I expect it means that they’re worried about the extremely hot and humid conditions expected in Tokyo.
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Not really.
Gio could just be a better traveler and more adaptable.
For example my one gelding I have now always loads fine, drinks plenty, eats, immediately settles in and I can get straight to work with him. Hardly requires a warm up. No stress. Which is ironic because he can be a weirdo at home. However, be doesn’t do so well in the heat. He sweats buckets and isn’t as electric/energetic.
Some horses just aren’t as easy. They’re difficult drinkers/don’t drink enoigh when traveling, some don’t eat so well (ulcerguard often required), take longer to settle, stress, or have a bit of intolerance when it comes to temp changes or really long hauls/flights.
It doesn’t mean Freestyle is lame, there just could be a lot of behind the scenes factors that make Gio a better fit. He could have better stamina. I also don’t know if Freestyle had to take a short break for some reason and now she isn’t as fit. Mine loses fitness fast (he’s a fat out of shape man in a horse suit).
So even though my gelding travels quite well, is reliable and is sound, if I had another horse to choose from they could very well be a better fit for that specific trip/competition. So there could be a variety of factors. Some not nearly as “exciting” as a lame horse.
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Some horses really do just melt in extreme heat/humidity. They lose all of their expression and wow factor.
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And remember that Britain isn’t (usually) that hot. Maybe they’ve done enough shows in places that are (parts of Europe) to know that Gio copes better with that type of weather?
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