The benefit of warm up.

[ceej]

Just though I would put this up here as a reminder (I doubt many of you need it but I fell into the trap!)

Harry has always struggled a little bit with trot - rushes and unbalanced and although by the end of last summer he had improved loads, now its winter and we aren't doing so much he has slipped back into it.

Yesterday i schooled him for the first time in weeks. Because I am staring him on a fitness regime at the beginning of Feb (albeit slow starting as its still dark in the eves) I did walk work for much much longer than I would usually, and we did serpentines and circles all over the place and I really concentrated on loosening him up. At the end we did just a couple of circuits at trot just to get his blood flowing a bit and he did the best trot he has done in a long old time, no rushing, straight (he struggles with straight!) lovely. I have realised the quite obvious fact that walking at the beginning of a session is NOT just about warming the muscles up, but he was really listening to me and that had good reverberations for the rest of the schooling.

I wonder how many of us work through the first 10-15 minutes without really concentrating rather than really using it as the foundation of the session?

[racaille]

Guilty Must try harder.

[spotti]

I'll admit I don't usually concentrate as much as I should BUT we always do atleast 10-15mins walking warm-up at the beginning of each ride (just 'cos she gets stiff overnight and if not properly warmed up she will refuse point blank to do anything at all! )

I'm off riding now actually so I'll bear in mind what you've said ceej and see what happens...

(just want to say we do usually practise walk-halt transitions and bending and stuff as we wander about...probably not intentionally knowing it would do her good, but I'll do nmore of it if it really works!!!)


*modified to say that I've just figured out why Faith has been a pain in the bum these past few days...she wasn't properly warmed up - thanks ceej! ;D Karma for you if its right

[zara]

I always walk for 10-15 mins in the school before trotting or attempting any lateral work. I am guilty of sometimes letting meander about but I usually get him to walk with purpose and do several transitions etc. I find that he goes much better when I do this Zx

[spotti]

Well, she wouldn't let me warm her up! She decided stropping was more fun

I have noticed the difference in her when she's had a good warm up

[ceej]

Jan 26, 2009 16:26:21 GMT spotti said:

Well, she wouldn't let me warm her up! She decided stropping was more fun

hee hee thats not very helpful of her!!!

[fimacg]

I have a 7 minute hack down to the arena which is my basic walk out - occasionally we trot if the boys are playing up. Once in the arena I have to admit it is usually straight up into trot to get them thinking before coming back to walk to do bends circles etc.

[brigadier]

I will usually lunge first at the mo but I tend to do a lot of warming up at trot- off the back. i know what you are saying Ceej but I think its half a dozen of one and six of the other. On a young horse you want free movement coming through from behind with no tension in the back, plus theres a need to get them thinking forward otherwise they strop or mess, but an older horse needs to warm up creaking joints etc. Its finding what works for the particular combination of horse and rider and trying different things to see what really works- the worse thing is the rut!