Riding With Respect : Navigating the Warm-Up Ring Safely
By following schooling area rules and etiquette, the experience can go from chaotic to confidence building.
By Helen Townes
The warm-up ring at a horse show can be an unpredictable and daunting place. Riders preparing to compete often feel some level of nerves, and their horses may be adjusting to an unfamiliar setting. Plus, trainers are keyed up and trying to coach their clients with limited space and time. If it doesn’t go well, the warm-up ring experience can leave riders feeling even less confident for their upcoming classes. Even worse, it can be dangerous, with disorder leading to collisions or falls.
Fortunately, there are ways to make the warm-up ring at a horse show calm, safe, and productive. When riders and trainers understand the rules and are committed to working together and sharing the space, the schooling ring provides a great opportunity to prepare under saddle and over fences without having to perform for a judge. And when that warm-up is successful, both horse and rider have the best shot at a confident entrance and successful experience in the show ring.
The USEF Rulebook has extensive rules and regulations regarding horse show warm-ups for a variety of disciplines, many of which were initially devised by David Distler, an FEI jumper judge since 1989 and the Steward General of the FEI. Distler remembers noticing the need for more oversight in the show jumping warm-up ring during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga.
“I went to my office and sat down at my computer, and I came up with 16 rules, and I posted them during those Olympic Games,” he recalled. Distler’s list of rules was soon adopted by the FEI, and not long after, by USEF.
“It comes down to education and responsibility. When you go out there in the warm-up area, when you’re training, when you’re riding, you have the responsibility to do what’s right, not just according to the rules, but how the horse is treated,” Distler emphasized. “We must protect our sport. We must protect our animals. [That includes] doing what’s right in the warm-up areas.”
allowed in the warm-up ring.
Depending on the size and rating of the show, several factors can help make the warm-up ring run smoothly and efficiently. For classes offering $10,000 and up in prize money, there must be a licensed C1 ring steward or a certified schooling supervisor (an “R” C1 steward for classes $25,000 and up) to oversee warm-up areas, report dangers, and enforce safety. Otherwise, stewards are floating around the show and can’t be counted on to spot or solve problems in the warm-up ring.
Most show organizers will provide a clearly marked warm-up or schooling area near each competition ring, ideally included on the facility map to make it easy to find. All warm-up jumps must use FEI-approved safety-release cups for spread obstacles, and flags can help indicate from which direction the jump should be approached (red flag on the right, white flag on the left). Jumps must be set properly and at an appropriate height for those warming up.
Most small to medium-sized shows don’t have enough staff to monitor every ring, however, and it’s up to the riders and trainers to work together in a courteous and safe fashion. Ideally, the horse and rider pairs admitted to the warm-up ring should be those preparing for an upcoming class, and the group limited in number to prevent overcrowding, but this isn’t always possible. The reality is that even with rules in place and the best intentions, the warm-up ring at a horse show can still be a scene of mayhem as the unpredictability of human and equine behavior unravels the best of intentions.
There is also a timing hierarchy in the warm-up ring, and Charlotte Skinner-Robson, a judge, horse show manager, Chair of the USHJA Jumper Working Group and USHJA Jumper VP, pointed out that having hands-on schooling supervisors or trained volunteers at the warm-up ring can help keep things under control.
“For the bigger classes, [they] can even assign jumps [in the warm-up] based on when riders are going in the ring, and then there’s never a problem of someone taking a jump too long because it’s based on their order of go,” she explained.
Of course, things don’t always go according to plan, and it can be difficult for the steward or volunteer to confirm who is entering the arena at any given time.
Sinead Halpin Maynard, a 5* event rider and coach who represented the U.S. at the World Equestrian Games in 2014, gave an example of a disorganized scenario:
“They [the steward] are just counting heads and people are sneaking in or going in the wrong order, and then riders aren’t being let in because there are six people in there, but they’re not the next six riders [to show],” she said. “It gets stressful because that volunteer is overwhelmed, and it’s very difficult to have a conversation. If it was an easy solution, we would have figured it out."
interact with their trainer and prepare for their class.
Because of the mercurial nature of horse shows, the weight of warm-up etiquette falls squarely on the backs of the trainers and their riders. There are common sense “traffic rules” for riders, such as those warming up over jumps generally staying on the inside of the ring while those flatting are on the outside. However, some riders may be unacquainted with the rules or just too nervous or distracted and ride against the flow of traffic, not pass left shoulder to left shoulder, or stop abruptly on the rail with riders behind them. Others monopolize jumps, “save” them by having their trainer or groom sit or stand in front of them, or inadvertently cut off other riders heading to a jump or on the backside of the fence.
Still others hack side by side, chatting with friends, taking up valuable space and potentially creating hazards. Halpin Maynard stressed that “one of the hardest things I see is a horse getting T-boned in the warm-up ring. You know that’s going to stay with that horse for a long time.”
Riders should note that a red ribbon in the forelock means that a horse may be sensitive about being approached head-on, possibly after a traumatic incident. Meanwhile, a red ribbon in the tail means they may kick, a yellow ribbon signifies a stallion, and a green ribbon identifies a young or inexperienced horse.
”Your head needs to be on a swivel when you’re in the warm-up ring.”— Janet Fall
Janet Fall, an FEI and USEF Steward and Jumping Judge, emphasized the importance of riders always paying attention.
“Your head needs to be on a swivel when you’re in the warm-up ring. Be aware if there’s a horse with a red ribbon in its forelock, because that means it has trouble with head-on traffic. If it’s got a red ribbon in its tail, don’t crowd it or you’ll get kicked. Is there a horse coming down to a jump who might spook right when you’re moving that liverpool?”
Lynne Dennis, a trainer based in Portland, Ore., with over 40 years of experience working with amateur hunter/jumper riders, reminds equestrians to pick up after themselves just as they do in other life situations.
“Don’t set fences, warm up, and then leave them there. If you set up an in-and-out, take it down after you’re done with it. If you lay out canter poles, roll them back when you’re finished,” she advised.
Other warm-up guidelines encourage riders to act intuitively and share space with those around them. Just like when driving, you have to share the road and play well with others.
“Don’t bring an entourage to your warm-up fence. Only the people who are going to raise and lower it,” said Fall. “Leave the dog, the toddler, and the stroller outside. They don’t belong. Don’t stop on the rail and talk to your mom or your trainer — the rail is to ride on. And no phones, no texting, no checking your videos. Do it somewhere else, not in the warm-up ring!”
It’s also important for riders to communicate loudly and assertively while in the warm-up ring.
“Call your fences,” Fall encouraged. “A ‘heads up’ can help, too.” It’s not just about good manners or etiquette, although these things are important, she said.
It’s about being aware of your own needs as a competitor or trainer and balancing those needs with the needs — and safety — of the other riders and horses.
"If you don't understand a rule, ask." - David Distler
Fall pointed out that occasionally trainers will want to use the warm-up ring to give lessons, which she discourages if a class is in progress.
“Don’t do that if people are warming up for a class. Find a ring that’s over for the day and ask if you can do a lesson there,” she said.
Halpin Maynard’s pet peeve is “that trainer who is yelling and screaming. I find it especially difficult when somebody is berating a student who’s nervous. We know so much now about horse and human nervous systems and how they handle their nerves, and when they get into that red zone of stress, they can’t hear you anyway.”
height for those warming up.
Halpin Maynard added that trainers shouldn’t pressure riders to do a lot of jumping in the warm-up ring, especially if the atmosphere is chaotic.
“I think the stress of the warm-up ring is very real. One of the key things for people to recognize is that your flat work should be the bulk of your warm-up, and it should feel really good,” she explained. “We can grow from a little bit of pressure, but we are not made for an extended time in that red zone. You have to be able to use the warm-up space in a way that doesn’t blow up your own or your horse’s nervous system. We also need to keep having the conversation with our students about a) what do they need to feel the most prepared, and b) to get out of the box a little and realize that riding in the warm-up area is not mandatory.”
There are also alternative options to the warm-up ring, especially for riders or horses who need more personal space.
“At most of these venues, there are other places where you can warm up or pre-ride,” she said.
Dennis reminded riders that “there’s such a thing as over-schooling in the warm-up ring, drilling your horse and getting them frustrated. Remember the adage: ‘Don’t leave your best jump in the warm-up.’”
Dennis went on to share her favorite story of pre-show pandemonium.
“I can still remember being in a chaotic warm-up area with many of my peers. We were all intensely schooling our clients and clearly not aware of each other, raising our voices and shouting over each other," said Dennis. "A very distinguished and well-known trainer walked in and said, “Everyone stop!” We all did, of course, and then she said in a very quiet, polite, but firm voice: ‘There is no need to shout!’ We all got back to work and conducted ourselves as we should have in the first place.”
“Do it somewhere else, not in the warm-up ring!”— Janet Fall
The warm-up ring at a horse show is often a whirlwind of activity, and can be tense, unpredictable, and sometimes overwhelming. Regardless of whether it’s a small schooling show or a major competition, riders are managing pre-class jitters, their horses are navigating a new environment, and trainers are hustling to give last-minute pointers. But the schooling ring doesn’t have to feel like a pressure cooker. Distler emphasized that self-advocacy is invaluable.
“If you don’t understand a rule, ask," said Distler. "There are so many people out there — schooling supervisors, stewards, judges — who understand the rules and most of them are more than willing to explain.”
With shared awareness, adherence to etiquette, and mutual respect among riders and coaches, the warm-up ring can become a constructive space to settle nerves, fine-tune performances, and build confidence. A focused, respectful warm-up can pave the way for a smooth, composed performance when it counts the most — inside the show ring.
Find the full USEF Rulebook here, or download it from Apple App Store or Google Play.