Why is warming up horses important?

An effective warm up is vital for any athlete, including your horse!

The benefits include:

- increasing joint, muscle and tendon temperature, allowing them to function more easily

- Increasing heart rate, therefore allowing oxygen to reach the tissues faster

- Decreasing injury risk from improving muscle and tendon elasticity

Aim for at least 10 minutes of walking at the start of your session, as it takes this long to reach the tendons.

This can be a great time to work on lateral work, circles and walk to halt transitions - so they are working correctly and ready for the workout!