soul with dementia. I said to charge the feed to the farm and told her “yes” and “you’re looking at her” when she asked if I had permission from the owner or farm manager - and she actually said softly, " sure ya are, sweetie" 
and then turned to the manger to check in with him to see if I was okay. He said I was Very OK. 
As far as social media eagerly and willfully passing judgment on anything to do with horses… look no further than the lame FB group called Horse Racing Exposed - I think it is based in the UK. They will tell you they can see fear or pain in even the softest, most interested expression or relaxed walk in the paddock. They make it clear that injuries happen in more or less every race every day all over the world - they know this for a fact. The BS they spread and the swooning supporters who rage about all the innocent fur babies they need to protect are harmful to everything to do with horses at any level of any sport - even the fat backyard IR pony snoozing in the sun who must be on a dry lot (so cruel - he should be frolicking in the deep grass amongst the daisies!)…
Back to eventing. I well remember being at the Bromont, Quebec CC course many years ago - before “frangible” was a common thing. There was a trakehner style jump on a down hill slope that was causing many riders and horses some grief - one moment of hesitation and gravity took over. One horse wound up on his back in the ditch under the log and his rider was sprawled in the dirt - rider was taken away on a stretcher. They used chainsaws to cut away parts of that jump to sit the horse up on his butt and then walk him out the one end. The horse shook himself with enthusiasm and then put his head down and started grazing as he was untacked - it was a miracle that he only had a couple of minor scrapes. That jump in that position on that terrain would not exist on course today.
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