5 Tips for a Successful Warm-up on a Fresh/Frisky/Anxious Horse to get a better Ride - From November 1st 2015

Alright! Bring on the cold!

Nothing beats a warm cup of coffee in your hands on a cold morning :)

However while you sip your coffee you may be dreading your ride.... because cold weather brings frisky horses.

So here are some tips for creating a successful warm up that should relax your fresh horse.

#1 Have&Keep a Calm AND Patient demeanor.

It's very important that you don't psych yourself out. Remaining Calm and Patient with a fresh/frisky horse goes a loooong way..

#2 Take things slow..

Don't rush into your ride.. do at least 10 minutes of walking.. Focus on relaxing through the poll. Shoulder In's and Leg Yields, Walk over or through some ground poles. This gives your horse something productive to do because it gets him listening to you and keeps him occupied.

#3 Once your horse seems relaxed enough ask for a slow trot. Keep a decent contact thats not a death grip but if your horse if one to rush forward don't give too much rein. Do circles and serpintines of various sizes. This will again keep him occupied and get him listening. It also discourages him from speeding up to much. Again Focus on relaxing through the poll.

#4 Once he seems relaxed a bit more you can pick up the pace a little and try doing Shoulder In's, Leg Yields, and ground poles at the trot. Again make sure he stays relatively relaxed. If he starts getting too frisky go back to step 2.

#5 Canter. Yes, I said Canter.. remember your horse should be mostly relaxed before you do this. It's just a warm up canter. If he tries to run off just do some circles. If he is good but feels frisky (you know when they want to run off but are good and don't) and has pent up energy then just keep him at a controlled canter and let him canter till he stops on his own. Trust me they almost say thank you after you let them get it out.

Well those are the top 5 things that help me have successful warm-ups on frisky horses in cold weather.

I actually apply these to every warm-up on every horse because they are so effective.

Remember a successful warm-up is the foundation for a successful ride.