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Itchy Boobs
Posts: 360
 
| How much time do you spend with your horses at rodeos/barrel races before you run? How much do you warm them up and what kind of prep do you do before you compete? Thought this would be a fun topic im curious what others do. |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Depends. I have one that a 45 minute warmup with lots of walking is perfect. I also have one that a 20 minute warmup is too much and she'll wash out and not run as hard. With anything young, I try to get on at least 45 minutes out so we can walk and relax as much as possible. A nice warmed up youngster works best for me. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
 
Location: Kansas | Between grooming, tacking up, stretching, and warming up....probably an hour and a half |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | I always butter them up with a good brush down. then hop on, lots of walking and a few trot circles hop down, stretch em out. then once I'm back on I'll lope a few circles then spend the rest of the time walking, get them in the arena if possible. I don't like having my horses standing at the trailer. If I can be on top for an hour before I race I'm a happy girl. If I have two horses obviously it's much less time but that's ideal for me.
My plan is keep them quiet and relaxed, I'm nervous enough for the both of them so the quieter they are the better it works out for me. considering I've been stuck in the bottom of the results sheet for too long maybe I need to change the plan.
Great thread!! :)  |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| I usually do a good thorough warm up for about 30-45 minutes and then let them stand and relax at the trailer. Then, depending on how fast the tractor is, I try to get on about 30 minutes before my run. W/T/C to loosen any parts that stiffened up during standing and then walking until we run. Usually stand still for the 10 horses before us and walk 5 horses before us. |
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 Regular
Posts: 95
| 30-45minutes seems like a long time to me. Wouldn't you be better off getting them warmed up just a bit immediately before you have to run so that they have as much energy as possible?
How much of a warm up do race horses get before they run? |
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  Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | I'm normally only away from my horse long enough to pay entries, check out the arena if it's one I've not been to before, and go to the ladies room :)
If it was a long haul to get there I always walk them a bit, let them graze, stretch their legs. Then they get well groomed, rubbed, watered, etc. I hate being rushed so I take my sweet time tacking up. If I choose to do exhibition I get there early enough to do them first, then untack them before they run. When it gets time to mount up to run, I get on about 40 minutes prior, spent 20-25 minutes warming up, then give my horse walk only/rest time right before he runs. My mare I always kept moving before going in the arena, but my gelding runs better if he can chill out before he goes in. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2258
| I am crazy about being everywhere early so I usually have 2hrs to get ready and warm up. I probably spend 30-45 minutes riding and like to take my time to saddle ect. I get nervous and like to go slow so I don't get anxious on top of nerves. My young mare who is 4 gets rode and spends a fair amount of time just hanging out watching everyone else ride. I usually take time to go work on legs as needed before a run as well. My daughters older mare gets saddled and a few laps each way and she is done or she won't run at all. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1898
| It depends. On my colts I like to spend a little extra time getting them relaxed. I like to have at least 45 minutes to saddle and warm up.
One I take extra time making him beautiful... he's a primadona, and about 20 minute warm up right before our run .
One I try to spend as little time as possible with on the ground, she's all about work, and do the same 20 minute warm up.
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Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| albertacowgirl - 2014-02-28 2:02 PM 30-45minutes seems like a long time to me. Wouldn't you be better off getting them warmed up just a bit immediately before you have to run so that they have as much energy as possible? How much of a warm up do race horses get before they run?
MOST race horses, from what I understand have a fairly extensive warm up session, including a hard breeze session before their race. EARLY in the morning before the race. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1028
| It all depends on the horse, but I'm kind of the odd girl out on this one. My DFP gelding (who is a bit of a busy body anyway) does best with about a 10-15 min warm up (long trotting, then big slow circles both directions, and a little side passing), then I get off of him, stretch him, boot him up, tighten my saddle, and hand walk him until about 5 before we run. This is just what has worked for him, but if I had a horse that needed a little more to get ready, I'd alter this warm up. I've always been one to hand walk before I run, no matter the horse; just a habit I guess! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | I make sure I have plenty of time to brush, groom, braid, and pick feet before I even tack up, I HATE rushing so I get ready a lot earlier then most.
I walk mine around the show grounds for a while, especially ones that haven't had the chance to exhibition and see the arena, during drags I walk them up and down the alleyway always.
Depending on the horse my warm ups are different, with my real Turny mare I do lot of counter bending each direction at a walk, then a trot. For my front endy horse I do some light fence work; roll backs and backing up. I make sure both are supple and light on their feet before a run. I trot both ways, then lope circles both ways, always starting to the right then the left since we go to the right first.
I don't overdue my warm ups, I save most of their energy for their runs. I just keep them moving at a walk and keep them thinking and focusing by bending and flexing as we stand and wait.
Post run I always walk them out and then make sure during a drag to WALK them back through the alleyway where I get off, loosen the girth and then reward them with a treat. I continue to hand walk them until they are cooled off!!!! |
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Itchy Boobs
Posts: 360
| I agree with you ! People I rodeo with make fun of me cause I'm always back behind the alley hand walking and stretching my horse waitin on barrels to start. I've always done that I warm up an hand walk till about 15 before me. |
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 Independent Cuss
Posts: 3978
Location: Dearing, GA | bowersk - 2014-02-28 3:48 PM
It all depends on the horse, but I'm kind of the odd girl out on this one. My DFP gelding (who is a bit of a busy body anyway) does best with about a 10-15 min warm up (long trotting, then big slow circles both directions, and a little side passing), then I get off of him, stretch him, boot him up, tighten my saddle, and hand walk him until about 5 before we run. This is just what has worked for him, but if I had a horse that needed a little more to get ready, I'd alter this warm up. I've always been one to hand walk before I run, no matter the horse; just a habit I guess!
This was my routine with the last mare I ran consistently. We needed to just chill and take it easy at a race. She got 15 minutes of w/t/l before we ran, lots of lateral movement. I would do that, let her stand for a few, then walk around starting 7 runs before ours. Less is more with her. |
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 Regular
Posts: 60
Location: Oklahoma | When I very first started running my mare I would warm up for at least 30 minutes, a pretty good warm up too. She would normally be pretty sweaty just from the arm up, but thats how she was. She would blow the turns without a very vigorous warm up. After a lot of work I can now do much lighter warm ups with her (abot 20 minutes and not have to get her wringing wet)
And I have one horse (not a barrel horse, this is mostly for rodeo queen horsemanship patterns) I would have to work him hard before I pattern because it took a while for him to understnad he needed to chill. He would also be covered in sweat by the end of it.
But the majority of the time its just W/T/L about 15 mins and a lot of bending and rollbacks to get em focused |
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