Why should you warm up/cool down your horse?

It is tempting isn’t it?! To just jump on board your horse and set off at a fair lick (they do say start as you mean to go on after all!).

But did you know this can actually be damaging to your horses musculoskeletal system and may result in injury or even problems in later life.

We all know we SHOULD warm ur horses up and cool them down when we ride, just like when you go to the gym yourself. But do you know WHY warm ups and cool downs are so important and HOW do they affect your horses body?

Warming up muscles properly is important to prevent strains and injuries. When your horse begins to move, their heart rate slowly increases and blood vessels that supply the muscles begin to dilate, allowing more blood to reach these muscles. This is important as when muscles begin to work harder they require more oxygen and nutrients in order to function properly. This increase in blood flow along with the heat produced by the muscles working away also physically heats the muscles up which makes them softer and more supple. This also applies to the ligaments and tendons. This is easily demonstrated with an elastic band. If you stick an elastic band in the fridge and then take it out and pull on it hard, it will feel quite stiff and may even snap. Now if you warm it up in your hands a bit and then pull on it again, it’ll feel a lot more stretchy and, errr, elastic!!!

It has been warmed up, just like your horses muscles. If you don’t warm their muscles up properly, some of the hundreds of tiny muscles fibres can begin to snap just like the elastic band (a muscle strain!).

The joints themselves also benefit from a proper warm up. Most big joints in the body contain synovial fluid. This fluid lubricates the joint and also acts somewhat like a cushion, protecting the cartilage in the joint. This synovial fluid also takes time to get moving and circulating and thus not warming up properly can lead to unnecessary wear and tear on the cartilage, resulting in osteoarthritis.

Additionally warming up has been shown to improve neuromuscular reaction speed which helps prevent injuries by stabilising the joint more effectively.

In order to warm up, start off slowly and build to a more active and forward walk. You can add in lots of halt transitions and some big circles or changes of rein if working in the school. About 10 minutes is sufficient for most horses but if your horse is older or has been standing still in a stable they may require 15 minutes or more.

Cooling off is equally as important. Your horse needs time to gently cool down physically but also slow the heart and breathing rate as well. When muscles have been working hard they produce waste substances which is transported away in the blood. This is why slowly cooling down is important to ensure all these processes slow down together. Letting your horse walk on a long rein so they can have a nice stretch out is an excellent way to cool down.

And of course all this warming up and cooling down will also help you warm up and down yourself! Bonus!