SolveYourProblem.com Article Series: Horse Care
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Easy
Exercises To Warm Up Your Horse
It is very important to a horse’s health to
exercise him on a regular basis in order to keep the horse
loose and relaxed. Prior to exercising, the horse would need
to warm up, like a person would warm up by stretching before
an exercise routine. In order for the horse to be collected,
supple and loose, this is essential. This is most especially
important with younger horses that take longer to get into
collected work.
A
warm up should start with a lot of stretching of the muscles,
as with the working trot. The horse should follow the rein
from the rear, with constant steady contact and should be long
and loose in the neck with a lot of bending and flexibility.
The horse should be deeply behind and more uphill while swinging
in the back in order to give him the right natural balance.
If the horse is unable to stretch, then he will not be loose
in the bend. In order for a horse to do pirouette and piaffe,
he must be able to stretch. When a horse is properly loose
and stretched out, it becomes much easier to get him collected.
After
he is loose and relaxed in the back, the warm up can
expand to include a nice working trot and a working canter
transitions in a large circle. This is not an easy transition
to accomplish without the horse becoming quicker and without
becoming too deep or hollowed in the back. Yet it’s important
to carry out the transitions from canter to trot. Be careful
not to overwork or over stretch your horse at any time.
When warming up any horse, his age and condition should be
taken into careful consideration when determining the amount
of time that should be put into the warm up. Some younger horses
may have to expend an entire ride in working canter and trot
in order to get them steady and loose. For some older horses,
a warm up may only take a matter of minutes. If the horse is
at a show and becomes really nervous, then it may take longer
to warm him up. In any case, the warm up process should be
made as short as possible to refrain from exhausting the horse
before the actual exercises begin.
One good way to warm up is to apply
passive stretching exercises that should be done after riding and after removing all the
tack. Start by picking up each leg individually and holding
it without actually trying to stretch it for about ten seconds.
This should be done once to each leg. This stretch can be repeated
for four days, allowing him time to accept standing on three
legs. As he gets use to this exercise, he should start to lift
each foot in anticipation to each leg stretch. Although this
stretch is very easy and safe to do, it is best to begin with
small rotations at first.
You
can achieve a boost in circulation by combining massage
with stretching. This will allow an increased ranged of motion
and a decrease of constrictions. Once the rotations have been
mastered, holding the stretch for five seconds can provide
a more mild stretch. In addition, add the step of placing each
of his legs gently back to its original position. Horses understand
respect and will learn to trust id he is handled carefully.
When these easy stretches are mastered, then the more difficult
lateral and backward stretching exercising can begin. Try to
learn the difference between a normal movement and resistance.
Learning the correct feel of these movements, is the only way
of knowing how to stretch the muscles to the full capacity.
These
stretching exercise may take up to two weeks to learn. Be
careful not ot overstretch or hold a stretch for too long,
this can harm the hamstring area in the horse. Choose one exercise
at a time and find a stretch that the horse will enjoy. Some
horses may become more interested and more willing to participate
it’s made into a game.
Always end the warm up sessions on a positive note. It’s best
to cool down with a different movement than from what has been
worked on and that is a movement that the horse is very relaxed
about and good at or even adding a carrot reward. With regular
stretching and exercise, your horse will learn to look forward
to his or her routine. It is good, quality time you can spend
with your horse, too. #
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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