Why winter warm-ups matter
WARMING up before work is important year-round, whatever the weather, and in simple terms it raises the horse’s body temperature to allow safe, injury-free exercise.
In winter, when shorter daylight hours can restrict riding time, it may be tempting to condense this vital phase. Yet a combination of colder weather and longer periods of stabling, often with little or no field turnout, means that many horses require more careful preparation at this time of year.
BASIC BIOLOGY
HOW exactly does a warm-up ready a horse for harder work?
When movement commences, muscles contract. Chemical
