Dressage What is your warm up routine?

[millitiger]

My musings this morning out on a hack...

What is your warm up routine?
Do you have a routine?
Is it the same at home and competition?
Is it the same, regardless of horse?

I'm debating whether mine needs changing up and wanted to see what others do!

I warm up the same way each time, whether at home or at a comp.
10 mins walking on a long rein, stretching.
A minute or 2 of trot stretching.
Then into a more uphill frame, lateral work in walk.
Then up into canter, slightly rounder, a bit more forwards and repetition of transitions up/down to trot/walk, gradually bringing the weight back and frame more uphill.
Usually this is 20 mins altogether, a few long rein walks thrown in too.

If at home, we're then ready to work on anything specific I want to cover.
If at a comp, we're then ready to work the trot, practice a few mediums and maybe a few of the test movements before going in.

We're competing Elementary, working Medium, at the moment.
Horse can be a bit 'cold' to get going and a bit on the forehand and I find the canter work easies too get him in front of the leg and more condensed.
Now wondering whether the stretching and walking so much isn't helping me. Whether starting sharper and in better balance, would mean less having to bring the balance back afterwards.

I have a lesson at the end of the week anyway but was curious what others do and find works with their horses ?

 

[BunnyDog]

Ok so big grain of salt as 1) American 2) my dressage warm ups were in the context of an eventing competition. BUT my flatwork warm up currently at jumper shows is still much the same.

Light hack morning of show if I have more than 2 hours between breakfast and my go. Just 20 mins or so to allow him to stretch his back, legs and more importantly his mind.

Before my ride time. Get on, hack again 20 mins around grounds, NOT in warm up.

When I get to warm up, walk a lap or two but ask for haunches in, haunches out, shoulder in, shoulder out. So not a long rein do nothing walk... it's got a purpose...to loosen the core of the torso.

Then trot with asking horse to be long and low but with the ability to bend neck, and haunches and use stifles and hocks to push and carry. Maybe 10 mins like this, but with purposeful walk breaks with more bending and asking for a more full walk.

Canter on a loose rein asking for head and neck to be out and down. Extend and collect if warm up is big enough and not dangerous to others. Simple change to other lead. Repeat.

So about 10 mins purposeful working trot with collection. 5 mins purposeful walk and canter.

Go in ring after 3-5 mins lateral work with increasing and decreasing circles, half circles, and quarter lines in all gaits.

That's worked well for me. But it really is all about the horse that you're on. I did have one that needed to gallop and pop some verticals before she could do her best dressage test.

Em

 

[daffy44]

I always have a warm up routine, and it stays the same at both home and competition, unless safety forces me to do something different, but all being well it stays the same.

I have an individual routine for each individual horse, My warm always starts with a minium of ten minutes walking on long rein, thats always the same no matter what horse I'm on, after that it is tailored to the individual, the warm up does evolve with the horses age and training eg the warm up at Novice is different from the warm up at PSG etc.

Personally if I were having doubts about my warm up I would discuss it with my trainer as she/he knows you both and will be able to tweak it if necessary.

 

[TheMule]

I don’t stretch my horse at the start- he's a thick necked little warmblood and stretching in balance is not natural for him- if I try to push the neck down at the start he's on his forehand and there's no physical benefit, he's just jamming his weight onto his suspensories. He also lives out so he has been head down, grazing rather than bunched up in a stable.
I do, however, do loads of lateral work in walk on a contact with free walk breaks on the diagonal and then get into my work in trot.
At an event we are currently focused on survival so we generally get trotting to try to get the tail out of the air and some semblance of a brain cell

 

[McFluff]

Mine is very similar to yours. At last 10 mins walk just to get him loosened up, moving his back, stretching into the contact. Do some transitions on a long rein to check he’s listening to my seat and leg. Once his back is working, start to help him shift his weight back using some lateral work (very low key, just moving shoulders and quarters). Then a bit of stretchy trot and canter. Then some transitions to start to pick him up. Then ready for a bit of work.

 

[GreyDot]

My warm-up at competitions starts before I get on, purely because my nearest venue is about 1.5 hours away so he has a fair bit to travel. I like to get there early so he can have a leg stretch, then a heat pad (Epiony) while I plait him up and then I add an extra 10 mins on to my usual 'at home' warm-up. Like to add enough extra loose walking to acclimatise to the environment, so I make sure I always have plenty of time, stressful enough!
After that, it's exactly the same warm up as at home, aiming for being about 35 mins into it (after walking) by the time I head down the centre line. Horse is competing at PSG and has tonnnes of stamina - I find at home that his best work is done between 35 and 45 mins of training.
It's been a work in progress, though, and have to adjust depending on the weather, how he's feeling etc.
And then....if the venue is running late, it all goes to pot

 

[nikkimariet]

My aim is always the same - relaxed and concentrating and reactive to my aid laterally as well as forwards. It’s confidence giving to not change it and therefore the expectation and goalposts in their minds don’t change. ‘Time to work’ basically.

The biggest (and only) difference from home to shows is the walk. Rooni won’t walk at a show to start because he can get so hot and isn’t as easy to get working over his back for the same reason. So I tend to trot sooner at a show and then focus on a longer lower stretch towards the end of the warm up.

15 mins. Trot LY and renvers, changes of rein through tighter loops (he’s quite dinky so the smaller the turn the more his body wraps around my leg). Canter I focus on CC for straightness and control and counter leg yield to SI for the same reason. A few changes as he likes those and they settle him and some small gears in the canter to get him sitting without coming too short behind and in the neck.

My warm up has been different for different horses (lazy one I did lots of light seat GO in the canter) and then Fig was just always perfect whatever the case.

 

[millitiger]

Firstly, thank you all for sharing with me, I really appreciate it ❤ and have taken something from everyone.
My session today was one of our best ever, perhaps coincidence, but I really was thinking of some of the points and snippets from here so thank you.

BunnyDog, I think ours sounds fairly similar BUT I take the word 'purposeful' from what you wrote. I feel I am lacking that sometimes and my horse reflects back the energy I give him!

Daffy44- I'm feeling like I don't want to give up my walk work, however I'm now wondering if that could be in hand, to stop me immediately getting into nagging him forwards. Again, nail on the head, my warm up needs to evolve as we're moving up the levels and I have a lesson on Friday so will ask trainer too.

TheMule, I tried today to still have my wallk work to start but to have him more connected and not on such a free rein. Mine is v.similar and naturally will be downhill and long if allowed.
I quite like him spicy as it gives me something to work with and contain ?

Mcfluff, yes very similar! It's worked well to date but now wondering if changing it up will help me get him 'up'into frame easier. He is naturally really relaxed and easy going so I'm not actually sure he needs as much stretching and free rein work as I give him.

GreyDot, I am thinking of switching to more in hand walking instead so loosening him up without riding.
Would love to know more about what you do in your 35 mins but appreciate it feels a lot to write out!

Nikkimariet, it sounds like our horses are quite different, I miss my my sharp one!
However, I did take something you said in my warm up today, with smaller circles and tighter changes of rein, rather than always choosing the easy long diagonal! ? it definitely helped me feel he was reacting more sharply and using the hindleg without me putting so much effort in, thank you.

 

[nikkimariet]

Firstly, thank you all for sharing with me, I really appreciate it ❤ and have taken something from everyone.
My session today was one of our best ever, perhaps coincidence, but I really was thinking of some of the points and snippets from here so thank you.

BunnyDog, I think ours sounds fairly similar BUT I take the word 'purposeful' from what you wrote. I feel I am lacking that sometimes and my horse reflects back the energy I give him!

Daffy44- I'm feeling like I don't want to give up my walk work, however I'm now wondering if that could be in hand, to stop me immediately getting into nagging him forwards. Again, nail on the head, my warm up needs to evolve as we're moving up the levels and I have a lesson on Friday so will ask trainer too.

TheMule, I tried today to still have my wallk work to start but to have him more connected and not on such a free rein. Mine is v.similar and naturally will be downhill and long if allowed.
I quite like him spicy as it gives me something to work with and contain ?

Mcfluff, yes very similar! It's worked well to date but now wondering if changing it up will help me get him 'up'into frame easier. He is naturally really relaxed and easy going so I'm not actually sure he needs as much stretching and free rein work as I give him.

GreyDot, I am thinking of switching to more in hand walking instead so loosening him up without riding.
Would love to know more about what you do in your 35 mins but appreciate it feels a lot to write out!

Nikkimariet, it sounds like our horses are quite different, I miss my my sharp one!
However, I did take something you said in my warm up today, with smaller circles and tighter changes of rein, rather than always choosing the easy long diagonal! ? it definitely helped me feel he was reacting more sharply and using the hindleg without me putting so much effort in, thank you.

Glad to have helped in any way. Another way to test the reaction and connection is whilst warming up (and also when you’ve picked them up) is checking you can slow the pace down without anything else changing. Can you get the shorter stride just by using your seat and the neck stays out and the nose stays down? Or are you relying on your reins too much? Do they lose balance and fall in/out? Can you keep the activity when the stride comes shorter and then push out working/medium again or does the rhythm start to reduce in quality? I ask myself all these little questions as I’m going around provided I’m not hanging on by my eyelashes!

He is super sharp and I do love it so I try not to resent it when he boils over, none of them are perfect (except Fig ).

 

[humblepie]

I’ve never nailed the warm up - generally just hope it comes together in the class. Last year in an equitation class I only walked before we went in as ground hard and got 34 out of 35 including walk to canter medium canter etc. I sometimes think I just make it worse trying to do much so realistically it’s normally lots of walking some trot and a quick canter. I did have instructor help warm up at a show last year and that did help as actually got me riding rather than just thinking this is rubbish. It’s a mental mindset thing with me.

 

[daffy44]

My pleasure millitiger, I'm glad if anything I said helped. The minimum of ten minutes walking at the start is recommended in terms of warming up the body, especially soft tissue structures, if the horse lives out I'd be happy to reduce that time, but if the horse has come from the stable I think they need at least that long. Obviously, as I said before, safety needs to be considered, if your going to have an explosion caused by staying in walk, start trotting! But it sounds like your horse is steadier, so you will be safe, you can certainly walk in hand, it wont harm your horse at all. But if you are nagging with your leg from the start just walking on a long rein, then thats a training issue that needs to be addressed, if basic walking requires nagging your horse is not on your aids and this will impact on all your work, so I'm afraid you need to be disciplined in your riding and not nag, cracking this will help everything.

 

[millitiger]

I thought you'd like an update on this as you've all so kindly spent time replying.

I had my lesson last Friday and, without me even raising it, was soundly bo**ocked for my warm up routine ?

Mainly for wondering around aimlessly, not riding corners properly and allowing my horse to fall in... quite rightly pointed out that my horse doesn't know when I'm warming up and when I want 'work' mode and I suddenly don't allow those things.

We then spent quite a bit of time in walk and halt on a 20m circle.
Is he responding to rein, leg and seat immediately when asked?
Does he stay soft in halt- I must continue to ride when stationary!
Does he fall in or out when moving off?
Is he REALLY connected?

Who knew, this was far more successful as a warm up than my aimless wondering ? and I've replicated it at home since with success.
Same with trot and canter; amazing how riding corners properly from the start makes your progression in the session easier!

So we have BRC Nationals this week and I will try hard to warm up with 'positive determination' as my trainer suggested.