Dressage Warm Up

[Boots*McGruber]

My boy is quite a tense lad by nature and I get competition nerves so hoping people may be able to help with the following:

How do you get yourself mentally calm and focussed?
How do you prepare your tense horses for the test at competitions?
What are your tips tips for dressage warm up?
How soon can you enter the arena after the last competitor has saluted?
When you get chance to walk around the arena after going in what do you do to get them/keep them on your aids before the bell goes?

Thanks ?

 

[j1ffy]

Is he 'internally' tense (i.e. a busy mind and an internal worrier) or do external factors make him tense? I think this can have a bearing on the approach.

For the warm-up, I try to have a pattern of long-rein walk and trot that I keep the same at home as well as away. You may need to adapt it if he is reactive to others, but for a more internalising horse it can help to have the familiarity. I'm sure others will have more ideas, I know that two warm-ups can help some horses or warming up at home and again at the competition.

In most venues you can enter the arena as soon as the other person walks away from their final halt, but there's usually a steward who will tell you when to go in.

I wouldn't walk around the arena once you're in but go straight into trot / canter and ensure your horse is focused on you. Transitions within the pace, transitions between paces, changes of rein (this may take some planning if you can't go into the arena itself - there's usually space for a small circle, walk pirouettes to change rein can also keep them focused).

Also remember to breathe! Sing to yourself if needed (obviously not during the test itself!)

 

[doodle]

I have to regularly remind myself to breathe. Just one deep breath in and relax. Usually when I get on. And also when I have warmed up and waiting to go in. I try and get in the arena as soon as I can. I always do the same once I get in. I walk in, round the first short side and once on the long side (I usually do 20 x 60) we go into trot. I aim to trot all the way round then change rein. Hopefully that still leaves time to get back on the correct rein so turn onto center line the same rein as I turn off again. I try and make that trot quite positive and workmanlike. If he or I get a little tense I ask him to briefly stretch down which works for us. Remember you have 45 secs after the bell rings so you have time to not get flustered.

In the warm up, to start with we walk on a fairly loose relaxed rein for a good 5 preferably 10 mins. He is allowed to have a look around but not be silly. I then trot fairly long and loose before getting into canter gradually asking for more in canter. I can then come back to trot and ask for more up work. When the horse before me goes in we come over and stand and wait to go in. That gives me a minute to breath again, check I know the test and allows my horse to have a look at the arena.

I guess the main thing I do is make sure I have lots of time. Right from loading to getting there, tacking up and getting on. It is better to spend 15mins walking around on a loose rein if you are a bit early, than having too little time and rushing (did that once and it did not work ?)

 

[McFluff]

I try to focus on what I can control. So make sure I have lots of time for every step, while trying to keep a familiar routine feel (eg grooming and tacking up).
I tend to start warm up same as at home - nice swinging walk on a long rein, let him look at everything, while trying to make sure I breathe deeply (belly focussed breathing). It seems to help.
if you can go along to your intended venue to watch before competing it can help you plan (ie what is parking like, how far to warm up, where are the mounting blocks, how the venue manages the rings as that’ll dictate when you can enter etc).
Once in the arena I used to get into trot and try and get past scary things on both reins. It suited my last horse. But with my internal worrier horse I’m trying different approaches. Starting with a nice calm walk and trotting once bell rung seems to help him better.
it gets easier as you do more.
good luck.

 

[humblepie]

When first started taking current horse out would hand walk him round the lorry park for a while as that definitely helped him relax. It can be difficult in the dressage warm up as you can feel intimidated by bigger horses or slightly wild horses if your horse is a bit tense so it is really finding what works for you and your horse. If you have been or can go to clinics it can help as you can work on working with others. I am I fully admit fairly useless in the warm up and generally doss around, so not a lot of help. If the working in area is too busy I will even take my horse away from it and just ride round the car park. Not dressage but a riding test, we scored 34/35 without having cantered before we went in as the warm up was like concrete (grass outdoors competition). Good luck and hope you have lots of fun.

 

[Squeak]

I normally find that if it's nerves the best thing to do is to go out to loads and loads and loads and loads of competitions until it becomes boring. Start off with a local, quiet venue and then build up from there. If I haven't been out for a while then I get much more 'hung up' on a test or competition than I otherwise would.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

@j1ffy thanks for your detailed reply. He is definitely an internal worrier, which is a distinction that I hadn't made before. The more I think about it I realise that he needs me to be calm and hold his hand. I'll have a go at keeping my warm-ups the same away from home as at home, that sounds like a good idea

 

[Boots*McGruber]

@Squeak, thank you. We went out quite regularly last last year (unaffiliated only) but have had a few months off recently. That said, we've never really done a relaxed test together, we both get tense once we get into the arena. He's been out eventing a few times with professional riders and he's done lovely tests even though I can tell he's still a bit tense, because they are much stronger riders and find it easier to get him working from behind than I do.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

@humblepie thank you for the encouragment

I enjoyed you admission, haha!

I am I fully admit fairly useless in the warm up and generally doss around, so not a lot of help.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Thank you @doodle. I do get a bit flustered once the bell has gone! Need to remember to take my time. Last week I walked round once I got in but think I need to crack on in trot as you've said.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Thanks @McFluff sounds sensible to plan every step! I definitely need to try the deep breathing too as I forget to breathe. Hopefully I will find it easier to relax as the season goes on.

 

[sbloom]

they are much stronger riders and find it easier to get him working from behind than I do.

Just to say that strength is usually unhelpful in helping a horse go correctly, we need them to find the work easier, not to find better ways of making them do it. Some of the old masters get the most beautiful tunes out of horses in their 80s. Have a look at the work of people like Manolo Mendez, it may be that you can find a way of riding that is more functional and suits both of you better, helping with the nerves on the way (as riding with less strength automatically means riding with less tension).