Good Riders Don’t Rush the Warm-Up

A Veterinary Physiotherapist’s Guide to Warming Up (and Cooling Down) Your Horse

Winter, early spring, and periods of reduced turnout can make riding routines feel harder to maintain. Cold temperatures, heavier or frozen ground, and less daylight all increase the temptation to rush — particularly when time is tight.

But from a physiotherapist’s perspective, this is when warming up properly matters most.

To help horse owners navigate this, we spoke to Vicky Boakes, Veterinary Physiotherapist and Research & Development Manager at Equilibrium, alongside Hannah Donnelly, Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist in both human and veterinary medicine and Head of Sales at Equilibrium, to share practical, evidence-led advice on warming up, cooling down, and supporting both horses and riders through more demanding conditions.

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Why the Warm-Up Is Often the First Thing to Go — and Why That’s a Problem

“When people are busy, the warm-up is usually the first thing to be shortened,” explains Vicky. “But physiologically, it’s one of the most important parts of the session.”

Horses coming out of the stable after a cold night, or standing in the field with limited movement, often have:
• Cooler muscles
• Stiffer joints
• Reduced circulation through soft tissues

As Vicky explains, joints rely on synovial fluid to lubricate movement (Tortora and Derrickson, 2021). When temperatures are low and horses haven’t been moving, that fluid is more viscous and needs time — and movement — to warm up properly (Hall, 2021).

“It takes at least 10–15 minutes for joints and soft tissues to warm sufficiently. Skipping that stage increases the risk of strain, especially when conditions are challenging.” (ACSM, 2021).

Read Blog - Why Warm Legs Isn't Always Bad

If Time Is Limited, Reduce the Work — Not the Warm-Up

One of the most common misconceptions Vicky sees is that a long warm-up wastes riding time.
In reality, it’s the opposite.

“If you only have 30 minutes, you’re far better spending half of that warming up properly and shortening the main work, rather than rushing the warm-up and asking too much too quickly.”

Warm-up time doesn’t need to mean aimless walking. It should focus on:
• Gradual increases in movement
• Transitions (walk-halt-walk)
• Encouraging the horse to bend and move through their body
• Gentle lateral work towards the end of the warm-up phase

This prepares multiple muscle groups and allows the horse to move more freely once intensity increases. Warming up helps horses use oxygen more efficiently during hard exercise, so their muscles work better and fatigue less quickly (Tyler, Hodgson & Rose 1996).

Ground Conditions Matter More Than We Realise

Winter and early spring bring constantly changing surfaces - wet, rutted, frozen, or inconsistent ground.

“Horses adapt to the surfaces they work on,” says Vicky. “If they’re suddenly asked to work on uneven or slippery ground without adequate preparation, tendons and ligaments are at higher risk because they’re not primed for that load.” (Janczarek, I. et al. (2021)

Being mindful of:
• Where you ride
• How quickly you increase intensity
• Whether your horse has been working consistently
…can significantly reduce strain during this time of year.

What Riders Often Forget: Your Warm-Up Matters Too

Hannah reminds us: “ Most of us arrive to the yard straight from work, and a lot of us have office-based roles which involves a fair amount of sitting down. That’s why it’s also important to warm yourself up prior to your ride, to ensure your own muscles and joints are ready. If your body is stiff, this can lead to asymmetry and impaired movement of the horse (MacKechnie‑Guire, et al 2020). Studies also show a warm-up can positively affect delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) (Law and Herbert, 2007).”

A basic active routine targeting those usual tight areas (ie. hips, backs, shoulders) can make a difference on your own suppleness and therefore your horses’ suppleness.

Try:

  • Head rolls
  • Arm circles
  • Hip circles
  • Thoracic twists
  • Gentle lunge positions to stretch out the hips

*Please note* - if you have any pre-existing injuries, these must be discussed with a
physiotherapist or a doctor prior to attempting these exercises.

Consistency Over Perfection: Looking After Yourself as a Rider

Like horses, humans can also experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and fatigue after exercise. That is why a gentle, active cool down can prevent the severity of DOMS and enable riders to feel good after their sessions. Some ideas for an active cool down can include:

  • Head and neck stretch
  • Shoulder blade stretch
  • Cat/Cow back stretch
  • Gentle quad, hamstring and calf stretches

Maintaining mobility is important in horse-riding, and consistent active movement before and after riding can help maintain healthy joints and range of motion.

Did you know? You can use the Massage Mitt Hotspot on yourself too!

*Please note* - if you have any pre-existing injuries, these must be discussed with a physiotherapist or a doctor prior to attempting these exercises.

The Takeaway: Good Riders Don’t Rush

Warming up properly isn’t about doing more, riding longer, or being perfect.

It’s about:
• Allowing time for tissues to prepare
• Being mindful of conditions
• Staying consistent when routines feel harder

As Vicky puts it:
“Good horsemanship isn’t about shortcuts. It’s about preparation — especially when conditions are challenging.”

Reference list
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) (2021) ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 11th edn. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
Hall, J.E. (2021) Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. 14th edn. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier.
Janczarek, I., et al. (2021) Thermographic analysis of the metacarpal and metatarsal areas in jumping sport horses and leisure horses in response to warm‑up duration. Animals, 11(7).
MacKechnie‑Guire, R., MacKechnie‑Guire, E., Fairfax, V., Fisher, M., Hargreaves, S. and Pfau, T. (2020) The effect that induced rider asymmetry has on equine locomotion and the range of motion of the thoracolumbar spine when ridden in rising trot. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 88, 102946
Law, R.Y.W. and Herbert, R.D. (2007) “Warm-up reduces delayed-onset muscle soreness but cool-down does not: a randomised controlled trial,” Australian Journal of Physiotherapy, 53(2), pp. 91–95. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0004-9514(07)70041-7.
Tortora, G.J. and Derrickson, B.H. (2021) Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 16th edn. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Tyler, C.M., Hodgson, D.R. and Rose, R.J. (1996) Effect of a warm‑up on energy supply during high intensity exercise in horses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 28(2), pp. 117–120.


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