Whats Your Warm Up Routine When Schooling?

[Ziggy_]

Just curious!

It takes about 30 mins for my horse to warm up fully and work really nicely, so I was wondering what exercises you all do to loosen your horses up and get them listening as quickly as possible?

Please give a rough description of your average warm up for a schooling session and what you expect from the horse at each stage?

 

[Weezy]

Today I hacked 2 mins up the road, tied horse up whilst I was helping someone jump, then got on horse, did a circuit of walk, one of trot, forgetting I had my spurs on which wound her up, popped a cross pole on a 20metre circle 4 times to show the exercise I was trying to teach and then argued with my horse for 20 minutes that she DID want to go nicely

NOT the way to warm up

She will be schooled for an hour tomorrow, warm up lasts 15 mins, 10 mins proper work, couple of mins chill, pick it back up for 20 mins, hack home long way 15 mins encouraging stretching - and she will be a star LOL!

 

[malibu211211]

Lots of walking and bending, Monty sets his neck against you so have to do lots of serpentines and 5m circles and get him really flexing especially to the right

Supposed to do it for a good 15mins before moving on. It does pay off with him to warm up properly otherwise he's a complete gobby, nappy git

 

[Blackhawk]

Lots of stretching and bending, in walk then into walk/trot transitions. Transitions really get my boy going (or used to) as he can be lazy off the leg at first. It takes him about 15 minutes to warm up.

Tend to do the same as Weezy for a good schooling session.

 

[Rachel1]

It varies slightly from horse to horse but I use to the warm up to make sure they are in front of the leg and taking the contact down and forwards. I will ride them in a fairly long and low outline to encorage them to stretch over their backs and exercises include lots of changes of bend and transitions as well as shoulder fore (in a longer outline) and leg yielding across the diagonal to encourage the back to loosen and the hindeg to become freer. Canter work in the warm-up always includes counter canter.

 

[TURBOBERT]

I work in a long outline too. Stretching him over the back and down. I walk for about 10 mins and I include in this leg yielding , serpentines, shoulder in, pirouttes etc. I ensure he is working through his back and into the contact. I then trot (rising) for about 5 mins and then into canter then (he works more through back in canter) all long outline. I include canter fore, 20 and 15 metres circles and to ensure he is in front of the leg transitions within the pace. I then walk for about 2/3 mins before starting proper work. All in all about 25 mins warm up.

 

[Dressagebabe]

I never sit on their backs until they have had 20 mins on the lunge, 5 mins each rein in walk on lunge then side reins on and 5 mins each rein in trot/walk & trot/canter transitions then do girth up to normal holes trot one circuit and then get on and school which starts off with a serpentine in walk on both reins to allow my hips to open and then off we go up into trot, canter, lateral work, simple changes and whatever else I need to sort out when thrown at me during their training session. I am a stickler for discipline and always start off like this.