Warm Up

Use your warm-up to identify pieces that need addressing in your riding session and where your horse is—mentally and physically—to get the most out of your ride.

Jade Keller goes over his cutting horse warm-up routine for 2-year-old colts to prepare them for their cutting horse career.

Learn how to properly warm up your senior horse before you start riding with Will and Elizabeth Knabenshue.

It's time for the second part of your ranch riding warm up which involves working on your downward transitions.

It doesn’t matter if you compete or prefer spending time with your horse on a ranch or trail, you need to be able to steer him with your hands and feet. Being able to subtly guide your horse in the show pen will also help you mark higher scores, and it can help you stay safe when you’re doing a difficult maneuver, like circling a cow, where you need to be able to quickly steer your horse.

Molly explains how she warms up a lazy horse and prepares him to use his energy at the most important time.

Sami Bayless relearns a warm up with Amberley Snyder. Sami learns how to ask her horse to move his ribcage and body with less leg pressure.

Continue to learn how Bud Lyon warms up a young horse.

Use these daily warm-ups to get your young horse ready for training.

Counter-canter drill helps with balance and cadence.

Don’t be blasé about warm-ups. A proper pre-ride session avoids injury and sets your horse up to perform.