Warm-Up Routines Before a Show Jumping Round
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The collecting ring is not the place to teach new skills. Your warm-up should confirm what the horse already knows: forward, straight, adjustable.
Minutes 0–8: Flatwork
- Walk 2 minutes — let the horse take in the environment.
- Rising trot both reins: transitions within the pace, leg-yield on the long side.
- Canter: one simple change each way if the horse is balanced; otherwise counter-canter on a shallow loop.
Minutes 8–14: Poles
- Two trot poles, then one canter pole to a small vertical (lower than competition height).
- Repeat until the rhythm is metronomic — not faster, cleaner.
Minutes 14–20: Practice fences
- One vertical at competition height.
- One spread or oxer 2–3 strides after a related pole if space allows.
- Finish over something the horse finds easy — confidence matters more than height in the ring.
Common mistakes
- Jumping too many practice fences (legs and mind tire).
- Flatwork that is too passive — you need forward energy before fences.
- Changing bits or boots in the ring (do it earlier).
Timing with the ring steward
Know your course walk time and allow 20–25 minutes minimum. Championship classes may need longer if the ring is crowded.
A boring warm-up is a good warm-up. Save brilliance for fence one.
A 25-minute template
For a settled horse at a one-day show, working back from your ring time:
- 25–15 minutes out: walk on a long rein, then rising trot both reins with big changes of direction. No drilling — you are loosening, not schooling.
- 15–8 minutes out: canter both leads, a few transitions inside the pace, then the warm-up cross rail twice off each rein.
- 8–4 minutes out: vertical at competition height once or twice, then one oxer. If both felt good, stop jumping.
- Final minutes: walk, breathe, run your course plan once in your head — first line, the related distance, where you will balance for the turn.
Common warm-up mistakes
- Jumping too many fences. Most horses need four to eight warm-up jumps, not twenty. Every extra effort is one you cannot use in the ring.
- Chasing a perfect distance. The warm-up fence is for loosening and confidence. Save the accuracy questions for the course.
- Ignoring the clock. Know how many ride before you and check in with the collecting ring steward — a horse that peaks three riders too early jumps flat in the ring.
- Skipping the plan. The warm-up is the last chance to rehearse your track. If you walked the course with a plan (see how to walk a course), ride that plan in your head before you enter.
Adjust for the horse you sat on today
A sharp horse may need ten extra minutes of walk before anything else; a lazy one may need transitions to wake the hind leg, not more jumps. The routine serves the horse, not the other way round — log what worked after each show and the pattern writes your next warm-up for you.
