When a horse is working really hard and paying close attention, often he’ll tip his ears back to the rider showing that he is concentrating. Cutting horses are a good example because they’ll often pin their ears back on their head as they’re cutting cattle. They stop and turn and will often lower their head and neck to the ground and pin their ears back. And even though it looks like they’re being cranky, they’re really loving their job. They’re just putting so much physical exertion into it that their facial expression doesn’t look pleasant.
It’s the same thing with an athlete that’s concentrating on the task at hand. If someone would take a photo of a world-class tennis player just as they’re returning the ball, you can bet that their face and body aren’t going to be relaxed. Instead, their mouth will be open and you’ll be able to see all the veins popping out on their face. They look extremely mad and angry because they’re putting so much physical force into hitting that ball that their body is tight. You never see them hitting the ball with a big smile on their face and their bodies relaxed.
