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Discussion on Really good warm-up
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Member:
Frances
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Posted on Monday, Jun 26, 2006 - 9:18 am:
Hi all. I wanted to ask what everyone's always excellent opinions are on how long, and what form a "really good warm-up" should take, in particular for an arthritic horse?
My mare has arthritis in both knees, right hock and RH coffin joint, plus a LF healed (but-less-than-perfectly) suspensory. As she is no spring chicken either, I'm resigned to the fact that our active days are over, and just happy that I can still ride her gently at walk/trot/canter, and very anxious not to do anything which will prevent that from being possible any more.
My vet stressed the importance of a "really good warm-up" and cooling down period, and up to now I've spent the first 20 minutes in walk on a long rein (this was not easy at the beginning, after a long time off work!). Now I'm wondering whether in fact after the first 10 minutes I could include trot, even canter, as part of the warm-up as long as it was on a longish rein? Or, whether the opposite is true, and I could start to take up a contact and ask for work as long as I stayed in walk? (Obviously, if she didn't feel loose enough, I wouldn't do either.)
Any thoughts greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Lynn
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Member:
Dres
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Posted on Monday, Jun 26, 2006 - 9:40 am:
Hi Lynn, In my long walk warm up with one of my mares i use a lot of lateral work.. The first lap or two i walk on a loose rein after that i pick it up and do what we call the drunken sailor exercises.. Its getting the horse to stretch down and thru their back, stretching the shoulders and hind end all at the walk.. After i go thru the lateral paces in a walk, Shoulder In, Haunches In , Haunches Out, 1/2 pass , leg yield.. all at the walk.. This is about 17-20 mins for our warm up.. I have another horse that requires less walk work but a Canter warm up.. He builds up a lot of steam and i find this calms him and warms him up nicely.. Every horse is different... All my horses cool down consists of walking lateral moves once again and picking up the reins / stretching down / picking up the reins / stretching down.. thus when in the show ring they don't anticipate trotting right away and won't loose points in the Dressage sand pit .. or is my hope...
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Monday, Jun 26, 2006 - 10:05 am:
The length of warm-up time also depends on whether or not the horse is stalled, in a small paddock or turned out on lots of acreage . . . and on what the horse was doing prior to the ride. If the horse is pastured and has buddies with whom he can run and play, then the warm-up may be cut short . . . and it might be more about warming up his brain and making sure there is good communication.
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Member:
Frances
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Posted on Tuesday, Jun 27, 2006 - 6:26 am:
Thanks Ann & Holly,
I quite agree that the type and length of warm-up depends on the horse itself and many other things.
What my horse USED to need (before all these soundness issues) was a good loosening canter fairly early on, and then, as you mention Ann, lots of lateral work.
Trouble is, I can't get a clear answer as to whether lateral work is safe for her suspensory ligament, which is highly frustrating as she really needs at least some shoulder in and leg yield to supple up. Every day I wonder whether just a little would be ok - and then think how I'd feel if she re-injured because of it.
Holly, she's turned out for 4 - 5 hours in a small paddock, but then stalled overnight. I ride her in the mornings, so presumably the muscles do need some time. The vet told me that if muscles are tired, the strain falls instead on the ligaments/tendons, and that's why it's important to get those muscles in good working order before doing anything strenuous (not that we do anything very strenuous anymore  ).
So .... what's more tiring as a starter for the muscles: working in a frame but only in walk, or whisking off into brisker gaits but on a pretty free rein??
And .... does anyone know whether I'm depriving my horse and myself of the benefits of lateral work for a good reason?? Have others dealing with healed suspensories gone back into these movements without problems?
And thanks so much for your replies!
Lynn
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