Walk for warm-up

[seabreeze]

I'm just curious to know how many of you start your rides with a good, solid 10-15 minutes of walk...say, at least 3/4 of the times you ride? Why? Why not? Thanks!

[EqTrainer]

I do.

Walking is non-concussive, meaning that there is very little wear and tear on the horses legs/feet while he is walking. I want my horses warmed up and in front of my leg, reaching on to the end of the rein before I trot. IMO trotting AND trying to get the horses back up/round/reaching out is very hard on them, as the "suspension bridge" is down then and not supportive. Better to do it in the walk and then move on to the trot, with the back already up and supple.

I love to work in the walk. I find it endlessly fascinating and don't find that working in the walk ruins their walk, as you often hear.

I tend to like hotter horses so it's another reason that I like to work in the walk. They learn to relax and be quiet in the walk; I prefer to not ride horses that I have to push and push and push to get forward enough to be in front of the leg, so my tendency towards hot horses and walking go well together.

[lstevenson]

I do.

Walking is non-concussive, meaning that there is very little wear and tear on the horses legs/feet while he is walking. I want my horses warmed up and in front of my leg, reaching on to the end of the rein before I trot. IMO trotting AND trying to get the horses back up/round/reaching out is very hard on them, as the "suspension bridge" is down then and not supportive. Better to do it in the walk and then move on to the trot, with the back already up and supple.

I love to work in the walk. I find it endlessly fascinating and don't find that working in the walk ruins their walk, as you often hear.

I tend to like hotter horses so it's another reason that I like to work in the walk. They learn to relax and be quiet in the walk; I prefer to not ride horses that I have to push and push and push to get forward enough to be in front of the leg, so my tendency towards hot horses and walking go well together.


I second this.

[Donkey]

I always try to do at least 10 minutes of walk, then a little trot then back to the walk before really getting to work. The only time I don't is if my horse really wants to go go go (this is rare as she is very lazy) - and I feel safer keeping her moving forward instead of trying to hold her back (new arena etc).

Like I said my horse is lazy and if I get her motoring forward and supple in the walk the trot is way better when we get there.

Though I will admit it is sometimes hard to be patient when you're feeling rushed or really want to start work on something - 10 minutes is a long time!

[Oakstable]

We had our first clinic on Monday with a German instructor. She recommended 15 minutes of walk to warmup and said it could be a walk around the ranch.

[jcotton]

Yes, my warm up is in walk. But there is no straight lines or straightness in his body allowed. My warm up consists of s-i, hi, rev-s-i, renvers, h-p,- both ways, l-y if needed. Then to trot or canter on what I feel is needed.
Not more than ten minutes. He must be supple on both reins and be hot to my leg and seat before moving on to trot or canter. Then exercises are done at trot and canter if needed.

[Lone]

Yep, I always do.

My girl is still young/green (5 y/o OTTB), when I first got her the moment you were in the saddle she'd start jigging and fussing, she's not overly hot, but she would just get apprehensive and nervous. I started doing walk work with her then to help her learn to just take a deep breath and chill. Now it's just a part of our routine. Before we do anything else we spend 10-15 minutes at the walk. I start off with maybe 5 minutes of a nice stretchy/long and low walk doing lots of figures and changes of direction, encouraging her to work off my leg and get a nice long walk where she's stretching through her back. From there we do some work in a basic frame (we're only doing training level right now, schooling a smidgen of 1st) some spirling circles, baby leg-yields, that sort of thing.

I've found the walking to be very beneficial to her.

[papony]

Ditto what EqTrainer wrote.

Also, the walk helps me get the office kinks out of my body and gives me time to stretch everything out, so I am more flexible when we pick up the trot.

[Vesper Sparrow]

This kind of slow, stretching warm-up on a loose rein is essential for my 25 year old, particularly in winter. I've been doing this after a clinician recommended it a year ago and I've found the quality of her walk has improved as a result.

I also like to do it with my four year old. He really stretches out well without any nagging from me and walking on him is a pleasure.

[stryder]

Ditto what EqTrainer wrote.

Also, the walk helps me get the office kinks out of my body and gives me time to stretch everything out, so I am more flexible when we pick up the trot.

this.

[AnotherRound]

Walk, yes, 15 minutes of it? I don't think so. After about 5 minutes, I figure I gotta justify my existance in the arena, somehow, and pick up a sitting trot.

Really, time yourself. 10 minutes? At a walk? Probably not, if your focus at that time is to "warm up".

Granted there are times when I will spend 10, 15, even more minutes at a walk, for training purposes, all kinds of exercises or passages, but not for warm up.

five minutes of warm up at a walk is good. After that, its time to move out, and sort out what muscle aches or issues there are, soundness issues, find out what your horse's mindset is so you can gauge the session, and plan the work for the session. That is based on his muscles and work ethic for that moment, and how you want to dip into that.

There is an event, actually, for me at least, which happens at 1 hour and 10 minutes into a workout (and, incidentally, 1 hour and 10 minutes into my Yoga classes) in which the muscles are fluid and warm and supple and everything flows. Quitting beore then deprives you of these moments, and not working systematically into the 1.10 hour moment deprives you of the last 20 minutes (for a total of 1.5 hours) of productive work you and your horse can accomplish. What happens in the last 20 minutes is everything I work for and anticipate.

I wouldn't spend too much more than 5 minutes at the walk (maybe 10 minutes, tops, depending on injuries and stiffness I had to work through) before moving into trot and circles at the trot, and then into some spirals, to really work into the warm up. it takes a good 20 minutes to begin to warm up the muscles, both in me and the horse, and then its really a good hour and 10 minutes before I am truly warmed up and working well, and there is a consideral level of energy and suppleness not accessed prior to 1 hour and 10 minutes. I feel I need to progress incrementally beyond walk, trot, circles, bending, I also do Yoga on horseback, lots of warm up in the first 20 minutes, but not restricted to walk. The walk moves me into the next exploratory work. Like if you went out for a run. First you stretch, then hyou walk and power walk, stop and do some twisting, check your shoes, do some yoga, then start doing some breathing and energy stuff, THEN you move out into a jog and start to feel the road or trail, fix your shoes, and then give yourself a good 20 minute warm up at a jog, moving out and coming back, and by the time that is done, 40 minutes have gone by and you are only in the first stage of REALLY WORKING.

So I don't think you can say, walk for 15 minutes. Its counter productive, there is much you want to asssess and stretch and move through before 15 minutes are up and holding back from moving incrementally into other progressive work is counterproductive. IMHO

In my humble opinon.

[AnotherRound]

I always try to do at least 10 minutes of walk, then a little trot then back to the walk before really getting to work. The only time I don't is if my horse really wants to go go go (this is rare as she is very lazy) - and I feel safer keeping her moving forward instead of trying to hold her back (new arena etc).

Like I said my horse is lazy and if I get her motoring forward and supple in the walk the trot is way better when we get there.

Though I will admit it is sometimes hard to be patient when you're feeling rushed or really want to start work on something - 10 minutes is a long time!

I really like what you said at the beginning about how you respond if you find she wants to go - I think the partnership with a horse informs that - when I am on my horse, if I find he wants to go, a session of just stepping up in the saddle and letting him move out is very good. let him stretch, let him drop his head, without me hauling back on him, lets move out. When that is done, I can sit down into his back and move him, bring him around, because he was with me, or I was with him, as he moved to what he felt. Thats a really good thing to do. It is bonding, besides, schooling. You also get to have some input in what you want to have happen next, because you participated in what just happened. I dunno if that makes sense. Does to me.

[lstevenson]

So I don't think you can say, walk for 15 minutes. Its counter productive, there is much you want to asssess and stretch and move through before 15 minutes are up and holding back from moving incrementally into other progressive work is counterproductive.


If you don't want to walk for 15 minutes, fine. But to say it is counter productive is ridiculous. There is nothing counter productive about walking for 15 minutes. And in fact much can be acheived.

And an hour and ten minutes before the muscles are warmed up?? And going right to sitting trot in a ride? You have some wacky theories.

[Wayside]

I do a lot of work at the walk. I can honestly say that there have been times when another rider has come in and completed their entire ride during my walk warm up :lol:

For one thing, I have some physical issues, and like papony and stryder mentioned, I need a little time to get my kinks out, too. If I'm having a particularly bad day, I'll often walk my mare in hand for a few laps before I even get on.

My mare is very hot, and I find that I can really set the tone for the rest of my ride by beginning with slow and relaxed. And actually, I find she does best if I take one day every two weeks or so, and do nothing but walk. Seems to really do a great job of resetting her, and bringing back a lot of the relaxation into our work.

We start out making larger and gentler figures, 20m circles, serpentines, shallow loops, switch between the free walk and picking up more contact. Spiral in, spiral out. Shallow loops with 10m circles, 10m circles to shoulder-in, leg-yield to wall, leg yield off wall and half-pass back to wall. All kinds of things can be done at the walk.

Now, when I was riding my draft gelding, it was a different story. If he was a little tense, moving up to the trot would use up all his nervous energy and he's work in a much more focused manner, and I had to shove him into a canter as soon as he was ready or else we'd both be too worn out :lol:

[helent623]

As a bit of a spin off, does anyone believe that you can complete an entire warmup at a walk?

[Janet]

It is a 10 min walk from my barn to the ring. So yes, I almost always "warm up" with a 10 min walk on a loose rein. Then I do another 5 -10 minutes of walk figures in the ring before I trot.

There is SO MUCH you can do at the walk.

[slp2]

During the months that I can ride outside, I start by my rides by walking about 15-20 minutes down the dirt driveway and around the hayfields of the property. There are some hills too--it seems to be a great way to warm up my older mare who can start out a little stiff due to arthritis. I am not as good about walking for that long when I am stuck in the indoor in the winter (partially because I get cold if I'm not trotting or cantering) but I try to walk for at least 5-10 minutes first. Even my 3 year old seems to benefit from a long walk, for a different reason-- it seems to have a calming effect.

[FLeckenAwesome]

I have recently been spending a good solid 15 minutes of walk work at the beginning of my ride and feel it does make a big difference. We also do stuff though... walk on a loose rein, pick up the contact, shoulder in, haunches in, renvers, travers, si to hi every other stride, we also do free walk and "stretchy" walk.

When I am in the pasture I do ten minutes of up and down the hill to really work that booty. Sometimes we'll even leg yield up and down at the walk.

I've had two wonderful dressage instructors both tell me to spend more time at the walk and it's really made a difference. Not only our we now getting 8's on our walks!!! (which is new!) but the rest of his gaits are improving because of the time spent at the walk!

Ha!! Today I did 3 hours of walk!!! Yes... but it was on a trail ride. But that will get your horse fitter quicker than just about anything else!

[Petstorejunkie]

at least 10 minutes every ride without fail. I vary scenery, terrain, and focus while warming up at the walk. On the rare occasions i skipped it, there was a definite difference in the rest of our ride.

[CFFarm]

I too, start at the walk. It gives the horses a chance to look around, relax and tell me of their mood. I have my students do the same. Is he excited today? Stiff? Looky? Distracted? It gives both horse and rider a chance to breathe, stretch and warm muscles.

Yes, I think a warm up can be accomplished at the walk. If the horse is asked to change flexion, lengthening and shortening of frame and frequent changes of direction.

[slc2]

Some of this is semantics.

What I call a 'warmup' is not what many people here call a warmup. I call a 'warmup' the first third of the ride - and after that 'warmup', the horse is now rready to work on what he's learning.

Many people 'warmup' at a trot and canter after they walk, but they don't call it warming up.

I do not believe you can completely or fully 'warmup' a horse at the walk. The walk has no impulsion. It is fundamentally different from trot and canter in that sense.

You can 'start your ride' at a walk, but you cannot 'warmup' your horse without working at all 3 gaits. I disagree with only warming up at a walk.

There's a very strong bias on this bb toward long walk warmups, after which the horse is 'ready to work'.

This has been discussed many times over many years, and the consensus is always that a walk warmup is not only great, but absolutely unvaryingly required for ALL horses and ALL riders at ALL stages.

Further, people who DON'T do at least a 10 or 15 minute walk warmup always get criticized on these threads, reminded that they are starting the horse up too quickly without necessary stretching, will damage him physically, he won't be properly stretched, etc.

I think it's great for a ride to start with some walking in many cases, but I would not call a walk alone, 'a warmup'. More of a 'start'.

Walk work alone does not constitute a 'warmup'. The horse needs to be 'warmed up' in all 3 gaits. Then he is ready to work on what he is learning.

A horse can warmup at the trot and canter, as well as at the walk. Trotting and cantering as well in a loosening up posture improves the schooling of the horse.

What I do when I warmup is dictated by my health, rather than the needs of the horse. However, way back when, I spent about a third of my ride warming up. Some walking, followed by trotting and then cantering and changing from gait to gait. The tail end of the warmup always includes a run through of all the work the horse already knows and does easily. The middle third of the ride is devoted to schooling, and the last third of the ride to stretching out and cooling down.

A long period of walk work (10-15 minutes) instead of a more complete warmup at all 3 gaits, tends to put the horse in to, for lack of a better term, 'walk mode'. The horse, even if made to walk forward energetically, isn't doing transitions in and out of various gaits, and isn't working with impulsion, which requires more of his muscles.

Especially for lazy horses, for horses that are behind the leg, a lengthy period of walk, especially without any other warmup is not productive. At all.

For older horses, they say 'the trot is not the friend of the older horse'. Warmups only in walk are not sufficient for them either - older horses that can still canter, benefit from some canter warmup.

For hotter horses, they stretch and loosen up much more completely in the trot and canter. Further, it's a useless battle to force an eager horse who wants to get moving, to walk about for 15 min.

Hot horses are far more ready to go to the next third of the ride after trotting and cantering. It helps them loosen up and relax far more than just walking. They are more able to focus and relax in their work if allowed to stretch and loosen up in the trot and canter. A very 'goey' horse really enjoys a brisk canter to loosen up with.

Too, a lot of walking subtracts from the horse's eagerness to go forward, especially when he's made to stifle himself for a long period in walk. I've seen it anesthetize even the goey-est horses.

As a horse continues on in his training, his warmup can become more and more individualized, more like individual 'therapy'. The very long uncollected horse, once he's fit and in consistent work and knows them, may warmup mostly in half steps. The very lazy horse may warmup mostly in canter. The horse who barges through the half halts may do more immediate downward transitions to get him listening. The very crooked horse especially needs a great deal more loosening up in all 3 gaits to warmup before he starts something new; later he may warmup in the gait in which he's the most or least crooked, depending on what's going on.

One of the coolest things to warmup with is half passes. It's a very beneficial way for some horses at all gaits. The half pass gets them bending, loosening up in their back and moving off the leg. So it's a 'big three' exercise.

I watch many people warm up, and have for many years, and when they are done, their horses do not look or move like they are 'warmed up'. They are not connected, forward, off the leg, loose in the back and ready to be schooled.

The one thing I hear over and over and over from professional trainers (and not just dressage trainers) is that 99% of people, their warmup is ineffective, incomplete and inefficient.

And in fact, not good for the horse. Insufficiently prepares the horse for his work.

Studies on humans have shown that walking warmups increase, not decrease, injuries.

In fact, I think it is a mistake to do a lot of walking, and then start in schooling at the trot and then the canter, as most people do. They walk, do this and that at the walk, then start in practicing what they're learning at the trot, then at the canter. I think that's a mistake.

When the horse is longed before one rides, as so many people often do, the horses muscles are, in fact, 'warmed up'. He's worked at walk, trot and canter, and he's loosened up. A long period of walking only loses all the effort already put in to getting the muscles working.

The only thing that is not worked in exactly the same way by longeing, is the back muscles - that's why instructors teach people to first post the trot, and then sit the trot, even if they have already longed their horse.

I'm not sure if AnotherRound really advocated sitting the trot on the horse that has not already loosened up at the posting trot and stretched his back. If that's what she advocated, I'd disagree. Everyone I've ever worked with, every rider I've ever seen with a horse's back working correctly, posts the trot until they feel the horse give his back - that may be sooner in the ride for some and later for others.

If one does not longe before riding, the horse needs to be 'warmed up'. This should occur at a walk, trot and canter, not just a walk.

A longer period of walk often appeals to the rider, but I think after a point, it does little for the horse.

However long one wants to walk, the horse needs to be warmed up at the trot and canter also. Then the work on what one is learning or teaching the horse, can start.

I think much of the appeal of a 10-15 minute walk is the sense of relaxation and things moving slowly and being easy to cope with mentally. The amateur rider, who has often spent the last 8-10 hours sitting at a desk or standing at work is stiff and his muscles are often tightened up. He needs time to refocus and to relax mentally as well as relax himself physically. He winds up doing that at a walk on horseback. Even if he walks very energetically, he can slow down what he needs to do, to a point where he can refocus.

'Retooling' is a concept those who analyze work habits have researched. It requires about 10-15 minutes when switching from one activity to another, to 'retool'. This means the person getting their mind into the frame of that activity. Researchers found it's actually rather difficult for all, and even more difficult for some, people to 'retool' and it takes time. They estimated that a huge amount of time is 'wasted' retooling.

There are other options. The rider could spend 5 or 10 minutes stretching and walking briskly and loosening up himself. He could ride another horse that just needs simple exercise, or get longed himself.

Sometimes I think watching a video (or listening to a tape on riding as one drives frantically to the barn in rush hour traffic), ca help start the 'retool'. Grooming or walking or longeing, or watching another person's lesson while doing a few stretches can help, as can mentally rehearsing or doing visualization of what one wants to do that day in the ride, even reviewing the last ride or lesson can help one retool.

[gettingbettereveryday]

I believe in warming up horse and rider slowly, so 10 to 15 minutes doesn't seem out of line to me. I have health issues that require some pre-ride stretching and some in-the-saddle warm-up, and my mare (who I am retiring from dressage) can be physically stiff and mentally tense.

Walking on a loose rein and then gradually with more contact has been a good way for both of us to get in the right frame of mind for connected partnership work. She would rather trot-trot-trot, of course, because she's tense and a half-Arab and a little nutty; but walking has been so good for both of us. In fact, we spent most of the month of June only walking this year. We made big circles and little circles. We looked at the scenery. We relaxed and breathed and otherwise tried to ease our collective mental tension. It was enormously helpful and, at times, deeply boring. :)

I don't think there's any one right or wrong way to warm up a horse. Some are younger, suppler, in a better frame of mind, easier to get working correctly, etc. Others are stiffer (physically and mentally), need more time to get the juices flowing, and otherwise just need to walk it out. Figuring out what works best for you and your particular horse seems to be key to me.

I will say that when I walk with my mare, I try not to do so aimlessly. I let her dawdle along on a loose rein for maybe two or three minutes, and then we get down to business. We're walking, yes, but we're working on bending and relaxation and other important factors. It's important to me to make every second I'm riding really count, particularly since my husband has asked that I only ride when he's home since I've had some trouble with my mare. That limits my riding time, so I try not to waste it.

[CFFarm]

I disagree that a warmup is not possible at the walk. The walk can be active, forward and working or slow, relaxed and stretchy. Working muscles don't require impulsion. In fact a vigorous grooming before a ride can do much to awaken muscles. Of course this is JMHO and not written in stone as some posters opinions are.

[riderboy]

There was an intersting article in one of the throw aways recently with an interview of Ingrid Klimke. She said she was taught by her daddy to do a 10 minute walk on the buckle, every horse, every ride. The exception being a very fresh or semi lunatic horse where that would not be advisable. I have to do it by the clock. I wish I could remembeer the magazine but if I had to guess it would be one of the dressage magazines.

[JRG]

I spend a solid 10-15 min at the walk doing the majority of the things I will do in the faster gaits. Leg yeilding, shoulder in, half pass, pirouettes.

It is two fold like some have mentioned. It gets me plugged into the saddle, and my horse more supple for the everything else.

[*Liz*]

I grew up riding h/j and the walk was rarely a valued part of my warm-up or riding in general for the most part (other than breaks, cooling out, or relaxing - all usually on a loopy rein.)

Since I've started focusing more on dressage, I now make sure to spend usually around 10 minutes working the walk before I progress to other gaits. I now see the importance of getting the horse responsive, bending, moving out, lifting the back, etc. before asking the horse to work at the trot or canter. It's made a very positive difference in my mare.

[seabreeze]

slc2, I probably meant walking at the beginning of the ride and not as a total warmup...although I think a)you're splitting hairs and b)focused walking does contribute to warming up the horse.


Especially for lazy horses, for horses that are behind the leg, a lengthy period of walk, especially without any other warmup is not productive. At all.


If you are making a blanket statement, I disagree with you. Considering one of my own horses, a lazy one, this statement is false.


Too, a lot of walking subtracts from the horse's eagerness to go forward, especially when he's made to stifle himself for a long period in walk. I've seen it anesthetize even the goey-est horses.


Walking for 10-15 minutes at the beginning of the ride actually motivates my lazy one.

Perhaps he is a freak of nature ;)

[happyrider]

I work with each horse to accustom them to a 20 minute walk on the buckle before doing anything else. Younger, just started horses, or even horses just not used to walking for long periods of time get shorter durations to begin with until they get used to this without getting tense.

I then start the next phase of my warm up - depending on what the horse needs that day it's additional work at the walk or we move on to rising trot. I don't do strong collection or lateral work at the walk at this juncture of my ride as I don't feel they are warmed up enough yet.

I try not to make exceptions to this but sometimes will cut the initial walk shorter (to 10 minutes) if they have just come in from the field and have been walking around for hours, then they just need time to adapt their walking to my weight/position.

I once read a synopsis of a study that indicated it took 20 minutes of activity before the synovial fluid in the joints became activated. If they still find this to be true, great. Even if they don't, my eventing friends will tell you the best way to condition a horse is to walk as much as you can.

If I lunge a horse they also get walked (mostly hand walked) before doing anything else. I don't lunge to blow off steam and I rarely lunge before riding (young horses their first few weeks under saddle may get a couple minutes to see who they are today but that's about it).

[gettingbettereveryday]

I work with each horse to accustom them to a 20 minute walk on the buckle before doing anything else. Younger, just started horses, or even horses just not used to walking for long periods of time get shorter durations to begin with until they get used to this without getting tense.

If I lunge a horse they also get walked (mostly hand walked) before doing anything else. I don't lunge to blow off steam and I rarely lunge before riding (young horses their first few weeks under saddle may get a couple minutes to see who they are today but that's about it).

One of the main benefits of a walking warm-up for my mare has been that it puts her in the correct frame of mind. Work is work, and we do our work with a calm, steady, focused mind. I can't lunge this mare at all (long story, but she has nearly killed herself on the lunge line), so we have to get into the work mode and blow off steam in a different way. For us, walking is a way to relax and work on connecting mentally and physically before we do harder work.

[LD1129]

I try to do at least a good 10-15 minutes of walking when I first get on each ride. I try to do a very streachy walk to losen him up. If its warmer I do 10 m minutes if its cold I try to make it longer. I can actually feel then difference in our work out when I have a nice long walk warm up.

[Vesper Sparrow]

I don't do all the warm-up at a walk, of course. It wouldn't be nearly enough to warm up my 25 year old. After walking, I do a lot of forward trotting on a loose rein around the school and sometimes go almost immediately into canter if she is having one of her stiffer days. Then when she is warmed up and reaching into the bit, we can start doing the smaller school figures on contact.

I have noticed that increasing the walking period to a full 10 minutes has definitely improved her warm-up. She needs a longer and more careful warm-up than my young horse, who can go onto the bit much sooner.

[Petstorejunkie]

slc2 brought up some good points.
I generally ride for about 1hr15 or so and after that 10-15 minutes of walk warm up i go into trot hill sets, or serpentines or what have you on little to no contact at the trot and canter starting to ask for influence over the inside hind leg.
Once i've got that influence i consider us "warmed up" some days that takes 15 minutes, others 30minutes.

[lstevenson]

.
A long period of walk work (10-15 minutes) instead of a more complete warmup at all 3 gaits, tends to put the horse in to, for lack of a better term, 'walk mode'.

Especially for lazy horses, for horses that are behind the leg, a lengthy period of walk, especially without any other warmup is not productive. At all.


For hotter horses, they stretch and loosen up much more completely in the trot and canter. Further, it's a useless battle to force an eager horse who wants to get moving, to walk about for 15 min.

Too, a lot of walking subtracts from the horse's eagerness to go forward, especially when he's made to stifle himself for a long period in walk. I've seen it anesthetize even the goey-est horses.



Studies on humans have shown that walking warmups increase, not decrease, injuries.

In fact, I think it is a mistake to do a lot of walking, and then start in schooling at the trot and then the canter, as most people do. They walk, do this and that at the walk, then start in practicing what they're learning at the trot, then at the canter. I think that's a mistake.




I call BS on all of this.

And no one is saying walk ONLY in the warm up. Just that 10-15 minutes of walk is useful to most horses in warm up, if only riders would take the time to do it. In addition to excercises, such as lateral work and transitions, it can be used to relax the hot horse to make his brain and body more available, and to create forward thinking in the lazy horse. If you know what you are doing.

[esdressage]

I like to do a nice walk around the property on a long rein before and after each ride, and I also work in the walk for a few minutes when I get to the field as I start to pull my horse together. Like somebody else said, if my horse is feeling hot I do trot for a bit to let her get moving (nothing good comes out of a tense, fidgety walk) and then bring her back to a walk when her mind is more settled.

I also transition back to walk fairly often during my rides, as I transition between all the gaits, directions, etc. I find that my horse's walk work gets better after she's trotted or cantered a bit, and likewise I find that her other gaits get better when I transition down and then back up again.

One thing I watch out for is walking for too long without any upward transitions breaking it up. I want my horse's walk to be really forward, like we "have places to go" and it's easy for her to lose impulsion if the walk goes on and on without trot or canter breaks, even if I keep it interesting with a variety of work in that walk.

[Zevida]

Yes, my warm up is in walk. But there is no straight lines or straightness in his body allowed. My warm up consists of s-i, hi, rev-s-i, renvers, h-p,- both ways, l-y if needed. Then to trot or canter on what I feel is needed.
Not more than ten minutes. He must be supple on both reins and be hot to my leg and seat before moving on to trot or canter. Then exercises are done at trot and canter if needed.

It is amazing what different horses need! My horse is naturally behind the leg and balky when I first get on. If I tried to do any of that work in the walk and waited until he was hot in the walk, I doubt we'd ever move out of that gait!

I do a good 10 minutes of just walking on loose contact strictly to get the muscles warmed up. Then it is into the trot asking him to be forward and to stretch. Only a few times around the ring each way, then into the canter where again it is forward and stretch, even asking for nice medium canter to really get him in front of my leg. At that point he is "warmed up" in that his muscles are warmed up, he is loose, responsive to the leg and thinking forward. This is usually about 15-20 mins.

I do a short walk break, then add in the lateral work at the trot and canter, and then start to work on whatever exercises we are ready for that day.

[see u at x]

It is a 10 min walk from my barn to the ring. So yes, I almost always "warm up" with a 10 min walk on a loose rein. Then I do another 5 -10 minutes of walk figures in the ring before I trot.

There is SO MUCH you can do at the walk.

This. I don't have the 10 minute walk to the ring, but I always, always, ALWAYS have at least a 10 minute warm up on a loose rein. And then I work on other things at the walk as I gradually take up more contact.

Now, with one horse, I do sometimes ask for canter work before my trot work, but only because I've found that it helps me get a more forward and better trot from her.

[Rubyfree]

Our current routine is a few minutes of walk on a loose rein, a few minutes of trot with a bit more connection, and then back to a walk with stretching, bending and suppling exercises for a good 10-15 minutes.

The mare I'm riding is older and a little stiff, but she really loves to move out and go quick. Offering her a few minutes of trot before getting into more demanding work makes her happy and willing and gets the blood flowing. We come back to the walk to get her responsive and listening to me.
I'm working hard on the clarity of my aids these days and I find it easier to focus initially at the walk. The second walk is forward and engaged, not a dawdling hack.

She's very happy with this routine and it serves us both well. She might prefer a good gallop instead of the trot but my old bones aren't usually ready for that five minutes into a ride. :)

[blackhorsegirl]

I walk lose rein for 10 minutes. It's good for my 16 year old horse and good for 61 year old joints. You don't have to have the heart pumping to benefit circulation.

It breaks my heart to see horses with stiff hocks walked for maybe a minute and thrown into the collected trot or canter. And these riders wonder why their scores are so bad.

I will never learn what most good horsemen have already forgotten. I have been told or seen in the written word: If you want to save your horse, warm up slowly and patiently.

[quietann]

Experience with two horses I have worked with the most:

Horse A is an older gelding who's a bit on the lazy side, and also quite stiff at first, especially if it's been a few days since he was ridden. He gets on the buckle walking for 5 minutes, and about the same amount of time split between on the buckle trotting and a canter with me up off his back, with more contact. Before I had to stop jumping, if there were jumps set up in the arena, I'd take him over a little crossrail a few times on each lead. So the total warm up was ~10 to 15 minutes, after which we could "work for real." The other thing with this guy is that he's partially blind, and if there were new things around the edges of the arena, or things had been moved, he needed to see everything, preferably first with his good eye and then with his bad eye, and anything "scary" dealt with before it was time to concentrate. And that is much easier to handle at the walk.

Horse B is my Morgan mare (the one I call Maresy). She's a bit more tense and hot, but has a surprising lazy streak, or maybe just an occasional case of the "don't wannas." She also has some chiro issues. I alternate between two types of warmup for her. If I am riding in the arena only, she gets a few minutes of on the buckle walking, followed by lots of bending and stretching exercises at the walk, stuff where we really have to be communicating, with frequent changes of bend. Like someone else, I sometimes use this time to practice things we might be doing at the trot later on. The whole process takes about 15 minutes.

If I'm not trail riding, but schooling outside the arena (which is more for exercise than for "dressage") we walk, with a bit shorter rein because she's easily distracted, and then I will take her into the back field and alternate walk, trot, and canter for a few more minutes. Going away from the barn we trot or canter, which is a slight uphill, and I bring her back down at the walk (I am being very careful to avoid her getting barn sour.) And then we'll do whatever it is we're doing for schooling that day.

(Oh, I should add that I try to canter her fairly early, and it's usually a warm-up canter with me up off her back, since we are not at a level where doing anything but canter circles is asked. She does NOT like to trot. At all. And it's my worst gait too. I actually use canter "breaks" for both of us.)

A lot of the walk warm-up is for my own benefit as much as hers; I am stiff and sore quite frequently, and do various stretches while she's walking. I also get very tense when things are not going well, and with my warm-ups as above, at least the first 15 minutes or so will go well and help me relax.

[Carol O]

Yes, walk as the first part of the warm up, every time. Do I watch my watch? No, but I would bet it is at least 10 minutes. I want a forward, active walk in a stretched frame, consistant tempo, both directions. I like to be able to flex left and right in this stretched frame, without loss of tempo in the flexing and bending. Then it is on to the trot, and the same activities. Always. Every ride. Every. Ride.

[EqTrainer]

I do think that the physical "warm-up" extends past the walk in the beginning. But I think disregarding the mental aspect of an initial walking warm-up is foolish.. you never know when you will *need* to be able to just walk your horse. Taking young horses to show grounds - they need to just walk around for a bit. Taking them out trail riding - initially is just walking. Rehabbing a horse usually involves just walking U/S for quite a while. I don't like to ever just let a horse run around to burn off energy, I intend to use every bit of that energy and ask for more so trotting right away just to use up or to settle the horse is counterproductive to me.

I really don't do a whole lot of walking on a really long rein tho' or on the buckle unless it's a walk break (and I use walking as a reward, when I am teaching a horse something I may drop the rein 10 times for 15 seconds at a time, but I never ever drop the rein and just let the horse meander, he is still straight and forward) or at the end of the walk. I don't work on collection the minute my butt hits the saddle but the horse is *working* at the walk pretty much immediately unless it has just come out of a stall, which happens with horses I ride pretty infrequently, so not a concern. Definately there is walking, and then there is walking with purpose.

A lot of BNT's that I have watched work horses probably give the impression that they begin trotting their horses the minute they hit the saddle... and they do. But before they got on, someone was warming that horse up - and someone will cool it down - walking.

FWIW my friend who makes up hunt horses walks them for hours when she can, and alternates with them on the aids and on the buckle, she says it's hard to get a horse fit to hunt without breaking it down unless you do.

[Mardi]

I walk for 20 minutes. I can almost set my watch to when my mare feels ready to work....her stride is longer, looser at 20 mins. If we walk just 10 mins, her trot will feel short and stiff. Her body isn't ready, and I always regret it.

I forget which BNT trainer said it: The horse will tell US when it is ready, not the other way. Balkenhol ? Podhajsky ? So I wait until she feels ready.

There are changes going on in the horse's body as it goes into exercise, so I don't rush it (she's not a car !) At the start of exercise, joint fluid starts to flow, the heart begins to pump more and the spleen goes to work, releasing red blood cells, which boosts the horse's capacity to transport oxygen from the lungs throughout the body.

In turn, she works much better and can work longer if necessary.

[Mardi]

I grew up riding h/j and the walk was rarely a valued part of my warm-up or riding in general for the most part (other than breaks, cooling out, or relaxing - all usually on a loopy rein.)


This is very true in h/j...not sure why. I've seen it with mid-level trainers and
top pro's...walking to warm up is not in the play book, nor is it taught to young riders. It's walk once around, trot a few times around, canter and then take some jumps all with in 10 -15 minutes.

Any one know why ?

[Bats79]

Walk alone could never be considered a complete "warm-up" for a dressage test because some different muscle groups / coordination would be used in the trot and canter in the test, so they would need to be warmed first.

But a session in just walk can be a good learning and training experience for a horse - specially one who is prone to anticipate and can become anxious. It can be quite a laugh when you get the "what, is that it" look as you untack after 20mins walk. :)

[Pocket Pony]

I do warm up for 10-15 minutes at the walk. It helps me get into my position, into work mode, and stretched out. It helps my horse do the same. I have a routine of walking on the buckle first with no stirrups and I work on stretching out my legs. We switch directions and do a couple laps, gradually increasing contact. Then we move to circles, spiraling in, in each direction. A little leg yield, walk/halt/walk transitions, TOF and/or TOH, and off we go to the trot warm-up. Again, we do just a few laps on a loose rein, add in some circling, then move up to the canter on a loose rein with some circling. Then it is time for work work - transitions, lateral work, cavaletti work, test movements, etc. Finish that off with a short trail ride or cool-down in the arena.

[aurorag16]

I confess that I have not read every post, but my warm-up routine consists of walking on a loose rein for 5 - 10 minutes, but still working on bending, and turning off of leg. Then we move to loose rein trot work for about 5 minutes so he can stretch his back and get the idea of forward in his brain. Then we do loose rein canter work, just for a couple of laps each direction, again to get him loose and forward. Then I go back to the walk to start my work for the day. This usually last 5 minutes or so, and I find the quality of my walk is much better after we have established forward first.

So really, I do two walk warm-ups. One to get him loose, the other to practice all of the lateral work before we step up to the trot.

[Valentina_32926]

As in most things - it depends. :cool:

For my 18 yo mare we do a solid 15-20 minutes of walking. Start on a loose rein then as we pick up the rein we start with bending around the inside leg. Then we progress onto leg yields (so horse is paying attention to BOTH legs :yes:) then onto half pass then SI/HI.

After that it's time to start trotting as long as all is going well. :cool:

For my Dutch mare (show mare) if she's been inside the stall I give her a longer walk to start, otherwise she's partially warmed up from the pasture so the walk time can be shortened. So if she was worked the day before we usually do around 10 minutes of walk work focusing on bending, moving away from the leg(s), and giving over her back...then on to trot. If she wasn't waorked the day prior we have a longer warmup focused on the basics of going forward, giving over the back and bending.

[nadasy]

There are other options. The rider could spend 5 or 10 minutes stretching and walking briskly and loosening up himself. He could ride another horse that just needs simple exercise, or get longed himself.

I'm sorry, but this was just hysterical to me for some odd reason. I had visions of the rider trotting around at the end of the longe line with the one holding the line also holding the longe whip.

Okay, I've been cooking all day for tomorrow, and probably tasted too much the brandy.....

[slc2]

Go for cognac, and you can see Swedish massage therapist Sven in tightie whities on the longe line.

[broughton_sporthorses]

I do a loose rein walk to loosen them up mentally, and get them ready for work. I usually walk for about 10mins, changing flexion and bending the neck, getting them nice and loose and supple. For the young horses I might not have a loose rein, and I might trot a little earlier if they are a bit frisky.

I personally think it is important to walk at the start of every session.

I don't think you can physically warm up a horse completely in walk though, as others have said. But you can warm up their mind in walk ;)