🐎🔥 Vet Guide: Warming Up Your Horse to Prevent Injuries | 2025 Performance Prep

By Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc

Warming up your horse before training or competition isn’t optional—it’s essential. A structured warm-up increases temperature, flexibility, neuromuscular efficiency, and blood flow, all of which reduce injury risk and enhance athletic performance  .

Why Warm Up? Science-Backed Benefits

• Increased tissue flexibility: Warmer muscles, tendons, and ligaments demand greater force to injure and improve range of motion  .
• Enhanced nerve signaling: Faster nerve conduction enhances coordination and performance.
• Boosted circulation: Higher heart and respiratory rates, splenic red cell release, and vasodilation deliver more oxygen and fuel.
• Improved energy delivery: Short, intense bursts at end of warm-up prime the muscles for upcoming exertion.

Warm-Up Structure: 3 Key Phases

1. Phase 1 – Easy movement (5–10 min): Begin with walking and transitions across gaits to slowly elevate temperature.
2. Phase 2 – Sport-specific work (10–20 min): Tailor this to your discipline—walking/trotting for dressage, grid work and low fences for jumpers, with gradual build-up in intensity.
3. Phase 3 – Brief intensity (2–5 min): End with short, more intense movements—canter, flying change, or elevated fences—to activate oxygen delivery systems without depleting energy.

Against the Clock: Tailoring Warm-Up Time

• ✅ **Minimum duration:** ~10 minutes in warm weather.
• ❄️ **Longer sessions:** Up to 40 minutes in cold weather.
• 🏆 **Competition standard:** ~20 minutes for high-level jumping  .

Re-Warm-Up Strategy

• If there's a break between events, include a mini warm-up—light activity mixed with key gait transitions—and, if needed, a short intense burst.
• Time and consistency matter: colder weather requires longer rewarm-up intervals; in hot conditions, keep intensity low and focus on warm-up duration.

Tips for a Safe and Effective Warm-Up

• 🧘 Move with intention: each phase must serve purpose—don’t just trot laps."
• 🧥 Watch environment: colder climates always demand more time; hot weather may need shorter warm-ups with focused intensity.
• 🎯 Discipline-specific focus: replicate key movement patterns—circles, lead changes, jumping exercises—as part of warm-up.
• 🌿 Consistency wins: build warm-up habit into your daily routine—even on non-show days—so it becomes second nature.

Wrap-Up: Safety Through Preparation

Remember—unless your horse is physically ready, you’re asking it to perform underprepared tissues. A structured warm-up lowers injury risk, improves performance, and allows your animal to perform with confidence. For 2025 and beyond, integrate all three warm-up phases, pay close attention to weather, and tailor intensity to your discipline. Your horse—and your scores—will thank you.

📲 Want vet-backed training guidance?

Download the Ask A Vet app to get step-by-step warm-up routines customized for your horse and your discipline, plus expert reminders and best-practice tracking—right at your fingertips. Stay safe, prepared, and ahead of the competition. 🐴✨