With the 2025 Vet Rehab Summit fast approaching, we continue our exploration into the science of motor learning. This time with a theory that speaks directly to how we already strive to work: with compassion, clarity, and purpose.
Welcome to the OPTIMAL Theory of Motor Learning, a model that integrates motivation, attention, and autonomy to create the conditions where learning thrives. Developed by Gabriele Wulf and Rebecca Lewthwaite in 2016, OPTIMAL stands for:
Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning
And if you’re already using positive reinforcement, patient-led progressions, and external focus cues in your therapy, then you’re already applying OPTIMAL principles in practice.
What is OPTIMAL Theory?
The OPTIMAL theory brings together two often-overlooked drivers of motor learning:
- Motivation
- Attention
While many motor learning models focus on biomechanics or neural pathways, OPTIMAL is rooted in behavioural science, looking at how emotional and cognitive states affect motor performance and retention. The theory posits that by supporting intrinsic motivation and directing attention externally, we can accelerate skill acquisition and performance consistency.
The Three Core Elements of OPTIMAL Theory
Enhanced expectancies
When we believe success is possible, we’re more likely to perform well. This confidence drives dopamine-based reward systems in the brain, strengthening the connections between intent and motor output.
In Practice`:
Positive reinforcement is a natural vehicle for building expectancy in our patients. Whether it’s a simple “Good job!” or a food reward, celebrating success, no matter how small, can improve engagement, movement quality, and retention.
In dogs and horses, just like humans, positive experiences create a feedback loop that supports motivation and learning.
Autonomy Support
The second pillar of the OPTIMAL theory emphasizes the learner’s ability to make choices. Autonomy isn’t just a philosophical ideal; it has measurable effects on motor learning. Research shows that even seemingly unrelated choices (like selecting a colour or starting point) can increase intrinsic motivation and improve motor performance and retention. This happens because choice enhances a sense of control and self-direction, activating reward pathways in the brain.
In rehabilitation, we can create opportunities for choice that are:
- Directly linked to the activity (e.g., choosing which exercise to start with)
- Unrelated to the activity itself (e.g., choosing the colour of the harness we will use)
Both have been shown to foster a more motivated, engaged learner in human literature.
The human-animal bond potentially allows us to extend this principle even further. By offering owners meaningful choices, like selecting exercises they feel confident doing at home or picking which tools or treats to use, we indirectly influence the patient’s emotional state. When the handler feels empowered and calm, our patients are more likely to feel safe, cooperative, and engaged. Autonomy, in this way, is a shared experience.
In Practice:
- Offer the patient a choice between two toys, surfaces, or paths to a target.
- Ask the client which exercise or technique they’d like to begin with.
- Let the dog choose between two different coloured harnesses or treat bags.
- Watch closely for behavioural cues of disengagement or fatigue, and allow the animal to pause, rest, or opt out when needed.
Autonomy doesn’t require elaborate setup. It simply asks that we remain aware, responsive, and intentional in how we involve both our patients and their people. When animals know they have the option to disengage, they’re far more likely to re-engage with confidence and trust.
Pitfalls in Practice
However, it’s just as important to recognize where autonomy can be inadvertently removed, especially during hands-on treatment. In our effort to deliver effective manual therapy, we may unintentionally restrain, restrict, or override the patient’s choices. When calming signals, displacement behaviours, or subtle avoidance cues are ignored, we risk creating a situation where the patient feels trapped or powerless. This can negatively affect their emotional state, reduce trust, and ultimately diminish their engagement when we move on to movement-based therapy.
To truly honour the principle of autonomy, we need to think beyond exercise. Ask: How can I offer safe, meaningful choices throughout the entire session? This might mean adjusting your handling techniques, taking breaks when needed, using consent-based approaches, or empowering owners to act as advocates during hands-on work. Respecting autonomy from start to finish not only builds trust, it builds better learners.
External focus of attention
Internal focus (e.g., “keep your balance as you walk across the beam”) leads to conscious control and often disrupts fluidity. By contrast, external focus (e.g., “focus on a spot on the wall while you walk across the beam”) promotes automatic control systems and efficient motor patterns.
In Practice:
We can’t ask our patients to focus on an external locus of attention but we can:
- Use body cues and voice to direct attention toward targets.
- Use environmental features (mats, platforms, obstacles) to give clear, goal-oriented cues.
- Encourage the dog to interact with an object rather than controlling body parts directly.
This approach not only improves movement quality but makes the activity more engaging and meaningful for the animal. We will naturally have a stronger tendency towards external focus in our canine and equine patients.
Why OPTIMAL Theory Aligns with Vet Rehab
So many of us already work this way.
We foster motivation by celebrating progress.
We offer autonomy through patient-led decision-making.
We promote external focus with guided tasks, not micromanaged movements.
The OPTIMAL Theory gives us the language and science to back up what we’ve instinctively done: create an environment where learning feels safe, engaging, and purposeful.
Final Thoughts
The best part? The three components of OPTIMAL are additive. When combined, they result in:
- Faster skill acquisition
- Better movement retention
- Greater willingness to engage
- Lower emotional resistance to rehabilitation tasks
In practice, this means our patients become active participants in their recovery, not just passive recipients of care.
Join Us at the Vet Rehab Summit
This year’s theme is Dynamic by Design, and it’s all about exploring the science and application of movement. From biomechanics and posture to therapeutic exercise, we’ll unpack how our patients learn—and how we can help them learn better.
🗓️ Saturday, 8 November 2025
🎟️ Live access is FREE | CPD certificates + replays available via upgrade
👉 Register now and take your movement therapy strategies to the next level.
This article was partly written with ChatGPT during a study session. I take full responsibility for the accuracy of the information in this article – everything has been written, rewritten, edited or checked by myself.
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