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FREESTYLER

FREESTYLER

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So, how long do you work your horse in before your actual event? Do you have a set regime or do you change it according to what you feel your horse is like on that day? What exercises do you incorporate and are you a stickler for exact 20/15/10 m circles etc... (except when of course you are cut up!!!)

Also, just out of interest, how do you think centres could improve on "warm-up etiquette??"
 
Depends on the mood of madam really
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At home I like to incorporate lots of transitions etc and shoulder-in, quarters-in etc. However, a lot of the venues I have been to make this near on impossible as even at affiliated people still son't seem to understand the rules of the school.
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i'e standing by the gate chatting.
 
Oooooooooooooo serious habit!
I have to lunge for 20 mins in the morning before plaiting in a bungee.
Then when we get to the show upto an hour(very bad day) an schooling, lots of loops and circles. Transitions and centre lines.
A clear list of school rules should be apllied to centres and even have collecting stewards to inforce would be the only forward!
 
Centres near me could improve by providing a decent arena to warm up in! Most are a field or a tiny tiny second arena with a rubbish surface. In an ideal world all centres should have a well surfaced 20x40 warm up arena.

I am same as Madam_Max depends on how he's feeling, whether he's feeling reponsive or needs suppling (sp?) up a bit more. I find it really hard to do much lateral work when warming up, for fear of people colliding into us!
 
Ah now this is a can of worms!!!
I do think people could be a LOT more aware of those around them. Ie no walking on the outside track, left to left and then understanding that you give way to countercanter and lateral work. Take boots/bandages off either out of the warm up or out of the way.
As for how long it is genrally 20-25mins for me. If i have a 'stressy' one then i do 2x's 20 mins, so i will work them put away and then onother 20mins. I find this the best way especially if you know you are going to have 'issues' they need to be sorted out without the feeling that you are about to have to go into the arena. This is something i do especially at Stoneleigh and Hickstead.
As for work i get them to relax first and then build it from there , mostly on connection and straightness and not worry about doing the exact movements in the test because there will always be someone in the way. I do try and make sure i have done a centerline and my 10m circles!!
Mostly just gaining attention and reaction to my leg and contact to the rein. At higher levels i will do some changes as these can become an excuse for a buck!!! and the pirouettes.
Trying not to do too much, i want the work in the test not in the warm up.
 
Most of the shows near me like kittykate was saying have very small warm up areas and a show i went to on sunday didn't even have on till half way through and all the ridden classes had finished so they could use that ring! and there was a warm up jump put up just before the very last class!!!

I try not to overwork him when warming up but prob about 10 mins for ridden classes with lots of circles making him listen and 15-20 for jumping also with circles and transitions to get him to listen.
 
most of them near me arnt bad actually but again people dont really know their left from their rights !!

I normally work in for about 20/30 mins depending on how we feel he is that day also if it is a new venue we will give him a little bit extra time to take in new surroundings !!
 
Our two are completely different .The coloured takes ages to relax and if you ask too much too early you just get tension ,in fact you can't really canter him before a test or he starts to skip behind. meet him on his terms and he starts to work!
The bay will try harder and harder but he tires easily due to age and weight[ young and tubby]He needs a bit of medium canter to wake him up and get him forward, in fact when she enters the arena to ride round she canters and does medium down a long side because if he is forward and in front of the leg he is much better and movements come much easier
 
Agree with Partoow. I normally get on 30 mins before the test, spend 10 mins walking on a long rein to relax and loosen the horse then 20 mins or so of work.

I concentrate on the connection and transitions mainly and will do a couple of changes if appropriate but no more than this.

If doing a second test I'll probably just get on 20 mins before the test.
 
I always allow 30 mins - sometimes I need the whole time, others I'll slow it down and actually only use about 20 mins but if its running late I can have a problem! My regime keeps changing as Little Mare progresses but atm we do quite a bit of chilling-out/loosening trot then pick her up and do circles, shoulder-in, walk to canter etc. space permitting and keep a close eye on the clock!
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As for improving etiquette I think a big sign stating the rules of the school would be helpful and definitely a steward enforcing them, when I was a kid I used to go to a show where they had a terrifying collecting ring steward but it did make warm-up easier!
 
Depends on the horse and the level really, but for a novice/elementary level horse I usually tack up around 40 mins before the test, and then spend at least ten minutes walking around before actually going into the warmup. I then do around 20 mins in the warmup, stretching in walk and trot, lots of changing rein and transitions. Then up to canter and ask for some more collection, a bit of counter canter, then back to trot and pick the horse up. Then usually do some circles and shoulder in and leg yielding.
At this point I usually have been cut up by someone or had someone nearly crash into me, so I take my horse out again and walk for a few minutes chill out time. Then take off bandages, fix clothing, and in!

I try to keep my walking in the warm-up to the minimum as I find that even if you are walking on the inside track someone always manages to nearly mow you down. I find just walking around the lorry park or the nearest piece of grass helps a lot. My vote for best place to warmup has to be Addington's new outdoor. It is just so huge, you have plenty of space and I've never felt crowded out there.
 
Aim for about 40mins with song but once weve reaced the warm up its more like 30mins - then once i start with him i cant do much walk as he goes very lazy and unresponsive and this is what i found with giveing gogs an hour to "chill" on sat!! he was a lot more chilled before i started trying to chill him!!

And as for school rules try and stick to them but in reality if you want o warm up in a BE dressage area its each for there oen and if you dont stick up for yourslef you can end up walking for the whole warm up as theres no room!
 
I try to allow a bit extra so that if the warmup becomes extremely busy or something, I can come out for 5 min, and don't risk having a collision.
I don't know which is worse, our RC which has a lot of v junior members (who don't seem to understand the left-to-left rule), or the local dressage venue (where the problem is the more advanced riders who seem to assume that I can read their mind).
I find that if everyone in the warmup is riding the same test, it is a lot easier to predict what movements they are going to do, but if peeps are doing lots of different tests it is harder. For example if I am doing a nov/prelim one, how can I know what movements are likely to be ridden by the adv med rider in front of me.
Not a rant by the way - just an observation of what I have experienced this season.

I like to allow 45 min anyway in an ideal world.

FIona
 
15 - 20 mins with my mare. Walk, trot, canter both reins and some transitions. She's very level headed and comes out at events the same as at home so don't have to worry too much with her.
 
I give mine about 30 minutes warm up and spend about the first 10 minutes working long and low to loosen her up and then start to pick her up. I will do various transitions, loops and circles, I will also ride parts of the test such as medium trot as she needs woken up for that.

I hate warming up especially if there are more than 2 classes on at the same time of different levels. When I was Addington last we didn't have the new arena to warm up in, it was full of jumps. We therefore had the outdoor arena closest to the indoor arena and it was chaos. There were 3 classes warming up in it with people all doing various things!!
 
I give mine about 30 minutes warm up and spend about the first 10 minutes working long and low to loosen her up and then start to pick her up. I will do various transitions, loops and circles, I will also ride parts of the test such as medium trot as she needs woken up for that.

I hate warming up especially if there are more than 2 classes on at the same time or different levels. When I was Addington last we didn't have the new arena to warm up in, it was full of jumps. We therefore had the outdoor arena closest to the indoor arena and it was chaos. There were 3 classes warming up in it with people all doing various things!!
 
Very interesting, so most of you do 20-30 mins including walk for 10 mins or so.....and work on transitions and connection. How about lateral movements anyone? Or do you find it difficult in a buisy arena? Who has right of way too? I know it is left to left but say someone is doing lateral, do they have right of way ??? even if left to left?? If someone is walking on the track I normally now tend to shout "track", is this rude of me??!!!
 
I usually do some lateral work even in very busy warm-up arenas but am willing to cut it short to avoid a collision! I often leg yield around the morons who park on the track for a drink/rest/last look at the test/chat with their entourage...
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I like to get on 25-30 mins before, this gives me time to loll around, have a fag, have a trot and a canter, pop a fence, chat to someone I haven't seen in ages, then oooops, time to go it
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Working in (lack of) is my WORST trait - I really need a trainer on hand to make me get to it.
 
I'll try and do some lateral work but on many occassions I end up colliding with people. I will also try and do some canter squaresas that is a bit easier to manage.
I try to avoid walking on the track but at some places people will still come inside you so sometimes I do end up on the track.

I could really do with someone help me work in even if it is just for one competition as I am sure I don't work her in correctly,or should I say my warm up could be more constructive

P.S Sorry for the earlier double post.
 
I always ride left to left and walk well on the inside track out the way. There are rules on lateral work and counter canter, but in a busy warm up arena I think it only polite to try and do lateral work when there is room to do so and not expect everyone to just get out of your way.

I do always try to do some laterel work but it normally just a few strides mixed in with the general work to avoid crashing into anyone.
 
For dressage I normally only do about 20mins as she just switches off and jumping probably about 20 - 25mins for the same reason. I am trying to sharpen her up and she just hates schoolwork so the less time spent the better for her
 
I like to do about 30 mins and then I will get on 10 mins or so before my second test. I spend a lot of time walking and just getting Gin to relax. When moving on to trot I ride her deep and round to loosen up her back and I dont do much canter. I do try to do some lateral work but usually some idiot comes straight towards me. I seem to spend half my time avoiding other people!

A steward would definatly help things in the warm up, but saying that, if people knew the rules and respected others then a steward wouldnt be needed.
 
All in the past now, but my warm up used to be a bit unorthadox!

Walk round the lorry park for 10 mins on a long rein to get him relaxed. Into the school for a quick gallop round to get him thinking forwards, then lots of transitions, circles and leg yielding on a circle to get his hind legs under and into the contact, then another 10 mins round the lorry park to get over being in the school with all those other scary horses!

If they have jumps, I'd pop him over a few as that really loosens his back up and gets his paces more free and swinging. If there is hacking or a field, I'd do most of my warm up out of the arena, and just go in for a few circles to get him bending properly.

Depends on your horse and what is best for them I spose. Mine hated being close to and run into by other horses, so was better to stay out the warm up as much as possible as he would just get tense.
 
"If someone is walking on the track I normally now tend to shout "track", is this rude of me??!!! "

If I heard someone shout that I would probably start looking for a tractor !!
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I am paranoid about heavy vehicles though ...
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Depends what sort of mood hes in. If hes feeling tense i do loads and loads of trotting long and low and changes of rein/circles/serpentines before i even contemplate working on transitions. I generally do some shoulder in/counter canter/leg yield to get him listening to me. Some medium trot and canter on a circle too to get him balanced and over his back. if hes relaxed when i first start then i straight away get on with loads of transitions up and down the pace. I also vary between long and low work and working him in a more upright frame.
 
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