Warming up for dressage/around the arena - your tips :D

[ArcticFox]

Hi all

I have a very tense horse, he is worried about everything including a rider on his back although he does like contact (infact he panicks without it)

I try to do lots of moving around in the warm up, leg yeilding, serpentines etc as this helps to relax him. He holds his tension in both neck and behind saddle.

We are getting 7's in dressage when he does nice work - although his paces are also tense so never going to get higher unless I can fix it. Probably won't get higher anyway as he's not 'free' and floaty. 'workmanlike' is what the judges call him

Most test sheets say tense on them. usually 'alot to like' or 'lovely horse'

free walk on long rein is non existant and ends up with 5's, although we did get a 7 for our medium walk the other day which is a first.

When i'm warming up, I can get him lovely and relaxed. he can be going lovely especially if I warm up for 30 to 45 mins.

however when I start my trot around the arena he either tenses up straight away or drops behind the leg and then tenses!!

What do you do? have you ever not trotted around the arena and just waited for the bell at the bottom??

Any hits or tips would be very much appreciated

 

[be positive]

Most people do just trot around the arena until the bell goes, with anything that tenses, loses attention or goes idle dropping behind the leg I try and trot to the arena continuing to work as I was before, transitions, bending, flexing, cantering, whatever is required to keep their mind on the job and do so until entering the arena.
There is not always much room but if you have a look early you will often find there is a longer route you can take avoiding other arenas yet still being able to do a serpentine en route or even a circle in some places, use the opportunities to your advantage and try to avoid the horse getting to the arena then switching off because you just trot waiting for the bell, even once it has gone do a few more transitions before entering when you are ready.

 

[Lolo]

Al has this problem with Reg. He's also never going to set the world alight with his paces which can then get very choppy when he tenses.

In her lessons, they've spent ages practicing going around the arena and down the centre line in the warm up, just repeating it over and over again until they're both doing it well. Al also tensed and dropped her hands almost in anticipation of the fact Reg was going to tense. Now, they're both considerably better.

 

[ArcticFox]

Thanks both

I do the movement while riding around the arena prior to the bell, and pat/do transitions etc but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Lolo - might get some white boards to use at home to do some proper practice then the only thing he has to worry about is the car.

Also - why do dressage judges wait until you have just trotted past their cars before beeping! really sets my horse off as its a sudden noise behind him. why not wait until i'm at the mid way marker instead?

just a musing!

 

[DabDab]

Is he more relaxed in canter or walk? You could canter around the arena and then send him forwards in trot just before you enter. But in answer to your question - there is nothing stopping you just standing and waiting for the bell if you would prefer - but you might have to signal to make the judge aware that you are ready to start

 

[daffy44]

Hi, generally judges wait til you've just gone past to make sure you can hear the bell, especially if its windy etc., still annoying for the horse though! Lots of transitions, and maybe a strong medium canter to really keep the horse forward. I dont know you, so i dont know how stressed you as the rider may get? But if you think you may tense up as well, then make sure you keep breathing, and roll and drop your shoulders to make sure your not holding tension down the reins. If possible, get someone to tell you a really daft infantile joke as your about to go in, having a giggle does wonders for relaxation! Of course, if your sure you stay relaxed, then please feel free to ignore what i said.

 

[oldie48]

I dont know you, so i dont know how stressed you as the rider may get? But if you think you may tense up as well, then make sure you keep breathing, and roll and drop your shoulders to make sure your not holding tension down the reins. If possible, get someone to tell you a really daft infantile joke as your about to go in, having a giggle does wonders for relaxation! Of course, if your sure you stay relaxed, then please feel free to ignore what i said.

Yup that's me, horse picks up on it straight away and takes advantage, anyone know any daft jokes? If you are getting 7's at BD then you are doing quite nicely but i think the only way to get a horse better at free walk is to practice it loads so it becomes second nature and the horse looks forward to the opportunity to relax. Being able to put the horse into a lower position without throwing away the contact or having him poke his nose is something I've been working on as my horse finds it difficult, it's also great for helping to cope with situations the horse finds worrying.

 

[Mickyjoe]

Shoulder in, shoulder in and more shoulder in. Helps to get them to engage and not tense up in that sort of sewing machine trot. It also helps to get their mind back on you.

 

[Quadro]

I feel you free walk pain, best I have ever managed is a 6! I walk round the arena in free walk to try and practice it, would that help ?
Q

 

[Jnhuk]

Shoulder in, shoulder in and more shoulder in. Helps to get them to engage and not tense up in that sort of sewing machine trot. It also helps to get their mind back on you.

As above, I would keep him and you busy with lateral work and transitions going round arena. If M is being a ****, I canter round rather than just trot.

Think practising the centre lines and checking for any tension in you that is transferring to J may be a valid point at the start of the test. However, I don't think you are transferring the tension from you to J more him.

Never been sure if it is the other arenas/horses as well

 

[The wife]

Shoulder in, shoulder in and more shoulder in. Helps to get them to engage and not tense up in that sort of sewing machine trot. It also helps to get their mind back on you.

I was just about to say this Works a treat for our Stressage pony who can get very tense too. OP I'd be very pleased to be getting 7's at BD One day...

 

[dafthoss]

When mine was in a habit of doing that I did as many transitions as possible round the arena as possible. Not giving him time to think about any thing else and making sure he was off my leg reduced the spooking as well.

 

[only_me]

What work does he find easiest?
If he is better in trot stick to that, canter, leg yields etc. that way he can relax as he should find the work easy therefore no effort and hopefully stop the tension creeping in

Bill is good at walk to canter/canter walk and also helps to engage, so we do some of that or will do transitions within the pace of trot to conentrate!

Also make sure you are not the one tensing up as soon as you start to trot round, maybe try concentrating on the test and plan your movements or think of a song?

 

[Winlight]

I feel better knowing that my hot head ranga is not the only one who deicides that presenting to the judge and doing his test is the best time to show his true colours.

He is very sensitive and i remember the first time i competed him. He ran down to the judge sideways and then entered on the C/L sideways and leaping. I retired as soon as i realized he was only going to get worse!

One thing that suits us, just as the horse before me is going in the arena, i start working (after iv done about an hour warm up, i need a break) and lots of trot and transitions within the trot, then once the rider before me are finished i trot around the ring and enter. He is much calmer and it stops me from getting tense also.

I also have to ride with A LOT of leg. He doesnt like much hand, but even when he is tense, if i keep my legs on and just keep him going, he will become much more relaxed.
I feel like its just something that will take time. Its frustrating, as on the few occasions he has behaved, he has been right up in the placings and judges always comment on how bright a future he has.

 

[Foxford]

I know this sounds a bit odd, but is there anywhere that you can hire that has two arenas? That way you can practice switching between the two and he won't get that learned response of tensing. Either that or just school round your warm up test to show him that moving arena isn't anything to get excited about. When I had my boy at a comp yard, I'd practice by swapping arena and it was the only thing that really helped his stage fright! I can't do it at home anymore but I'd definately hire somewhere to do it again.

 

[ArcticFox]

Thanks for all your advice, very interesting and useful.

Also i wish I could get 7's at BD, but these are at BE events regardless of the level we do (BE80, 90, 100 or Novice) we have always got Dr scores of around 33 to 38 (very consistent despite the increased difficulty!). Most say tense on them, so I think if I can reduce his (and mine) then it should improve.

I def think I must change my riding - I really want to do well so I reckon I must tense as well - singing a song might help (although I might forget my test ) and shoulder in etc around the arena sounds like a good plan. I've tried doing transitions etc but they don't seem to work. He is a quirky horse so even at home can have some very tense days. Someone suggested giving him a jump on the way to the dressage might help which isn't a bad idea either.

I think setting up an arena with a car somewhere might be a good idea for practice. or I should take him to a few pure dressage comps perhaps.

mmm, lots to think about - thanks all

 

[saz5083]

Join us in some BD over the winter Seriously, Iv found the more you do the less bothered they get.

I do feel your pain. J is capable of a stunning test, but tends to get tense and its a fine line between expression and explosion! on a good day he has the most beautiful elevation, on a bad day he bogs off round the arena

I do lots of shoulder-in, turning 10m circles outside the arena when I feel him start to block, transitions within the pace etc. I dont do many true transitions as it winds him up more but if thats something that would help your boy focus Id do that too.

 

[humblepie]

My caveat is that I don't really do dressage but if you feel it winds him up for want of a better phrase why not experiment somewhere perhaps at a dressage comp rather than at an event and ask if you can go in without riding round the arena first and just circle him outside the arena at A or even better if it is feasible just come straight across from the warm up. I find many places are quite helpful if you explain that you are testing something out.

I had a horse who wouldn't go through collecting rings very well and most places were happy to let me trot in from a distance away as long as they knew I was circling around the place within shouting distance!

 

[wench]

Have you thought about trying Equifeasts cool calm and collected? Or similar?

 

[nikkimariet]

Re: the walk

Have you tried aiming for an extended walk instead? I found aiming for that frame allowed me to keep my reins a bit shorter and push him into the hand, so that when I picked him back up he didn't jog or come up against the hand. You may still only get a 6 for it (as not FWLR, so they'll tell you he needs to lengthen his frame more), but if you can get him into the mindset that he relaxes into the hand, you can take it from there...

To really solidify the idea that he reaches down and out to the contact in walk, every time I'm schooling and we have a break I practice a free walk. Push the steps forward and back, shortening and lengthening my reins. I do the same at shows too; every break is a free walk opportunity!

Me and Fig used to get 4's and 5's for our walk. Now get 7's for the FWLR, and 8's for extended and medium. Method in the madness!!!!

 

[soupdragon71]

I had a lesson recently with a dressage trainer who suggested everytime I got any tension from Sam, while schooling/warming up, I was to put him into leg yield immediately - in walk, trot or canter. Must say this really did help and I use it regularly now. My problem around the arena is more that he switches off so have to do lots of transitions to keep him switched on. Also use the leg yield trick to keep the brain awake.

 

[Ludi-doodi]

Years ago an instructor of mine gave me the following warm up routine, as my pretty relaxed horse became very tense for dressage. I found this helped quite a lot:

To begin with keep on a circle in walk getting him to relax, make changes of rein within the circles - no straight lines, apparently it stresses them out?!? When he's totally relaxed and listening to you in walk begin to take a bit more contact and push the walk up a notch or two. Once you're happy he's listening, move up into trot, again start slowly, still in the circles and build up the pace/contact. When you're happy with the speed/contact and that he's relaxed and listening, you can go into canter, same system, slowly building it up OR start to make your circles bigger to give them a few straight edges if you feel the circle is too small for canter.

During the warm up you can move the circles up and down the warm up arena if you like rather than sticking to one end but just make sure that you keep the horse relaxed and listening. Once you're happy that he's listening and relaxed in all 3 paces, then you can begin to do more straight lines, but go back to the circles if he tenses up. A bit of shoulder in to start the straight lines is quite a good idea too to keep him thinking just keep building things up until you can go around the arena at the right speed, relaxed and listening to you in all paces. I give myself about 45 minutes to do the warm up and use every minute of it.

Now's the tricky bit and you might need a few helpers, depending on where the warm up is in relation to the test arena. It's best if you can go straight from the warm up arena into the actual dressage arena without stopping and preferably in trot so he doesn't have time to think about anything other than what you've been working on. You might need someone to be on watch out for the person before you to leave the arena so you can go straight in.

Hope this helps.