What is a really a good warm up routine for your horse?

Most information out there about warming up your horse is based around horses who are pretty competitive. So if you’re not a very competitive rider, have a young(er) horse, or have a horse that isn’t particularly fit, the way they tell you to warm up might not be that suitable for you and your horse. Why? Let’s dive in.

Warming up your horse when you ride is super important, and a lot of riders I see (especially those more at the grassroots level) try, but don’t quite get it right.

A warm-up helps your horse’s body, and mind, get ready for the exercise they’re expected to do.

This is why warming up isn’t so much about a set length or a set routine > it’s about getting your horse ready for the main part of their exercise.

Have you ever seen an Olympic speed skater warm up? 
They do lots of exercises before they even put their ice skates on. Then when they get on the ice, they start slow, gradually increase their speed, and practise their starts. They warm up for a good 20–30 minutes.

When I go ice skating, I might walk around a little, do a few stretches, and then start skating. My warm-up is not that intense. Why? Because the top part of my “exercise” doesn’t go nearly as far as the Olympic skaters’, I just glide around on the ice (and will probably be sore the next day haha).

This happens when we train horses as well.

The further you are in your training, the longer your warm-up will be. Because what might be someone else’s 20-minute warm-up might take you a whole 45 minutes.

The main goal of your warm-up is to make sure your horse is physically and mentally ready to do the thing you want them to do. If you want to jump and your horse walks in stiff, a walk, trot, and canter might not be enough. You might end up spending most of your ride getting your horse more supple and only do a couple of jumps towards the end.

It really is all about what works for your horse. Each horse is an individual with individual needs. However, as a general rule of thumb, make sure you take the time you need. Don’t just trot because you think you have to after five minutes of walking. Take your time to learn to feel what physical and mental state your horse is in, and then adjust your session accordingly > even if that means your whole session looks like someone else’s warm-up.