warm up for dressage.

Depends on the horse! Does it need calming down, to be given a bit of sparkle, is it green, or older and a bit stiff, does it go on its forehand or is it naturally up hill?

There's no one size fits all solution:D
 
I'm useless at warming up, but what I *attempt* to do for an Intro level test is halt to walk, halt to trot and trot to canter transitions (canter seems to liven the trot up a little) and some 10m and 20m circles.
 
previously, my warm ups consisted of;
Big ruby, ride around with fixed face of terror, mumbling a half remembered test while trying to stop her body slamming into small ponies - she wasnt keen:rolleyes:
Little Lilly, same face of terror, but very young horse with variable steering and brakes
Poppy - first outing in Oct, as i am now under the eagle eye of PS, will try and look at least mildly compatent and actually try riding the horse:):)
 
I used to have to do nearly an hour of solid trot/canter work! :o

Now I tend to do 25 ish minutes mainly doing suppleing/bending exercises and lots of transitions.

There's nothing worse in a warm up than people who try and ride the whole test in the warm up and just get in the way of everyone because warm up etiquette goes right out of their mind.
 
Mine is lazy but spooky. Also pulls nasty faces at all the other horses (even herself in the mirrors :rolleyes:) I do find she doesnt take lot of notice of me in the warm up! She's quite stiff 18years-old and wise!! Lol.
 
monkeybum13 said:
There's nothing worse in a warm up than people who try and ride the whole test in the warm up and just get in the way of everyone because warm up etiquette goes right out of their mind.
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Agree with this. Was once warming up for one of my Intro tests and two competitors who were doing pairs dressage were practicing the whole test in the warm up arena :mad: Both they and I were using the track, and one said 'can you get off the track please' in very exasperated tones (bearing in mind that this was a livery and I was on a riding school pony...:rolleyes:) and seeing that I couldn't, unless they wanted me to collide with them when pulling out straight in front, I didn't, and heard 'Don't then!' behind me. :rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
rubysmum said:
previously, my warm ups consisted of;
Big ruby, ride around with fixed face of terror, mumbling a half remembered test while trying to stop her body slamming into small ponies - she wasnt keen:rolleyes:
Little Lilly, same face of terror, but very young horse with variable steering and brakes
Poppy - first outing in Oct, as i am now under the eagle eye of PS, will try and look at least mildly compatent and actually try riding the horse:):)
Click to expand...
Love this! Probably sums up a lot of folks' strategies. Seriously 'tho, depends so much on each individual horse. Some need just a mosey around and a quick loosen up, some need serious suppling and gymnastics, some need valium and an hour's desensitizing, sweat-inducing hardship. Some should probably get back on the lorry and go home!
 
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