is an off-horse warm-up necessary for equestrians?

Many, if not all, riders warm-up themselves, but not everyone warms up themselves. A recent poll conducted on our social media showed that 62% responders did not undertake a warm-up before hopping on to ride. Of those, 87% said that although they didn't warm-up, they thought that warming up before a ride would make a difference to their riding performance.

A 2010 systematic review of 32 studies found that a warm-up was shown to improve performance in 79% of the criterions examined in a number of different activities and sports. It is important to note however,  none of the studies looked at equestrian sports.

So, what may be the potential benefits, if any, of an equestrian running through a warm-up before they ride?

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