# How important is the trot !



## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

Okay , so ive been riding for about 10 years , and pretty much the entire time I've been primarily English. About 3 years ago I moved to a small town that's ALL western . Barrel racing & roping is the BIG thing here , and so is absolute stupididty & ignorance when it comes to horses .. For example : I don't know one person who considers trotting a horse when warming up. & I mean I've litterally seen 3 people actually trot their horses , and two of them was because they were riding very young green horses. About 7 out of 10 horses I see are dead lame , and are still being ran !!! The first time I went to a gymkhana here , a horse went trotting by the stands across the cement and gravel and I could visibly see it's head bobbing up and down , and I looked over at my mom and said "That horse is lame ..." and the girl sitting above us leaned down and said "Oh , she's Buted" .. Like it's litterally just normal to Bute up a DEAD lame horse and run it ... Makes me SICK , not to mention that NO person ( But 2) have I ever seen adequately warm up their horse . Everyday I ride this is what I see : Horse unloaded from the trailer , saddle thrown on , bridle on , (sometimes boots) , get on , walk into the arena , walk about 10 feet and start cantering , then either canter until the horse is dripping sweat and then start RUNNING threw patterns (these horses are NEVER ridden but MAYBE once a week so they're not in shape for this type of work ) OR , they come in , canter a little circle and start running threw patterns . This leads me to believe that this is why 7 out of 10 horses are LAME here . So I would like to know what other horse riders think about this & share with me ( I'm going to post all the responses on FB so they all can see what others say since they think I'm crazy for trotting my horse) - how important is it to TROT a horse when warming up ? 
--Thanks everybody !!


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## TrojanCowgirl (Jun 1, 2012)

Trotting a horse is very important. I warm my mare up on a lunge line at a trot for a good 5 minutes in bother directions, and if she seems comfortable and still full of energy I'll bump her into a canter. I'll lope her for about 5-6 full circles then ask for a trot, then canter again. We did this everyday for about 35-45 minutes. 

(This was when I was working her, she's on break until the 14th)

My mustang is lame from not warming up. My dog lost it one day (he NEVER had done this before in his life!) and took off chasing and barking at my horse and seriously frightened him. He took off running, slipped twice, ran into a fence, now he's lame and has been for months. Vet says it will be a while until he's 100% again. Now my dog isn't allowed out with the horses unless he's leashed. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way.

So YES! Warming up at a trot is important.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

What do I think of how the majority of your local gamers condition & warm up theirs mounts?? I can't say it here but that is not the way to treat an athlete, anyone with half a brain could figure that out!
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## SMCLeenie (Mar 3, 2011)

I spend a good 15-20 minutes just on walking and trotting to make sure my boy is nice and warm before we do anything else. A vet told me once that a long warm up goes a long to keeping horses sound as they get older. I took it to heart and I don't skimp on my warm ups anymore.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I think warm-up is very important, however I don't see anything terribly wrong with adding canter transition here and there into warm-up (not just trotting).


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## BubblesBlue (Jun 29, 2010)

By the sounds of it, you are going to not well run things... I live in a completely western area. That sounds like the worst of western riding to the extreme.

Everyone, everywhere I go, trots their horses to warm them u. Not just trotting, but they do trot to keep the horse limber. 

Trotting is very important in a warm up because when a horse is long trotting, they can extend their muscles and thus not have shortened muscles that tear when all bunched up. I have talked to a bunch of vets who have told me long trotting for a horse does amazing things. My horse got lame from a ligament tear and the vet told us to trot her and not lope her for 2 months and then we could start loping her... She is doing perfectly fine now and has healed great, taking me to place 7th in state in Barrel racing.

*And please, please, don't try to think that all Barrel racing and roping is like this. D: Come to a professional rodeo before you start judging western riders.*


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Good point. A wild horse never bolts away from a predator without first warming up with 10 minutes of trotting...

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20110217/stretch-before-running-new-twist-on-old-debate


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## BubblesBlue (Jun 29, 2010)

I don't get your point, bsms. That article is based on humans, not horses... Plus, the things horses are asked to do in events, horses are not built to do. HOrses are built to run away, so their bodies can withstand it more. However, horses are not built to get down and turn sharply around barrels... So therefore, we have to do everything we can to keep them from getting hurt.


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## TrojanCowgirl (Jun 1, 2012)

bsms, I too am confused. Also, a wild horse would run thru a fence to save his life, it doesn't mean we shouldn't worry about running our horses thru fences.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Yes, it is based on humans - and we have large studies done with humans. I doubt anyone has studied 2700+ horses and their performance and injury rates based on their warm-up practices.

I'd bet there is no significant improvement from 'warming up a horse' vs not warming up, and no significant difference in injury rates. However, with horses, all we'll ever see is likely to be anecdotal evidence.

I've been jogging now for 40 years. I've had people swear that stretching and warming-up are critical to prevent injury, but I've had almost no injuries while jogging/running - and I don't stretch. I will try to walk around a bit before trying any sprints...


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

I doubt a wild horse would NOT run thru a fence if he first warmed up with 10 minutes of trotting. Now I'M confused...


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## BubblesBlue (Jun 29, 2010)

Well I hope that one day you don't get hurt one day from not stretching. From personal experience, I have gotten a pulled muscle from running because I did not properly stretch.
So, it is our own choice to do it to yourself.
However, I do believe the smart thing to do is to stretch. And since horses depend on their muscles so much more than us, I say stretching is a must.


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## chandra1313 (Jul 12, 2011)

I love trotting, I'd much rather trot then canter. I don't know if it is important so I won't comment on that, maybe the people there just don't know how comfortable sitting the trot can be once you get it down. I admire the riders who trot and the butt barely lifts out of the saddle.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

BubblesBlue said:


> ...HOrses are built to run away, so their bodies can withstand it more. However, horses are not built to get down and turn sharply around barrels... So therefore, we have to do everything we can to keep them from getting hurt.


When a horse runs away in the wild, is there always a path?

I've watched my horses chase each other when angry, and they seem to accelerate and turn quickly without trotting first. I've watched them sprint across rocks and between trees in spots I wouldn't try riding them...

Bottom line - if you want to warm up your horse, do so. Based on studies with humans, it doesn't seem likely to help - but that doesn't stop millions of joggers from stretching into positions that would put this aging jogger into a hospital.


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## TrojanCowgirl (Jun 1, 2012)

bsms said:


> I doubt a wild horse would NOT run thru a fence if he first warmed up with 10 minutes of trotting. Now I'M confused...


I'm just saying because a wild horse doesn't warm up before running from a predator to save his life doesn't mean that it's healthy or good for him. Nor is running thru a fence which I know any horse would do to save his/her life. It doesn't mean we should ignore the basic precautions of warming up.


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## BubblesBlue (Jun 29, 2010)

I have yet to see a horse run a barrel pattern by itself in a pasture. :lol:


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

And how would one KNOW that warming up does squat for a horse?

There have been studies going back at least 30 years showing that jogging without stretching first has no measurable impact on speed or injuries, yet millions swear by it.

And how would trotting warm a horse up for a tight turn around a barrel? Maybe walking him in a tight figure 8 would 'stretch' his muscles more appropriately. Maybe he would need a collected canter in a straight line, or a slow gallop.

At a minimum, I think the evidence from humans suggest that NOT warming-up a horse is not a sign of abuse, gross stupidity or a cause of 70% of all horses being lame.


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## BubblesBlue (Jun 29, 2010)

And how do you know that warming up does NO good for a horse?

I will just stick with my ways and you stick with your's, mkay? 

No need to force your opinion on anyone. I was simply stating mine and that is where I will stand. Thank you for the excellent argument.


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## chandra1313 (Jul 12, 2011)

The proper way to warm up muscles in humans is to run then come back and stretch. That is for people who are going to be doing a sport. Most humans do it backwards. There is no way to tell if its the proper way for horses without doing some research.


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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

BubblesBlue : I don't at all judge all western riders , i am riding western now too , & I've been around plenty of great western riders (including my mom and a lot of my family) . 
But , BSMS : i must say your point is quite irrelevant . Ie : Physically stretching a horse is different than trotting to stretch their muscles out. Also , i am talking about ATHLETES . Not in any was offensive , but jogging is not a high performance sport. Barrel racing is . You're telling me that a football player is going to suit up , and go straight out and start playing ?? Absolutely not , we all know that a every single player stretches , walks , jogs around , and does 'warm ups' . You said that you JOG , well a horses TROT is like our jog . Would you jog a little before you just started RUNNING ? Yes . So ..do me this : Get out of bed , throw some clothes on , lace up your shoes , walk out of your front door and IMMEDIATELY start RUNNING . & then get back to us and share how your body is feeling... THIS is what these people do to their horses. We are not speaking of jogging , were speaking of a full on RUN.
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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

1 - If you need to get your horse out of bed right before racing, you have a point. He ought to walk around for a few minutes. 

2 - When I've run sprints, I did it without stretching, or doing some light running building up to faster running, and then sprinting. 

3 - When a baseball player sprints to first base, has he spent the previous 10 minutes trotting? When a football player comes off the bench, does he trot for 10 minutes before entering the game? How many pro athletes jog around for a while before entering a sport?

If you want to trot your horse for any length of time before running barrels or doing anything else, that is your right. There isn't any evidence it helps, tho, and it certainly isn't "absolute stupididty [sic] & ignorance" to do otherwise.


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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

Each one of your points are evasive to the real question / answer . 
The athletes are already warmed up ???? They don't any longer need to waste energy warming up what is already warmed up . Obviously ...... And when do you run ?? If you claim to be sprinting without any kind of warm up , you're either lying , or you've already been walking , going up and down stairs or doing SOMETHING to warm yourself up ..(throughout the day) Obviously horses don't sleep in beds , but they sure as hell don't walk around / exercise while sleeping !! They're standing or napping laying down. 
ALSO , i never said not trotting was absolutely stupid or ignorant although i feel doing nothing but running your horse is , RUNNING A LAME HORSE is complete and utter stupidity..and DEFINITELY mis treating them.
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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

And FYI , Turn on ESPN . Before batting , what are the baseball players doing ?? Oh , they're WARMING THEMSELVES UP , theyre swinging the bat , with weights on them ..readying their muscles... & when a Football player gets off the field , what do they do ?? Oh yeah , they put sweaters on to keep themselves warm , and when they go back in , they JOG onto to the field.........anything else Im missing ??
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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

Trotting builds more muscle then any other gait. Where i live is pretty even, english and western. I ride western and everyone trots their horses! These people in your area are very clearly ignorant! Im sure you have ones every where. But that just is crazy.
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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Western riders don't hold the patent on stupidity. I see mishandling of horses in all sorts of disciplines. 

I prefer to warm a horse up before running him hard. Whether it is science or not, it is done by a lot of successful riders. It also gives the horse a few moments to get his brain in the correct gear.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

bsms said:


> And how would one KNOW that warming up does squat for a horse?


 Physically, it would be difficult to prove. However, the mental results from a proper and engaged warm-up can be very apparent and are necessary for many horses to work in a relaxed frame of mind. It's also a good time to assess if your horse feels tense or off.


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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

I have nothing against western riders . As i am one now .. My point was more of the fact that they are barrel racers ( hard riding ) not just that they ride in a western saddle... & that they ride like the 'old school cowboys' very harsh when it comes to their hands , bits , spurs , etc . Most of them don't really know how to truly 'train' a horse. (The actual trainers who get payed to train!) -They start horses in shanked / twisted wire bits & they yank and spur , and hobble and practically beat them until they get what they want . I actually had a daughter of the biggest and supposed 'best' trainer in town try to tell me that a Double twisted wire gag bit was a good bit to use on my VERY LIGHT mouthed horse because her dad has her use one on her horse who is apparently very light mouthed too..... .(the daughter has VERY HEAVY hands.... 
But i know its not just because they ride western . I see riders of all disciples doing the same sorts of things .
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## Paradise (Jun 28, 2012)

Even if there is no statistical proof that warming up is better than not, I still take at least a few minutes before asking for strenuous work or cantering just to get the horse warm and stretched out. It makes me feel like I'm doing something good, so I do it.


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## goingnowhere1 (Jan 22, 2012)

I say that trotting is very important because it is one of the most strenuous gates and that is what I mostly do in my dressage lessons and jumping lessons if I am on a green horse. For dressage I get on and walk a lap or half and begin trotting on floppy reins (just getting the feel) and then I being doing stretchy work so she can later collect. During jumping I do this also but trotting is better for poles (usually) so if I warm up over poles than trotting jumps will be easier.


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

I as a barrel racer, most definitely warm of my horse. We walk a few laps at a brisk walk, jog, then trot (i post) and then ill canter after about 15 minutes when my horse is nice and loose. I also do sidepassing. Big whoas, rollbacks. I like to bend and flex my horses neck/head. 

I do not gallop my horse before runs. And i do like to stretch my horse before jumping on again. I dont ever see anyone stretching a horse but thats personally what i do.

Ill never ever run a lame horse. Simple as that.
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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Kiimberly117 said:


> Each one of your points are evasive to the real question / answer .
> The athletes are already warmed up ???? They don't any longer need to waste energy warming up what is already warmed up...


Actually, I doubt a football player coming off the bench in Green Bay is warmed up from anything he did prior to game start. Same for baseball players. AS I SAID, a baseball player sprinting full speed for first base has NOT been 'warming up' by jogging around for the last hour.



equiniphile said:


> Physically, it would be difficult to prove. However, the mental results from a proper and engaged warm-up can be very apparent and are necessary for many horses to work in a relaxed frame of mind. It's also a good time to assess if your horse feels tense or off.


I believe this is why most runners stretch. It is a mental focus and concentration sort of thing. I don't like to stretch before a run, but I do like to walk around for a few minutes, make sure my socks don't have any wrinkles or burs, and think a little about the run ahead. I don't run competitively at 54, but a few minutes feeling my body, checking the wind and sun and getting mentally prepared helps me.

OTOH, there are studies showing that a weightlifter who lifts light weights before competing performs WORSE than one who does not.

I have no objection to someone warming up their horse. I start each ride with a good 5 minutes of walking, gradually doing tighter turns in both directions, and getting ME loose enough to ride...IMHO, running tightens all the stuff that needs to be loose for riding. I find riding is great cross-training for running. And my warm-ups are to get the horse & I ready to TROT...cantering is left for much later.

But frankly, I found the OP's rant non-factual. Horses don't come off the bench. Unless they have been in a trailer or stall for hours, they have been walking around enough to keep their muscles ready and limbs loose. They don't compete in gymnastics. Their running with just a few minutes of walking is probably less strenuous than an NFL fullback who enters the game in the 4th quarter after 2+ hours on the bench.

If folks are competing lame horses, then someone at the show is failing as well as the horse's owners. But the horse isn't lame because it didn't do enough trotting in the minutes before the competition...

BTW - I'll add that while my mare hasn't bolted now for over a year (crossed fingers), she never seemed to need a warm-up for her bolts...:-x


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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

bsms : Alright ?? I feel like you have no idea what football players even do ....??? : Number one , are you aware of what "starting" means in NFl . Like say ?? Tony Romo is -starting- QB for the Dallas Cowboys . Which means every time Offense goes out , HE goes out... -Larry Fitzgarald is starting wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals , which means HE goes out everytime the -starting- Defense players come off , which is after 4 downs....NOT an hour later just sitting there ....sooo ....I'm pretty sure that a pumped up NFL player will be real cool after FOUR downs........ (although yes , they can go more if they get another 1st down . Which actually makes defense *nervous*. which pumps blood throughout their bodies faster , HENSE warming them up , WHICH means their muscles get hotter which -warms them up faster--- (((---Which is why -ie warming slowly is good because it takes longer to reach fatigue --**also can mean cooling their minds in hotter horses----))) the hottest horses around here lope alot ; and start off quick --racing their minds more because more blood flow which means even hotter body --)) STUDY - on Commercial about same material pads as the NFL jerseys that keep them COOLER longer -slower heart rate -- slower blood flow.... ** )) && it says that the more fatigue on the muscles --super warmed up --HOTT muscles ..--- the more likely to be injured .. WHICH cam kind of apply to horses as - they get so hot and jacked up from warming up so quick --then running around so much , it greaters the risk of injury ...can be explained by 70% of the horses around here . A VERY HIGH rate for horse lameness ...... When there's WAY more horses than people here .. TOO many for horse for such a high percentage of lame horses when all the people ride just about identical when -warming up -- & throughout the entire ride ... ... ---OR am i wrong ??.......
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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Agree in part with BSMS. I also run, and never stretch beforehand. Stretching cold muscles is bad - that's how you pull them! I walk briskly for a few minutes to warm my muscles up, then if I'm a bit sore from my last run, I'll stretch a little once my muscles are warm, then start my run, and stretch well afterwards. 
I never do those 'carrot stretches' or similar with my horse's before I ride. I know if I try to stretch my cold muscles it hurts like ******y, I'd rather give my horse the same courtasy and spend some time walking the muscles out. 

I also think warmup depends on your discipline. In dressage, if we don't want the horse up before a full training session, we will cause problems and end up with a sore horse. Like asking a gymnast to perform a routine with no warmup. They will be stiff, and pull muscles. But their warmups usually consist of a brisk walk and jump around before they stretch. 
My warmups on the horse consist of walking on a long rein for at least 10 minutes, with a contact but encouraging a good marching, stretching walk. I'll then move to trot for a few minutes, test the aid responses then start a series of trot-canter transitions. I like to put these transitions in very early in my ride as I find they are the best warmup to get back muscles warm and swinging.


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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

Please ...let me tell you now .... These people ARE NOT RUNNING IN A STRAIGHT LINE AWAY FROM SOMETHING - for a SHORT amount of time .... The horse CHOISE to do it .. Meaning it didnt take up much space I'm their brain Throughout the day . --BUT --RUNNING as fast as you possibly can - slowly down quick , and getting down and around a barrel - Then repeat all over again 2 more times , then RUN even FASTER HOME . ---THEN do MORE events that involve even more fatigue - stress - engergy-power- strength to do. SO -- not that I actually want you to - but THINK about this - say you go out to your pastern , make your horse canter around for 20-30 minutes , let it cool off a LITTLE , then tie it up , (or just stand there for an hour 1-1/2 - then go out , make it canter for 6 minutes , then make it run , stop , TURN -weave - , Turn-weave-TURN , and FULL OUT GALLOP .. Continue this 3-8 times a day ,(some variataition during the week) for a couple months ) and tell me how your horses soundess & OR movement in the horse has change .. --he's probably going to be tighter muscled-stiff looking because a more a muscle is fatigue HOTT QUICKLY sorer -or slower the muscle recovers to previous looseness .. --therefor because it never really gets a nice loose easy trotting warm up , his muscles never warm up slowly and recover - so he's more PRONE to inury thus why 70% of horses here are lame ..<THAT'S how every person I know here rides also>>>
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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

Kayty said:


> I also think warmup depends on your discipline. In dressage, if we don't want the horse up before a full training session, we will cause problems and end up with a sore horse. Like asking a gymnast to perform a routine with no warmup. They will be stiff, and pull muscles. But their warmups usually consist of a brisk walk and jump around before they stretch.
> My warmups on the horse consist of walking on a long rein for at least 10 minutes, with a contact but encouraging a good marching, stretching walk. I'll then move to trot for a few minutes, test the aid responses then start a series of trot-canter transitions. I like to put these transitions in very early in my ride as I find they are the best warmup to get back muscles warm and swinging.


couldn't agree more kayty ! a good warm up does the world of good! 

also i dont think it is fair to judge the whole western/barrel racing/roping dicipline from the one place you have seen this. im sure in other parts of the world you would find it would be completely different. maybe go watch a pro rodeo and i think you will find it a bit different there.


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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

KAYTE && bsms -- YOU DON'T GET IT . YOU stretching is NOT AT ALL the same as a horse TROTTING !!!!!!!!!!!!!! It LOOSENS --THAT MEANS WARMING THEM ---NOT PULLING OUT COLD MUSCLES !!!!!!!!! YOU STARTING AT A NICE JOG ==== A HORSE TROTTING !!! That means warming them UP !!!!!! Not STRETCHING THEM OUT . A horse reaches FARTHER --both legs of the same side go APART --father away causing more pull apart---DURING the canter .. So YES stretching cold muscles can be BAD !!!!!!!! THIS IS WHAT GOING STRAIGHT TO THE CANTER DOES !!!!! Horses can be stretched !! Physically!! --WE R NOT TALKING ABOUT STRETCHING !! We are talking about WARMING OUR MUSCLES BEFORE WE STRETCH !!!!!!(the horses muscles)) ALSO --what one poster CLEARLY said on here , Youure suppose to JOG BEFORE YOU STRETCH !!!!!!!!! --OR JOG-trot- before you canter(stretches muscles)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

Oooooppsss !! KATYE im sorry !! Not you .for some reason the rest of bsms 's post was under your name ??? I'm sorry !
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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

KAYTE **whoops , it's too late for me ! lol
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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

I don't know about American football but in rugby league players coming off the bench will be seen warming up on the sidelines (usually on the exercise bike, then some passing to get their eye in). They also all have this warm-up session on the field before the game, running cones and the like. Same with cricketers and football (soccer) players. But you generally don't see it unless you're at a game.

I was always taught to warm a horse up at the walk on the long rein and trot, with no tight corners. On horses without much of a topline I'll ride the trot in two-point to allow their backs to swing more freely and loosen up.


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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

Can He Star said:


> couldn't agree more kayty ! a good warm up does the world of good!
> 
> also i dont think it is fair to judge the whole western/barrel racing/roping dicipline from the one place you have seen this. im sure in other parts of the world you would find it would be completely different. maybe go watch a pro rodeo and i think you will find it a bit different there.


. 

-like I already said - **I am not judging ALL western riders , ONLY the riders in MY TOWN . --I said all western(barrels )) because I litterally don't know ANY other english person in this town -I litterally mean EVERYONE does barrel . (Strenuous work!). Ive been riding western myself -doing barrels -this is how I see all of this -ALL the time --
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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Actually bsms stretching is beneficial for people, just not the static stretches that most people do. You know the ones - pulling against the muscle to create tension. Those should be used to stretch out AFTER the physical activity is completed. Warm-up should include a short cardio activity, such as a jog, followed by dynamic stretches. You will see footballers and the like doing these stretches - think guys standing shoulder to shoulder with their arms around each other, swinging legs back and forth. 

Warming up is really important to the athlete. It has nothing to do with preventing injury though - it is to get the blood flowing to the muscles at a quicker rate, so that the muscles will be properly oxygenated for the coming activity. Muscle injury that is attributed to not warming up will usually be as a result of muscle fatigue rather than actual lack of "looseness".


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Kiimberley, settle down sweet!!!
Everyone is having a general conversation of warmup/stretching etc., no need to posts in entirely capital letters - which is considered shouting on the internet -. No one is having a go????


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## jolie1234 (Jul 4, 2012)

well i dont know about those horses but my horse lets me know when she has had a decent enough warm up if i work her too hard she will cough for a few seconds if i have shes fine- ( before you say she musnt be well, she has been checked by a vet and he said she just needs warming up before work) so yes- i believe warming up is extremely important... you wouldnt run a marathon or jump hurdles with out stretching would you?


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

If I started my horse at a gallop instead of at a walk, and did it several times in a row, I believe that she would start to gallop the second I sat in the saddle. She is hot, and I believe that a lack of warm up would lead to bad manners. I have worked so hard on good manners and I don't want to mess it up.

As far as barrel horses go, the biggest long term lameness problem that I see with them is that people keep working them after they are lame. A slightly swollen tendon or joint would probably get better with rest. Preferably 6 months rest. Instead, the only rest they get is the length of time it takes the bute to work.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

If folks want to do a warm-up, they are welcome to do so. Based on human studies - and I've never seen any large scale studies of horses - warming up isn't required for health or performance. 

If I tried to sprint right now, warming up first would help. But once I've walked around a bit, fed the horses & had my coffee, then warming up by jogging around at increasing speeds wouldn't help my times.

If a horse isn't fit for the activities, then warming up is too little done too late. If it is fit, then the walking around horses do is ample for them to be able to handle bursts of speed.

It seems to me that a horse performing in dressage is like a human doing ballet - it is as much mental as physical, for the horse as well as the rider. And since any riding is a partnership, some time with your horse gives you a chance to see how your horse is feeling and focusing.

But is there any evidence from human or horse studies that would indicate trotting a horse before running is critical to preventing lameness of 70%?

No.

I can't find the study right now, but the military did a comparison of recruits who warmed-up prior to strenuous physical activity and those who started without a warmup. Thousands of recruits took part, and there was no difference in injury rates.

I know a lot of coaches tell runners otherwise. But the EVIDENCE suggest those coaches are wrong, and that the OP is wrong. She is not seeing lame horses because their riders don't trot for X minutes before running barrels. And BTW, running barrels is not incredibly demanding on a horse - certainly no more so that a fullback running down field with a football. And no amount of posting with capital letters will change things. 

Warming up, if it exists at all, is good for minutes, not hours. A fullback coming into the game after 2 hours is not warmed up. A baseball player can swing a bat 50 times without warming up his legs. Lots of athletes need to max perform without warming up.


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## jolie1234 (Jul 4, 2012)

no one warms up for hours though? im thinking of a ten minute (give or take a bit) warm up, 
and as for the studies, how can you say the physical and mental state of a human is the same as a horse? its not, the biology of both the species is not even that close. considering the bonobo monkey is the closest relative we have, similar, yes... same, no
when there is a LARGE study done on warm up with horses and it STRONGLY proves that they do not need warming up then id rather be safe then sorry and warm up before i ask for challenging work from a horse

just my opinion


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

EvilHorseOfDoom said:


> I don't know about American football but in rugby league players coming off the bench will be seen warming up on the sidelines (usually on the exercise bike, then some passing to get their eye in). They also all have this warm-up session on the field before the game, running cones and the like. Same with cricketers and football (soccer) players. But you generally don't see it unless you're at a game.



Yep. It doesn't sound like bsms has been sporting events in person, recently. I've been to hundreds of football games (college and nfl) and EVERY game, I've ever been to, there were stationary bikes on the sidelines, that guys hop on, to stay warm. The kicker is always on the side, doing practice kicks, to stay warm. Guys running cones, jogging in place, throwing footballs, getting massages to keep muscles limber, etc. They just don't show that stuff on TV. 
Rarely are the guys waiting to go into the game, just 'sitting on the bench'.



It has been stated in this thread, a number of times, that stretching cold muscles, before one has done any exercise is not a good idea. Which is EXACTLY why a horse should be properly warmed up before being asked to bend (stretch) around barrels, or as part of a dressage test, or around the corners of a jumper course, or over jumps, etc. Asking your horse to bend and stretch like that without any sort of warm-up is the same as a runner, stretching cold muscles before going for a run (if we're comparing people and horses, although I don't really agree that we can compare the two in this instance). It may or may not increase the chance of injury, but I'm certain you won't get as good a performance out of a horse that hasn't been warmed up. 

I guess, I just don't understand why you wouldn't take 10-15 minutes to warm your horse up properly. If you don't have the time for that, what else do you not have time for, when it comes to your horse's well being?


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

enh817 said:


> ...I guess, I just don't understand why you wouldn't take 10-15 minutes to warm your horse up properly. If you don't have the time for that, what else do you not have time for, when it comes to your horse's well being?


There is no evidence that a 10-15 minute warm-up makes a difference in performance or reducing injuries. There is evidence that it does not.

Folks can do what they want, but there is no reason to believe someone who doesn't warm up their horse is risking injury to their horse. That just isn't the way muscles and tendons work.


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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

enh817 said:


> Yep. It doesn't sound like bsms has been sporting events in person, recently. I've been to hundreds of football games (college and nfl) and EVERY game, I've ever been to, there were stationary bikes on the sidelines, that guys hop on, to stay warm. The kicker is always on the side, doing practice kicks, to stay warm. Guys running cones, jogging in place, throwing footballs, getting massages to keep muscles limber, etc. They just don't show that stuff on TV.
> Rarely are the guys waiting to go into the game, just 'sitting on the bench'.
> 
> Oh my goodness . Thank you so much ! This is exactly what I've been trying to say ! It's not just the -trotting- factor of it , but that warming muscles BEFORE stretching them -going around barrels - weaving threw poles, etc is GOOD .( :
> ...


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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

bsms said:


> There is no evidence that a 10-15 minute warm-up makes a difference in performance or reducing injuries. There is evidence that it does not.
> 
> Folks can do what they want, but there is no reason to believe someone who doesn't warm up their horse is risking injury to their horse. That just isn't the way muscles and tendons work.


These are studies on PEOPLE btw : NOT horses. When there's a study on horses saying warming up DOESNT help , then you can say this . I really think you're not understand the fact that when people begin doing things such as running , jogging , working out , etc , that weve already been doing SOMETHING . Hense , a lot more prewarmed then a standing horse is ..... 
Also , if you're telling me that a horse will perform BETTER without being warmed up in any way , you couldn't be more wrong ........ Have you ever watched people regularly riding -doing barrels ? Or anything actually ? When you first start riding , the horse is stiff , so you're telling me a stiff -tight-cold muscled horse is going to run better than a warm horse ????
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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

Kayty said:


> Kiimberley, settle down sweet!!!
> Everyone is having a general conversation of warmup/stretching etc., no need to posts in entirely capital letters - which is considered shouting on the internet -. No one is having a go????


Im not trying to shout , Im on my iPod so I cant use italics , only capitals .
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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

Also , as you said yourself , stretching cold muscles is bad ! Like has been said : that is how you pull muscles . & there actually has been studies that show you're more likely to tear a cold muscle
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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

Also , as you said yourself , stretching cold muscles is bad ! Like has been said : that is how you pull muscles . BTW : a Cold muscle IS more likely to tear ... Running hard and turning fast on cold -un warmed muscles WOULD greater the risk of injury .......... Take a look :

What Is A Muscle Tear? | LIVESTRONG.COM
Yes , this is on people , but , horses have muscles too & I'm sure when there's a large study done on horses , the results will be very similar . Cold muscles arent good to be used hard ... 
& saying barrel racing isn't strenuous on horses is just plain ignorance ..............
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## OwnedByAlli (Nov 8, 2011)

Sorry, but games players are warming up before coming off the bench.

A warm up for humans should be based on a gantle cardio vascular (CV) warm up, followed by stretching (static and dynamic) then specific skills practise if needed (say, passing in footie). You won't find a professional team that doesn't follow this sort of pattern. 

The warm up is designed to warm the muscles so they are more flexible and strechable. If you go over on your ankle, the flexibility and strechablitiy of the ligaments will decipher the seriousness of the injury. If i went over on my ankle walking through a field on a frozen morning I'd hurt my ankle quite bad. If I have warmed up, either for sport or just by being fairly active beforehand, if i go over on my ankle, it wont hurt half as much beacuse the soft tissue is warm and supple enough to cope with the sudden strain. 

The warm up in horses is similar. It readies the soft tissues by increasing their suppleness and flexibility. It means the horses joints can move further without risking injury, therefore reducing the chance of an injury occuring when the horse is pushed to its max. And I know in humans, it encourages the body to sent a higher percentage of blood to the muscles, lunges and heart, than organs like the stomach. It means the muscles are already ready to recieve as much oxygen as possible when the proper event happens. It also causes vaso-dilation so more oxygen can be absorbed by the muslces for aerobic respiration. More aerobic respiration= less anaerobic respiration = less lactic acid (makes you feel stiff/sore) Horses muscle fibers respire anaerobically and aerobically like this too, so its logical that a warm up increases the areobic respiration capacity.

Saying that, no I don't warm up before I go running because I dont see the point of doing CV warm up, stretches, then CV workout. However I have noticed after the first half mile or so, I find the running easier and I think this is because my muscles have suppled up and are working more efficiantly.
However, I always warm up before playing hockey because it it more physically demanding in terms of pushing joint flexibility further than when running.

With horses, are we not trying to encourage our horses to stretch of the top line muscles? The horse wont be able to stretch these muscles easily if they are not warm and streatchable. Warming increases stretchiness so surely warming up will help the horse work into an outline. In sports like barrel racing, you are wanting the horse to go as fast as possible which requires him to strech as much as possible with his legs. If his muscles are cold and tense, this aint going to happen to the fullest possible extent.

It also gets the horse used to the atmosphere at a show, the weather on a schholing session day etc so the horse feels calmer and is listening better to his rider, so is less likely to act the jester and get himself injured that way.

IMHO warming up readies the horses body and mind for the task ahead. A ready body will produce a higher quality performance than one that was ambling off a trailer 5 minutes before competing, or was standing being groomed and tacked for 15 minutes before going for a gallop on a trail.

(soz for novel :lol


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## livestoride (Mar 30, 2011)

I both agree and disagree. I do agree that warming up is an important part for both the horse and rider for the physical and mental benefits it gives. I too am a jogger/runner and while I don't walk briskly before a jog or jog before a run, I tend to need the first mile to really loosen things up and get going which I consider my warm up period. The next 12 miles go better if I listen to my body during the first mile and let things stretch, supple and soften. I apply this to my mare before I ride allowing her to supple up before getting to the real work. 

Do I think it has to be a trot warm up? No. Each horse is different and if we are using the human sports analogy you don't see each and every athlete no matter the discipline or their own abilities warming up in the exact same manner. Some horses require serpentines, shoulders in, haunches in etc...type work to really loosen up, so trotting for 10 minutes in a straight line may increase the blood flow and CV output, but does little to actually supple them and prepare them for what lies ahead. My mare tends to supple much more readily and be way better prepared mentally to settle into the task at hand after a nice canter. Do I pull her from standing perfectly still (what horse actually does this ever?) and canter her? No. Do I spend 15 minutes trotting? No. I will walk around on a super loose rein allowing her to stretch her neck down for a few minutes, ask for a trot for a few minutes at most and then ask for a slow canter in each direction. She immediately softens, any tenseness (I think I made that word up) goes away and then we can go back to a trot and begin our day. My husband's gelding on the other hand could trot in a straight line or big circle all day long and never supple up. He needs serpentines and circles and bending. A nice loose rein walk followed by the above at a trot and he is nice and loose and then can canter. 

At the endurance rides I attend, we get up before dawn to eat, tack up and head out at the trotting pace we plan to keep for 4 hours. Do I walk her out for 10 minutes and lose time to loosen her before doing so? No. Do I consider endurance a high end athletic endeavor. You bet. Did she just spend the night either ties to a hitching post or in a small portable corral? Yup.

In the end, it depends on the discipline, the individual horse and the rider. As it goes with most things, making a blanket statement doesn't seem to really apply very well.


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## srh1 (Jun 3, 2012)

I think half the point of warming up is to check out how your horse is doing. In my opinion the trot is one of the easiest gaits to be able to tell if your horse is "off" today, whether physically or mentally or if they're a bit stiff from the day before or from time in a stall or trailer. A good warm up gives your horse and you a nice chance to reconnect and your horse time to get into working mode, whether it's feeling lazy or playful.

Some horses, especially older horses, or horses in competition do need the warm up to prevent physical injuries. Even aside from the physical part of it, a horse that's had a chance to get in the right mindset for work is much less likely to be injured in my opinion.

If you are riding a horse other than your own it gives you a chance to figure them out.

I do agility with my dog and I always warm up with her first. Is it because I think she needs to loosen up? Nope. It's because I know in order to do her best she has to be focused. And that's what it accomplishes.


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## englishaqh (Jul 6, 2012)

Everyone does have different riding styles and different routines.

I definitely feel like trotting is important. I'm not sure if it would hurt the horse or not to canter for a little bit, I'm not a horse health expert so I can't honestly determine one way or the other.

Lately my rides have been consisting of mostly walking and trotting anyway. I never get on my horse and trot right away. I always always walk around for a little bit, whether it be one time or several. 

I do agree with bams... I have stopped stretching before working out (which I do on a pretty regular basis, such as stationary biking) and I don't have any huge problems from it. I'm not a health expert or a physical therapist or a muscle expert or anything of that sort, so I can't give you a factual opinion one way or another. However, I personally prefer to warm my horse up before every ride, both mentally and physically.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I agree with the poster that said you are stuck going to some pretty crappy competitions. Unfortunately, small towns are over-run with yahoos who think they are expert horsemen because they can spur/whip the horse to make it run fast and yank it's face off to make it stop/turn. Those are not the actions of a responsible horse person, regardless of discipline. Please, don't judge all western riders based only on those barbarians you are surrounded by.

Except during emergency situations, I try to warm my horses up before asking for any sort of strenuous activity like sprinting, roping, dragging, etc. I will do warm up exercises at all 3 gaits (w/t/c), not only asking them to move out, but bending their body and their necks, getting them to stretch long and low, etc. 

For me, it's not just about warming up their bodies, it's also about getting their mind centered and focused on the job at hand. 

Of the few times when I've had to ask a horse for all he had without a hint of a warmup, I've never had one get sore or crippled, but I honestly don't know if it's because I was lucky or because it really doesn't matter, though I'm more inclined to believe I was just lucky.

All I really know is that when I was running track and cross country in school, I was always able to run looser and easier if I would take the time to warm up and stretch before a race. So, if it helps the horse feel the same way, I'm all for it. 

Even if it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of animal health, time taken to get a horse working properly and get his mind centered on the rider is _always_ time well spent IMHO.


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## Reno Bay (Jul 8, 2012)

Why are people having so much trouble comprehending?

Humans =/= horses

Studies done on humans are completely irrelevant when you're talking about horses. Some aspects may be similar or even identical, but when it comes down to it we have completely different body types.

Horses are flight animals. They are made for running, yes. They do not "warm up" before fleeing from a predator, yes. However, what we have them do in the ring is not natural to them at all. We are pushing them to the absolute limit. Every day we tell these animals to do the basic equivalent of telling a casual jogger to compete in the Olympics. Yes, we train our horses for it, but again we are making them do things that are completely unnatural to them and not warming up can severely injure them.

I would bet every penny I have and then some that if there was a study done on the benefits of warming up vs not warming up and the injuries that happen, that the general census of horses that are not warmed up accumulate more injuries than a horse that is properly warmed up.

End of story. Period.


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## LovesMyDunnBoy (Aug 11, 2011)

Find it very important to stretch my horses... Taking off at a canter in my opinion would make a horse sore.

Example: If I take off at a sprint after my brother, I find myself extremely sore the next day.

Yet, in athletics I may walk a lap then stretch then jog before I sprint. And I'm only slightly sore.

As for a horse, dead canter will cause some sorness I imagine. Maybe even injuries, because as said stretching cold muscles isn't good. So why would you want to run on cold muscles. 

I warm up the horses I ride with about three laps around the arena at a walk. Then we trot the long sides, walk the short, doing rollbacks when changing directions and random small circles. THEN I start the regular work with trotting and loping circles and figure eights. That's what my trainer has me do with her barrel horses.
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My point, yes, trotting is important.


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## PaintLover17 (Jan 3, 2011)

This article is very interesting: http://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org/newsimages/warmingup.pdf
In short, not much research has been done, but the little that has suggests that warming up is beneficial for a horse, especially a high-performance horse. However, it does say that all horses are different and some may do better with going from walking on a loose rein straight to a slow canter (or lope) instead of trotting. Other horses may require the traditional walk then trot then canter method.
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## Kiimberly117 (Jun 25, 2012)

The Horse | Effects of Warm-Up On Performance

Very good information .
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## BlooBabe (Jul 7, 2012)

I feel like trotting while warming up is the least of the problems with this post. I think the buteing dead lame horses and riding lame horses should be the main concern for you. But to answer the question I always walk trot/jog canter/lope when warming up my horses before and after I get on. It gets them stretched out, prepares them for whatever level of riding I'll be doing and I can see if they are favoring a leg or acting a bit lame.


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