As we look forward to shows resuming, who better to give some warm-up advice than Will and Olli Fletcher! Find out their top tips for mastering your warm-up to head into the ring cool, calm, and confident.

Will Fletcher

1. Get on in time. There is nothing worse than being rushed in a warm-up.
2. Start small and build your confidence up, it’s best for horse and rider to be confident going into the ring.
3. Don’t over jump in the warm-up, save their energy for the ring.
4. Don’t jump too big in the collecting ring, let the horses be happy and make it easier for them.
5. Take some time to go over the course in your head after jumping a few jumps, this should help as you know how your horse is going so if you need to make some last-minute adjustments you then can.

Olli Fletcher

1. You are warming up the horse to jump, so do not jump too much because you want them at their peak in the arena with the right mixture of energy and rideability.
2. Get there in enough time so that if the horse is too fresh or not riding well, you have enough time to quietly put it right.
3. Make friends with the horse, if the horse likes you it is more likely to give it 100% for you, don’t get angry or annoyed if it’s not going your way.
4. Keep as calm as you can, one tiny movement can disrupt the horse and worry it. Horses can normally sense if the rider is worried which can pass through to the horse.
5. When you have 2/3 horses to go, double-check all of your tack and give the horse a breather. Keep him walking and go through the course in your head, including the distances, whilst you’re looking at the arena. Then test yourself and do it a few times without looking, so when you go in, the plan is cemented in your head. Always have the plan ready before you go into the ring.

Looking for more advice? Check out our most recent article with Saracen Horse Feeds: Train, Compete, Recover.