SHOWJUMPING - how long do you warm up for ? What is your routine ?

[Karenlawson01]

I appreciate that every pony / horse is different, but would be interested in learning how you warm up your horses before going into the ring ? How long will you take to warm up before going into a class ? What heights would you warm up at ? How many jumps will you do ? Anyone seen how the "experts" do it ?

 

[Sarah_Jane]

I usually spend about half an hour. 10-15 minutes loosening and just relaxing at walk trot and canter. Then lots of transitions, lengthening and shortening to make sure they are listening. Finally a bit of jumping but not too much a couple of lower uprights then a decent size upright (height of class or just above) a decent oxer and usually finish over upright. I try and get quite deep into the upright at least once to sharpen them up in front.

 

[MillbrookSong]

probs spend about 10-15 mins walk trot canter. trot then canter a X pole then small and bigger upright then big oxer and go in! otherwise he gets to keen and ends up having a few down

 

[Baileyhoss]

I have a bit of a problem in working in arenas as my lad hates busy schools, is terrified of other horses cantering towards him and especially if they jump towards us or misbehave!. not good for sj as you can imagine. I usually walk around a bit outside, sneak in for a trot and a canter when it's quieter. Pop the practice jump if possible, usually once or twice if its starting to get busy, then come out and walk him around a bit more to relax again. However, we usually do a smaller class as part of our warm up.
If it's a big working in area or a quiet time, I'll do a bit more on the flat, but still usually only pop the practice fence a couple of times. Don't see the point of doing it over and over. Home is the place to fix problems, not the working in area.

i normally warm up over what ever is there. I don't usually have a helper with me to work the fence, so rely on people not putting it up ridiculously big and leaving it there. Normally try and get it at whatever the height of the class is.

F x

 

[Rambo]

Well, on Bo i'll usually trot two circuits of the warm-up arena on each rein then come back to a walk. Check my girth then go straight from walk into canter. I'll canter a couple of circuits on each rein and probably a couple of 10m circles too then do a flying change on each rein. That's enough flatwork so will then pop a x-pole twice...an upright at about 3ft twice and then if we're jumping something bigger than that i'll pop another upright at the height of the class or a wee bit higher. If he's jumping well i'll then go to the oxer and jump that once o twice...always finishing on a good one.

With Trike, OH will get on 20 to 30 mins before we're ready to jump and walk him all around the showground and do a bit of trot or even canter if there's room. Has been known to hack down the road for 10 mins in winter if needs be

I then hop on and go straight into canter in the warm-up and get him moving forwards in there. Pop a couple of x-poles and then a couple of uprights around 3ft. Again will jump a little bigger than the class then move onto the oxer for a couple until i'm hitting it on a nice forward stride. Then go straight in to the ring if poss

They're like chalk and cheese though and if you overcook it with Trike in the warm-up proper (as opposed to just plodding around the showground) then you're bu99ered

 

[Peanot]

I`ll have a walk round the warm-up for about 10 mins flexing, shoulder-in etc to get a good contact, and let them have a good look around to chill them, then about 5 mins trot on each rein with transitions, then a couple of circuits of canter on each rein, then down to walk, check girth, then pop a x-pole from trot, then canter, then about 2`9" vertical, then about 3` a couple of times, then a little higher, then a spread with a little higher at the back, then a level one. I am not one for jumping for the sake of jumping, I don`t like to keep jumping, and my horses are never sweaty when they enter the ring, like some are. If I am not next I will watch a couple go round or walk around, then have a canter before I go in. It`s something like that anyway.

 

[kerilli]

depends how long a gap i've had since dressage. if not long, then i'll only warm up for a few minutes in trot and canter, then do the x pole once from trot, again if absolutely necessary (if horse didn't jump it well), then small upright, medium spread, perhaps with x at the front if that's what's there, then either a biggish parallel next or a medium upright then parallel, then finish over a large upright, ideally getting deepish... if i can get the horse to tap it, so much the better.
if it's a sticky horse, i'd be more likely to finish over a biggish spread to open it out a bit.

 

[sachak]

mollie needs lots of chill out time so i get on in leanty of time to have a walk around the showground for a while... ill get off tie up walk course get back on walk round then with about 15 to go its a bit of trot on each rein couple circles then up into canter.... couple of flying changes, then will pop a sizeable x pole, one sizeable upright.... walk round then with 5 to go an upright and leave it on a good note.... i have to keep her moving though doesnt do standing still to wait to go in :O

 

[dopeesophee]

about an hour and about 15 mins of that is in walk at the start... then transitions to trot, then about 15 mins in trot... then transitions to canter... walk to canter transitions etc... then bout 5 mins in canter

then i jump a few times... and then stretch her out
thats it lol

x

 

[dieseldog]

The least amount of time possible. Trust me if you owned Dolly you would also take this approach.

She can't possibly walk, she ususally will give me long enough to get my stirrups and then she is off, girth is tightened at a sideways jog. She then prances down to the ring and the grunting starts. Then we enter the warm up and Thomas the Tank Engine impressions start up and the leaping. Everyone stares as she does sound quite special by this point.

I attempt to do some flatwork - but it is never really going to happen. It doesn't help that she is making me laugh as she is being so naughty by this point. Naughty is probably the wrong word she just wants to jump the jump. To jump she has to leap non stop all the way down to it. I only tend to jump a few as it just gets worse and worse.

So why put up with it? Because the moment she gets in the ring a switch flips in her head and she becomes a complete pro, all I have to do is sit there and steer and she does the rest, no leaping, no messing just a little jumping machine. It is the only time she is actually nice to ride and makes up for all the crap stuff she does. Also the reason why I've put up with her being lame and hoping desperatly that she comes sound again.

 

[Merlotmonster]

I warm up for about 15-20 mins. Only ever jump a couple as he doesnt really need to practice as such. Hes such a pro in the ring I can just steer and leave him to it.

 

[Jade2007]

I have a very light warm up, about 10 mins. I trot him round a couple of times, canter round a couple of times, twice over a cross pole, twice over an upright, twice over a spread with the front part as a cross, twice over an oxer. I give him a pat and some mints, walk the course and have a breather for 10-15 mins. About 5 people before me I go back in and ahve a short canter and then over an oxer a couple of times and then straight into the ring! I don't go any more than 5cm above the class I'm doing, so I never go any higher than 1.05m.

 

[jess_asterix]

Dannny-
1/2 laps of walk, depending on size of arena
2 laps of trot and a bit on the other rein if possible
a good 5 mins of canter really getting him off the leg and moving forwards then coming back to me

Jumps
x - pole 1/2 times
small vertical once
bigger vertical 1/2 times
then depending on height of class we usually get to the height of the class with the vertical then move onto the oxer.
Small square oxer
Bigger square oxer 1/2 times then keep going til the height of the class not usually any bigger
then see how many we have

When i have 1/2 to go i have a vertical that is slightly bigger than the height of the class.

GIGOLO

walk round for 5/10 mins
straight to canter after that as he goes to sleep if you trot round for ages
canter for 5 mins

then jumping i do the same, sometimes do an ascending oxer which will be slightly bigger than the class im in. But other than that the jumping routine is the same

 

[Haflinger]

Do a couple of laps in walk, letting her stretch etc.
Then again in trot, then into canter, and work on a few tranistions and shortening/lengething.

Jump a x pole a couple of times, then a upright about 2'9ft and then another about 1m depending on class.
Then jump a small oxer, then a bigger oxer.

So usually takes about 10 - 15 mins, but depends on how she feels that day, and how she is acting

 

[Jul]

Assuming warming up from 'cold' ie not already done a class, or dressage at an ODE, I warm up for about 20 mins.
10 mins walk, 5 mins trot and canter then jump. Usually jump a x-pole first from canter. When I'm happy with that (could be 1 to 3 times) move on to a small upright, bigger upright, spread, then in. Each time I jump I make sure we have come to it nicely so I do it as many times as that takes - sometimes just once, sometimes 2 or 3 times. If its not going well I tend to not keep on jumping but just go in and hope for the best.

 

[PURITA]

My mare hates the warm up ring and its impossible to do anything but canter round and jump! She gets herself far to excited so she canters round and i begin to get her supple after 10 minutes i'll jump a couple of x poles , jump the height im going to jump in the ring if that a little bigger. which is normally about 1.05 and then shes done! Im only in there for about 10/15 minutes as it winds her up to much!!

x x x