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Riding w/o Warmup

3K views 16 replies 15 participants last post by  eventnwithwinston 
#1 ·
Note: I have never done this.
I was just wondering, what happens when someone just kinda.. jumps on and canters off?
 
#4 ·
I think it depends on the horse. Nothing happens here cuz my horses are broke to be ridden without any warmup. I just get on and ride.

Not sure tho exactly what you mean by a warmup.. If you are training for something specific then yes you should warm up before asking for certain moves. But to just get on and go, not a problem here.
 
#5 ·
I have three horses one of which is a tennesse walker who is need of some training. Well, if I do not do my ground work with him first and get his mind working and ready for training, he acts like a tard. He will buck and crow hop and do all kinds of crazy things. But if I do twenty mins of ground work (my warm-up for my horses) he is good to go. He will be in the mindset to work and train. Funny story though a friend of mine did exactly that she got on her horse and cantered off trying to be a showoff, well her horse isnt exactly broke. THe horse took off at a dead sprint caught her off gaurd bucked her off and she landed face first in a pile of manure hahahaha. i guess thats what you get right?
 
#6 ·
This may sum it up for you. Can you or do you just sprint off when you go run. I little warm up it the best thing for both of you. In an emergency yes, but give them and your body time to warm up. Once you get to a certain age it you do not warm up you hurt for a few days.
 
#7 ·
*nod*
I always warm him up at walk/trot for about 20 minutes before cantering. I was just wondering if ever I did have to just jump on and go (say for instance while on the lake trip) whether it would seriously hurt him.
We're going to be conditioning them during the summer to stuff like this but yeah.

And by warmup I mean riding warmup, not groundwork.
 
#8 ·
I do a circle or 2 of canter sometime after 10 mins walk before actually trot. Not like I really want it, but she works and feels much better after that (of course I'm talking about horse in shape, not after long winter break). It's not a fly, but controlled canter (if I'd try that on my other horse she'd go into buck, because she needs to be warmed up pretty good before cantering). I raised this question here at the forum before, and some people mentioned horses with the same need. I don't think it'll hurt something badly. Although jumping on and taking off doesn't sound like a good idea. May pull a muscle or something.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I don't warm up any of my horses before I ride unless I am going to be asking for something strenuous like a dead run before roping a steer. I may also warm up if I am going to put them in a stressful situation like a parade or other similar event because it tends to relax them and makes them calmer around things that may otherwise scare them. It is possible for a horse to pull a muscle or bow a tendon from just loping off with no warm-up? Yes, but it is unlikely. The only other reason that I may warm up a horse is if they are very green and I will work out the kinks before stepping aboard. If your horse is used to being ridden every day, then I wouldn't worry about it too much. Most injuries from just loping off tend to happen more in horses with sedentary lives where they are stalled all the time and seldom ridden resulting in fitness issues.
 
#10 ·
This is a rather extreme example, but I'll tell it anyway. Girl at the barn I used to ride at was an eventer. Her idea of "warming up" was to ride the ring for 5-10 minutes at a hand gallop before putting her horse over 4' jumps. None of us agreed with what she was doing, and her new horse was lame inside of a month.

Now, whether this was from the lack of warm-up or just the fact that she was pushing his program too fast is debatable. From a mental standpoint, I do not think she was doing her horses any favors: when she rode them on a regular basis, they were over-sensitive and explosive, both on the ground and in the saddle.
 
#11 ·
I think warm-up is very important both before and after you ride. Like pmweeks said, it's like if you were expected to suddenly do a sprint run without stretching, walking or light jogging first. I always walk my horse about for about 15 minutes before starting. I always do a lot of trot work before canter work. Canter work always comes at the end. Its good to walk your horse out after the ride as well. I'm sure you know what its like to run around a lot and then completely stop, its the same with horses. They need to be eased back into a walk, not just stopped completely. Sometimes you won't need to do much. You can tell if your horse needs to cool off by feeling his chest and neck for heat, and also checking the colour of his nostrils. If inside they are red, he's probably a bit hot. :wink:
 
#13 ·
I'm with Smrobs, I don't do a warm up because #1 we ride almost every day and #2 we aren't doing anything strenuous. I will do some flexing if we are using new tack or if she hasn't been ridden in a few days. I do it from her back though not in a round pen. Just to make sure she is giving to the bit and is relaxed and calm. We always start off at a walk and work our way up too.
So yes, I guess most of the time we do just jump on and take off. I wouldn't have a horse I had to lunge for 10 min. to get the stink off before it was safe to get on.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I think a good warm up for any activity is a smart idea. Like people have been mentioning, if you were suddenly asked to sprint after a relatively relaxing day, you wouldn't be feeling so hot during or after. Even for trail riding I at least walk/trot in the ring beforehand- especially because walking up hills puts a lot of strain on tendons and that wouldn't be good if the horse's muscles were cold.

I've always been taught to give the horse a good 15-20 minute warmup walking and trotting. If not to warmup the horse's muscles, but also to get them focused and concentrated on working before I tried anything demanding. Especially in the cold weather when they'd be especially stiff and the ground was harder and therefore more strenuous on their legs. I think warming our bodies up is just am important too! I'm always super stiff when I first get on and it takes a few minutes for me to get in the mindset. If the rider isn't relaxed and focused, how are we supposed to expect our horses to be? Oh, and an adequate cool down is just as important too!

In my opinion, horses are such delicate animals, why risk it? I'd rather take the 15 minutes at the beginning and end of my ride and do the boring stuff than end up with a splint or bow and not be able to ride for months.
 
#15 ·
I'm with smrobs and Vida, Mostly I trail ride so I just get on and go. Sure I walk for a few minutes but thats just down the road until I get out the gate, then I trot off and canter soon after. The only time I really do a warmup is at a competition, before i'm aboutt o do something strenuous like sporting or jumping.

I've never had a horse go lame or sore from lack of warmup. A lot of it is just common sense.
 
#16 ·
I'm also a trailrider, but I do warm-up my horses. Warm-up consists simply of walking and flexing them. Gives me a chance to feel how each horse is doing that particular day (especially since T is older). May only take 10 - 15 mins, but I feel it's an important step.

Also cool down after riding too. Nice way to end a great ride!
 
#17 ·
Warmup. A very important practice for both horse and rider. Imagine if a marathon runner, just got up every morning and ran 8 miles, without doing anything before hand. Horses are athletes just like the runner and they need time to stretch and warm up their muscles and body before work just as well. No matter what type of work you do, you should warm your horse up at the beginning and cool him down at the end.

_____________________________________________________________________________
(My own Summary of USPC Manual)
A good warmup:
-Is essential for EVERY ride.
-Is used to prevent injuries, strain, and tears. It supples, stretches and warms up the muscles.
-It helps to develop rhythm, balance, and relaxation for both horse AND rider.
-It prepares both horse AND rider physically and mentally.
___________________________________________________________________________

I hope everyone takes this into consideration, because with a warmup, your horse will not only perform smoother, but you will also be preventing injuries as well.

Thanks, eventnwithwinston
 
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