It happens all the time.
Horse and rider stroll into the arena, all set to get started on their ride. You can see it from the moment they enter: the rider is walking nonchalantly to the mounting block. Her horse is even less inspired. He ambles along five steps behind her and seemingly requires coaxing, begging - maybe intimidation - to finally set up close enough to the mounting block for the rider to mount.
Once mounted, the "feel" of the ride doesn't improve. The horse continues in his lackadaisical manner. The rider is busy doing everything but riding. She adjusts her clothes, fiddles with the reins, chats with other riders or checks out the car that happens to drive by at that moment.
The one thing missing is the enthusiasm and playfulness that characterizes a useful, productive and enjoyable beginning to a ride.
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I have to admit it - the scene above is an exaggeration. But it makes the point: we often get into a warm-up riding rut that becomes uninspiring and tediously routine. Rather than developing an essential first connection with the horse, the opposite happens. Although the rider is right there on top of the horse, there is so little going on between her and your equine partner that they might as well pack it in before they even begin!
Should you ride effectively during a warm-up?
Of course!
Here are five ideas that you can use to amp up your warm up!
*Remember to play everything by ear; if your horse needs a more gradual warm-up, start slower and then build up to the canter well into the middle of the ride. Also, give plenty of walk time right at the beginning.
1. Go for a warm-up trail ride.
Heading off for even a casual walk on the trails warms up the horse's mind and body in a way that the ring riding never can. Have a bit of fun for the first 15 to 25 minutes roaming the fields and woods, smelling the fresh air and jazzing up the horse's body. Move into a trot and maybe even a canter when the time is right, and even start playing with some of the ring exercises right out there on the trails.
Your horse will almost certainly re-enter the riding ring with a better mental attitude. Add energy to enthusiasm and you will find a calmer, softer, more limber horse ready for the following studying session.
2. Go for a canter.
Although it seems counter-intuitive, hopping off into a canter even at the get-go will give your horse more "go-go" right off the bat. You don't have to canter for long; just transition and take a few strides before heading off into a correct, ground-covering trot.
Sometimes, the horse feels tense and tight and a little over-exuberant at the beginning of a ride. A short canter helps let him know he can move when he wants to, and often reassures him in a way that stifling the energy just won't be able to.
Alternately, the sluggish horse benefits from a quick get-yer-blood-going stimulation. Just get into the canter and then evaluate. You might want to back off into a trot and let him breathe and snort. Or you might get more benefit from a longer canter series until the horse loosens up and moves more willingly.
3. Use ground poles and get creative.
One way to change the routine while warming up in the ring is to walk/trot/canter through randomly or purposely positioned ground poles. Teach the horse to pay attention to where his feet are going and provide some mental challenge as he learns to negotiate space, striding and timing. Once the horse feels fairly secure, throw in transitions coming into or out of the poles. Circle away from the pole and return back on a different angle. Go over the poles on a diagonal line. Halt coming to a pole. Canter away from a pole. Decide on a short pattern and take your horse through it several times.
4. Have some cavaletti fun.
Pull out the cavaletti if you have some (or use jump cups to lift jump poles off the ground) and get the horse to elevate his legs. Raise them to the higher height for little mini-jumps or leave them lower so the horse can go over with just a leg-lift. In both cases, a series of cavaletti can serve as a quick wake-me-up and blood circulating exercise.
5. Play from the ground.
You don't have to ride a horse during the warm-up. Playing with the horse from the ground might be just the exercise your horse wants! Alternate with either a free-lunging session or be more structured with some in-hand work. Although there most certainly is an art to groundwork, and you will notice dramatic development as your skills and ability to communicate improve, there is no harm in some trial and error.
In each of these scenarios, you will notice that your horse warms up mentally and physically toward a more focused, supple and responsive workout. Set up a more productive ride by changing things up, looking forward to new challenges, and stepping out of the round-and-round ring routine that so often becomes our pattern. Add a little creativity to the beginning of your ride and see what your horse has to say about it!
What do you do to amp up your warm-up? Let us know in the comments below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
