Everything Horse UK Everything Horse Magazine, August 2018. | Page 28

TOP TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS ON HOW TO WARM UP PROPERLY PRIOR TO YOUR DRESSAGE TEST
Warm Up The Right Way!
A
Your warm up prior to your dressage
test can play a huge part in determining
how successful you are in the dressage
arena. Aloeride, the natural organic aloe
vera supplement and the choice of top
professional riders across all disciplines,
share their essential tips for warming up
the right way!
lways allow plenty of time for your warm-
up. This includes allowing time for traffic/
hold-ups on route to the show. The last
thing you need is to be rushing either
your horse or yourself as this won’t put
either of you in the right frame of mind when it
comes to riding your test!
CHECK YOUR TIMES
When you arrive at the show, check how the
classes are running, so you can work out when
to get on your horse and warm-up. Often, show
schedules don’t go to plan which means, in some
instances, you could be running up to an hour behind.
The same goes for keeping an eye on how slowly
or quickly your class is running. If your class
is running 10 minutes slower for example, this
can be enough for some horses to tire or switch
off before you even step into the arena, so be
mindful of the time!
ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE
Try to stick to the same routine at home and away
when it comes to your warm-up. This can help
settle nervous types and give them the familiarity
that can give reassurance in strange surroundings.
However, if your horse is over excited, walking
on a long rein at the beginning, as perhaps you
would do at home, wouldn’t be advisable for
safety reasons!
28
EVERYTHING HORSE MAGAZINE • AUGUST 2018 • ISSUE 36