48/ MARCH/APRIL 2014 THE RIDER


Five Components of the Ultimate Warm Up in Horse Riding


at a fairly leisurely pace. The legs move, the horses truck along and riders feel that in ten or fifteen minutes, the “real” work can start. They do very lit- tle during that time - just stay on and get the horse moving. There may or may not be a canter in that first fifteen minutes or so, but even if there is, the canter is stiff and laborious. After all,


because the horse starts the ride “cold”, that the warm-up has to be slow and under-power. They think that it takes a long time to let the horse’s body warm up and therefore they need to take things easy. The warm-up then proceeds


the horse


warm-up. But there is a huge dif- ference between a warm-up and a Warm-Up. Many people think that


By Kathy Farrokhzad. Every ride starts with a


what would be the most signifi- cant effect a rider would want to have on her horse? We all want our horses to improve in their athletic devel- opment, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals. These steps and stages are essen- tial to our overall development. But the best riders aspire to


shouldn’t put too much effort into the movement that early in the ride. Right? The Most Important Goal in Horse Riding Regardless of discipline,


do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans. They work hard to improve


their horse’s way of going. Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a


horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to con- tribute to your horse’s health and well-being. Or not.


back that carries the rider - sags. Combined together, it is


Why You Don’t Want to “Take It Easy” in the Warm Up


moves with short strides and a hollow back. The body is stiff and difficult to bend and the horse appears to be sluggish. Transitions come slowly. The horse leans into or out of turns. The body shows little supple- ness. The topline - the area over the


tions, the horse that moves incor- rectly is the horse that is hurting himself. Without effective use of the hind end, the horse has more difficulty carrying the rider’s weight. The disengaged horse


Despite your best inten-


not only to increase circulation and warm up the muscles. It is also to set the horse up to suc- cessfully carry the rider’s weight with the best balance possible on that day. Only after the horse is moving well, can the “lesson”, or more challenging part of the ride, begin. Energy The key to all things riding


is energy. However, be sure that


Are you getting ready for the show season?


Clinics and Lessons For competitive or recre- ational riders. At your farm or for your horse club.


Show Judging Equine Canada, Provincial hunter/jumper and AQHA specialized judge.


Video Lessons Long distance? No problem! Feedback on your recent show or schooling sessions.


Visit my blog - www.ItsMoreThanHorseShows.blogspot.com • lindsay@lgrice.com


his topline develops good longitudinal flexion. In clearer terms, being sup- ple over the top of the back means that the horse can carry the rider’s weight in a healthier fash- ion. The muscles contract and release in tandem to allow the horse’s back to act as a muscle “bridge” - thereby relieving some of the pressure off the horse’s joints while it moves. Bend


bend well is also the horse that can move straight. In order to be straight, the horse’s hind footprints should land into the same track as the front footprints. Beware! True straightness is diffi- cult to develop and takes years of consistent riding to achieve. Rhythm There is little else in


riding that is as essential


stiff and hollow side, but letting him go about the ring in tension is not the answer to the problem. In contrast, work on devel- oping a deeper bend left and right early in the ride. The horse that has lateral suppleness has better bal- ance. Straightness The horse that can


Every horse has a


the energy doesn’t trans- late into legs just moving quicker. Instead, use sev- eral half-halts to increase the energy without increasing leg speed. Transfer that energy into longer strides, a swinging back and bouncier move- ment (indicating better use of the muscles). Topline Use The horse that uses


horse and see what he has to say.


counter-intuitive to ask for energy and suppleness early in the ride, it makes the most sense when con- sidered from the horse’s perspective. Simply put, weight-bearing requires energy, strength and sup- pleness. Instead of letting your horse move along in an unhealthy fashion, amp up the warm-up, ride effectively, get you and your horse breathing and work toward correct movement right from the get-go. Then listen to your


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and writer of the blog, Horse Listening. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at www.HorseLis- tening.com for many more articles about hors- es, riding and life in gen- eral.


take only 15 minutes, or it may take up the majority of your ride on a given day. The length of time devoted to improving your horse’s movement is always well spent, regard- less of whether it seems to take longer than you initially intended. Although it seems


as rhythm. Every other movement, skill or tech- nique builds upon regular, cadenced footfalls regard- less of gait. The warm up should be devoted to developing rhythm - sometimes quicker, some- times slower and most often, the rhythm that is most ideal for your horse (horses may have differ- ent perfect rhythms). Your warm-up may


be harsh or aggressive. Some- how, you have to find the perfect middle. So what is the alterna- tive? The Five Components of the Ultimate Warm-Up The goal of the warm-up is


simple to see why slow and soft is not the way to go during a warm-up. It just isn’t healthy for the horse. Not that your riding should


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72