Warming up suggestions please ...

[NicoleS_007]

So I'm after some suggestions to improve our warm up and make it more effective for our dressaging 😊. I do about 5-10 mins in walk on a long rein, flexing through the neck to try and get my mare bending. However when we go up to trot she likes to poke her nose out and nearly sets her neck against you and will not go long and long until half way through our session. Her left rein is the stiffer rein. Her canter is better than her trot and it is much easier in this pace to flex her and get her supple and forward. Does anyone just skip the trot and go straight to canter work then work on the trot after?

 

[loobylu]

Yes, usually helps them to loosen up and move over their backs if tight/stiff. I'd perhaps try left bend on the right rein then change rein maintaining bend but someone knowledgeable on the ground would be best placed to advise.

 

[NaeNae87]

Yep, quite often.

One of the horses I ride is quite a pain when asking him to walk initially. I go straight into trot and do a lot of transitions within the gait, a lot of flexion and counter flexion - not really focusing on anything other then getting him forward and off my leg. His frame comes in a couple of minutes as long as he is forward and my contact is steady. I then bring him back to a walk and focus on the same stuff... forward and playing with his flexion. I leg yield in and out of a circle and play a little with lateral movement. If it still isn't coming, I will go back into trot and use the trot to get more forward in the walk.

Same with canter... If I can't get the trot, rather than hammer something that isn't working, frustrating both me and my horse, I move up a gear, do lots of transitions (walk-trot, trot-canter, walk-canter, trot-halt, medium trot-working trot, free walk, medium walk, etc).