Warm-Up Strategies and Effects on Performance in Racing Horses and Sport Horses Competing in Olympic Disciplines

Simple Summary Warm-up, a routine part of the physical preparation for exercise and competition, ensures the adaptation of body systems from rest to exercise with the dual aim of improving performance and reducing the risk of injury. Passive warm-up techniques (by external means) are not often implemented and very little studied in equestrianism. This scoping review aimed to summarize active warm-up strategies (by a gradual increase in exercise intensity) and effects on equine performance from peer-reviewed publications from 1996 to January 2024. An adequate warm-up generated, among others, an increase in body temperature and cardiorespiratory adaptations to exercise, such as higher heart rates, faster oxygen consumption by muscles, and less blood and muscle lactate accumulation. A low-intensity warm-up regimen induced identical beneficial effects as a high-intensity regimen. Different warm-up strategies were observed between dressage and show jumping horses, while few studies described warm-up strategies in eventing and racing horses. Dressage horses were warmed up longer than show jumping horses. Warm-up duration and intensity increased with an increasing competitive level in dressage and show jumping horses, without affecting the final score. In conclusion, this review emphasizes the low level of current evidence on the best warm-up strategies per equestrian discipline and level.Abstract Warm-up is a standard component of exercise preparation, intended to lower the risk of injury and improve performance. Comprehensive evidence-based guidelines per discipline are missing. This scoping review aimed to describe the physiological effects and strategies of active warm-up in horses according to different equestrian disciplines. The search strategies identified 479 papers for review. After application of selection criteria, 23 articles published from 1996 to January 2024 were included of which 12 discussed the effects of warm-up on physiological parameters and 11 discussed warm-up strategies in different disciplines. As shown in humans, warm-up enhanced aerobic capacity and increased blood and muscle temperatures, independently from its intensity. Riders emphasized the importance of warm-up to prepare horses for physical work and to increase their reactiveness to aids. A canter or trot was the preferred gait in elite or non-elite dressage horses, respectively, while the walk was in show jumping horses. Warm-up duration and intensity increased with increasing competitive level, but a longer and/or more intensive warm-up did not affect the final score. Dressage riders warmed up their horses for a longer time compared to show jumping riders. Future studies should objectively establish the most profitable warm-up strategies per equestrian discipline and level.