How long before you start asking?

[rache]

After having buddie for two weeks we have come to the conclusion he has to have a good 20 mins to warm up before i start asking him to accept me and work correctly.

How long do you give for a horse to stretch and warm up before asking him/her in more lateral/jumping etc?

[colouredcrazy]

I always walk Foxy for 15 minutes before riding - either out on a hack, or lunging/loose schooling him. Then I spend about 10 minutes in trot on each rein, before giving him a canter. Then back into trot, canter on the other rein. After this I usually do some schooling work with him - something easyish like a serpentine or demi-pirouettes if I'm going to jump (in walk or trot), or if I'm going to school on the flat I'll go straight into whatever I want to work on with him, and finish off with something easy. Finally, walking again for between 10-20 minutes, depending on how hot he is.

Ellie

[cvb]

At a BHS Instructors Conference, Rodrigo Pessoa said 5 mins trot (both reins) on some such.

I used to do a warm up which consisted of every way of changing rein I could think of, each one done in both directions.

But I've also seen someone who's warm up included shoulder-in etc, the movements that would be part of my work - because they were that advanced.

[Bebe]

It depends on how my horse feels on each day. Usually I do 10 mins of work in walk to start but that walk work could include circles, serpentines, transitions within the gait, leg yielding and maybe even a bit of shoulder fore (usually towards the end).

Once we're ready to go into trot I'll do a couple of laps with big loose circles just to get a feel for it but after that it's work time.

If she's feeling bouncy and forwards we might go into trot a bit earlier to settle her. If she's a bit stiff we'll stay in walk for longer. Same as the exercises we do will change depending upon how she feels on the day.

[rache]

buddie can walk and trot within the 20 minutes but he wont accept me before hes warmed up properly...

i class shoulder in as a work out not a warm up..

[Sophini]

Different horses obviously prefer differrent things - i've had some who are happy with a quick trot on each rein and much more then just gets them a bit fidgetty (though generally these horses were at the top of fitness) whereas Kitty would be best with a wuick half hour walk and trot hack before she could even think about settling in the school :rolleyes:

[helenc]

We don't really go from warm up to working correctly in one movement.

We start off by doing walk, trot & canter (in two point) on both reins, asking for stretching down using very little contact. Then we have a little walk, check the girth & then start trotting again, gradually shortening up, adding in transitions, lateral movements, walk to canter, canter walk etc. This can take anything from 5 mins to 1/2 hour depending on what mood he's in.

It always takes at least 1/2 hour to get him ready to jump.

[ponylover88]

...

[charlotte+jill!]

My warm up is a quick walk on each rein then into trot troting on each rein, quite a few changes of reins then i ask for more of an outline and working properaly then we canter on each rein with 20meter circles included then we go bk to trot and start our work for the day

My warm up for jumping is different tho, have to get his attention straight away so a good trot lots of circles then canter on each rein, canter in a light seat, then our walk to canter transitions, those have to be proformed correctly before we move on to jumping. This means Scooby is listening and engaged to what im asking.

[donkeydressage]

my horse is older so i walk her for about 10 minutes and then trot for about 7 while doing suppling excersizes and then i go ahead and canter and stuff and usually she is pretty warmed up by then, but shes really stiff at trot and canter at first but after transitions and alteral work she moves like a 7 year old