Warm up advice.

[ycbm]

It's a long time since I had a horse stabled for any length of time, I'm after some advice from the great and good of HHO.

If your horse has been stabled for 16 hours overnight before you ride, what would your warm up be?

I currently make sure I walk for 10 minutes with him properly carrying me, not slopping along like I'm in a hammock, before I do anything else. But I read Sbloom's comment on another thread that walk is actually quite hard on a horse and wondered if I should be doing something different.

Would you vary hack warm up from schooling warm up? Minimum arena size I normally use is 40m wide, so plenty of room to avoid small circles.


Please no comments on whether he should be stabled 16 hours, he appears to be perfectly happy with the arrangement when I'm not poisoning him with food he's allergic to. I'm open to the suggestion that he would be better off (as in stay in work to a greater age) if he was ridden after turnout not before, but it wouldn't be an attractive proposition. Overnight turnout is not feasible and change of stables is not something I'm currently prepared to consider.

Thanks all!
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[Red-1]

Mine is usually in for 16 hours. Turned out at 6am, back in at 2pm for a rest then ride. OH prefers me to have finished horse chores by 4.30, other than a check/poo pick at 8pm, as he does horses at home for me, and would rather I was keen on cars - converting the stables to garages!

I just go by feel. I do mostly hacking, tbf, just request he marches forwards.

For schooling, I have as a bare minimum 1 complete lap in walk in each direction before a trot. But then, the trot is just a swinging along, not in any prescriptive outline. I then start asking for little changes as this then gets him working more together. He takes a while to get himself in gear as he is a bear of little brain.

 

[stangs]

For schooling, I always warm up in hand first. Around 10 minutes of walk including: various shapes, turns on the forehand, tight turns around objects, raised poles or two poles together for a greater stretch, rein backs, etc. Idea is that the back can warm up a little to help it prepare for carrying my weight. This warm-up is also partially inspired by the exercises used by Oliveira et al., (2020).

Warm-up in the saddle involves minimum two laps in walk per rein, excluding shapes, with whatever is best for that particular horse: transitions, long and low, suppling exercises. First trot is usually done with washing line reins and with me out of the saddle, so horse gets the chance to sort itself out a bit without my interfering.

 

[ycbm]

For schooling, I always warm up in hand first. Around 10 minutes of walk including: various shapes, turns on the forehand, tight turns around objects, raised poles or two poles together for a greater stretch, rein backs, etc. Idea is that the back can warm up a little to help it prepare for carrying my weight. This warm-up is also partially inspired by the exercises used by Oliveira et al., (2020).

Warm-up in the saddle involves minimum two laps in walk per rein, excluding shapes, with whatever is best for that particular horse: transitions, long and low, suppling exercises. First trot is usually done with washing line reins and with me out of the saddle, so horse gets the chance to sort itself out a bit without my interfering.

I never even thought of in hand! I was wondering how to extend his "out of stable" time when he's only on 5 day turnout in winter and that's a great idea for us both to learn some new skills. Thank you.
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[ycbm]

Mine is usually in for 16 hours. Turned out at 6am, back in at 2pm for a rest then ride. OH prefers me to have finished horse chores by 4.30, other than a check/poo pick at 8pm, as he does horses at home for me, and would rather I was keen on cars - converting the stables to garages!

I just go by feel. I do mostly hacking, tbf, just request he marches forwards.

For schooling, I have as a bare minimum 1 complete lap in walk in each direction before a trot. But then, the trot is just a swinging along, not in any prescriptive outline. I then start asking for little changes as this then gets him working more together. He takes a while to get himself in gear as he is a bear of little brain.

Thanks Red, that's reassuring.
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[Winters100]

Do you have a horse walker available? If I am short of time I sometimes put them to walk there for 10 minutes before I start.

 

[ycbm]

There no horse walker, Winters. Sadly not an option, though luckily I am rarely short of time.
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[oldie48]

I'm definitely no expert but my view is that it absolutely depends on the horse and the weather. If it was very cold I'd pop a heated pad (got one for sale) on Rose for a while before tacking up , do the minimum walk if she felt fresh and get her moving forward in trot. I don't worry about the "quality" of the work until the horse is in front of the leg, if they will stretch down all well and good but I think horses need to warm up before you ask anything of them. In this hot weather my current oldie has a lot of work in walk, partly to loosen him up and partly to loosen me up, but sometimes I just feel that he needs a trot and a canter to get him going. In walk we start off going large but move onto smaller circles and serpentines so he gets to flex and bend. I find it's such an individual thing, I had one horse that I preferred to put into canter before trot because it just suited him better but I would never do that with Rose. Hacking, I just ask for a good march and that the horse is in front of the leg. Interestingly, I've hacked out a number of times with a friend on her youngster and seen a clear demonstration of why they need to be moving forward with purpose, by far the best way of nipping a nap or a rear in the bud!

 

[Cortez]

When horses can't go out in the field much, I usually have them out twice in the day - once for exercise and once for work. Exercise could be a lunge/free school or in-hand session. Work is under saddle, with a walk on long, stretchy reins in the field, which is hilly.

 

[JBM]

Sometimes my girl likes a roll when she’s been stabled for awhile so usually I let her loose in the arena for a while before brush and tack up
I feel like rolling help stretches out her muscles (do the same after)
Always walk a few laps with her first
My physio suggested to warm her back with hot water bottles too before a ride so I do that ??

 

[rara007]

One persons 16 hours in is another persons 8 hours out a day! I have a fairly intense warmup routine as for mine you have to start as you mean to go on. My entire warmup is only 10 min in this weather, 15min in more normal summer and 20 if cold, where as before when we were doing the long and low thing it took up to 30min to get him on point. We do many transitions getting off the leg and make sure the poll stays flexed and no more than a tiny bit of lateral work. The main difference when he’s in is I walk slightly longer, but still not 10min. Walk is his most fragile pace.

 

[Trouper]

If it's possible to do some in hand work first, I might add some carrot stretches at the end before starting ridden work - after all we often stretch before exercise?!

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Mine walks around the yard in hand once saddled up and ready to go and that includes turning and should also include stepping backwards. Once under saddle, for schooling session walk for at least 5mins (longer in cold weather) and then into a loose gentle canter on each rein. All as advised by my vet. Apparently canter is a better warm up then trot. Once we’ve done that we can concentrate on whatever we’re trying to achieve for the session ?. Obviously hacking just means getting on and poddling off for our hack after the walk in hand.

 

[Fluffypiglet]

deleted, duplicate

 

[Annagain]

We have a little road loop that takes 10-15 minutes so I usually go for a walk with small bursts of trot round there before going in the school. I just find it more pleasant than warming up in the school. What I do/did then depends on the horse. Monty was better for getting into canter sooner. I'd get up off his back and get him moving forwards and it seemed to loosen him up far more than anything else, then I could start on asking him to bend etc. If I did that with Arch, he'd never want to do anything else so I'd focus on getting him listening and bending before going any faster. Charlie would need a bit of lateral work to get him off my leg in a controlled way. I'm still working it out with Wggy and it's been so hot since he arrived we haven't done much in the school but I think he's going to be more of a Monty than Arch or Charlie.

I rarely rode after they'd been in any length of time though, simply because my friend tends to do turn out and I bring in so I'm not there at the right time. I might do a bit more this winter as I'll be doing 2 mornings a week.

 

[humblepie]

I don't do very long schooling sessions unless it has rained as the school very dusty so generally hack and then a quick school. If doing a lesson or proper schooling session would probably still do a ten minute hack at walk before going into the arena.

 

[NinjaPony]

Generally I would always try to turn out before riding (eg riding when he came in at 4ish) but appreciate that’s not always possible. In which case, long slow warm up with steady lateral work on a long rein and moving into canter before trot as that always helped him loosen up.

 

[ycbm]

The canter before trot advice is unexpected but I'll give it a go and see what happens.
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[humblepie]

The canter before trot advice is unexpected but I'll give it a go and see what happens.
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I was told years ago that with an older horse canter before trot helps them. Can’t remember the reasons.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

A

The canter before trot advice is unexpected but I'll give it a go and see what happens.
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An off the back canter really loosens the horse up. I've been advised to do this with my tb.

 

[Tiddlypom]

My equine vet when a teenager had a very good SJ pony with spavins. She would warm her up for 10 mins in canter with a light seat, and pony was able to carry on and compete at a high level without medication for at least the couple of years that vet owned the pony.

It had to be canter, not trot.

 

[milliepops]

i have had horses that warmed up best by cantering early. I was advised by a physio that this was fine to do provided the soft tissues were sufficiently warmed through with some walk work. the hinge point of the hindlegs in canter is higher up than trotting, and there's a different type of movement in the spine/sacrum, i suppose it depends on the horse but several of mine have definitely benefited from cantering before any lengthy or intense trot work. My tense ones have also started breathing better after a canter.

I generally walk a lot more than many people are suggesting here, if the horse is settled enough. The one i'm riding at the moment can't offer stretching until later in a session, tootling about on long reins just invites mischief. so he walks a lot, and then we go to work.

 

[TPO]

I was told years ago that with an older horse canter before trot helps them. Can’t remember the reasons.

Trot is diagonal loading so "harder" on a horse than walk or canter. But yes to light seat for first sets of canter and trot when warming up (if safe).

To warm up before leaving the stable an equilibrium masssage pad and/or fleece covered hot water bottles over the loins. Keep a rug over quarters in colder weather and use an exercise blanket too.

Also don't under estimate the be fits of thorough grooming. It increases blood flow and warms the muscles plus the more "hands on" time you (generic) have the more you get a feel for shape and tone and therefore if anything is off like sore or stiff points.

There are some good owner massage books out there and Masterson is easy to pick up, horses love it. So that'll increase blood flow too. I personally wouldn't do stretches before exercise or a thorough warm up as it's so easy to overstretch cold muscles.

As to actually riding a bit of groundwork before mounting then I'd do a bit more walk than mentioned. Mainly to give me time to run through a mental checklist of how the horse feels, is moving and mood etc

I'd do some gentle dynamic stretching like gently flexing the neck (with ears level ideally), shoulder fore, leg yield etc. If you try walking about yourself and doing leg yields and half passes etc you can feel it in your glutes so even slightly different leg placement does have an affect on horses.

The 55 corrective exercises for horses is a good book and there's another that's essentially ridden pirates for horses. Wait till I Google...Core conditioning exercises for horses and its yoga not pilates.

Oh another excellent book that's easily accessible and not "dry" (plus it's under £10 on amazon and ebay) is From Warming Up to Cooling Down by Susan McBane. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone

 

[ycbm]

Also don't under estimate the be fits of thorough grooming.

He has to be awkward, he really hates being groomed!
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[Annagain]

He has to be awkward, he really hates being groomed!
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Archie did until I bought these. He loves them to the point he pins me in the corner and presents the body part he'd like groomed next.
Hands On Grooming Glove | Houghton Country

 

[ycbm]

Archie did until I bought these. He loves them to the point he pins me in the corner and presents the body part he'd like groomed next.
Hands On Grooming Glove | Houghton Country

?

Feel a present coming on.

 

[TPO]

A lot of horses like these too

https://www.redpostequestrian.co.uk...-mitt-with-magnetic-roller-balls--blue__45977

https://smartgrooming.com/products/borstiq-massage-brush

 

[Peglo]

The 55 corrective exercises for horses is a good book and there's another that's essentially ridden pirates for horses.

ok I think I’m going to need the ridden pirates for horses book…….

 

[TPO]

ok I think I’m going to need the ridden pirates for horses book…….

??‍

The worst part is I corrected it twice and thought it had worked ?

 

[LEC]

I always walk for 15 mins now stretchy walk ever since I read about it’s protective mechanisms for joints. It’s how long it takes for synovial joint fluid to do it’s protective job. This only really changes of the horse is trying to decent me or is seriously fresh. This wasn’t the article I originally read but sums it up very well.

https://cooperativehorse.com/2020/02/walk-to-warmup-synovial-joints/