Redefining “warmup”… Of course everyone should give their horse the time needed to stretch out and get their muscles moving before going into heavy work. However, many people think their horses need a lengthy period before they’re comfortable going in a proper, engaged frame or able to shake out the stiffness. If it takes a long time just to warmup, this is a sign that something isn’t right. A sound horse should be able to access their full range of motion at a moment’s notice. Did you know it takes 20 minutes for a horse to numb through the shoulder? 20 minutes of discomfort from an ill-fitting saddle, followed by more “relaxed” work is really just a blocking of the body’s signals. Listen to your horse in the period before they go numb. Prevent discomfort, injury, and long term damage. Horses speak to us, we just have to listen.
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