Stretch Exercises for your Horse by Karin Blignault

I found "Stretch Exercises for your Horse - The Path to Perfect Suppleness" by Karin Blignault to be a
very thorough book about the subject of equine stretching.

Karin Blignault is an occupational therapist and equine trainer. She discusses how the principles of stretching
(long used by human athletes) can be used to benefit horses.

* The importance of stretch exercises in preventing injury, alleviating pain, and improving performance.
* The need to develop suppleness in tandem with strength.
* The important role of classical ridden movements as active stretches.
* The basic anatomy and physiology of muscles and their associated tissues.
* How muscles work together in groups, and which exercises benefit which muscles.
* The fundamental principles of how to perform active stretch exercises as a rider from the saddle, and
passive stretches from the ground.

The individual exercises are explained in detail, with clear, specific instructions designed to ensure that they are
carried out in the most beneficial manner, with no risk of injury to the horse or therapist.

The only caution I would have is that many of the
photos of stretching show a horse that is
obviously very flexible. I am a little concerned
that some people will attempt to get their own
horse to stretch this far when it may not be
ready. Or, may never be able to stretch that far
due to age, injury, or structural limitations. So, I
hope that you will take that into consideration
when using this book.

All in all, "Stretch Exercises for Your Horse" by
Karin Blignault is an excellent book. You will
come away knowing more about equine
stretching, equine anatomy and physiology,
and what she calls the "fundamentals of
stretching". The last chapter (which is the
majority of the book) describes stretching
exercises for all parts of the horse using muscle
charts and color photographs.

As you can see, it is a very informative book. I would say it over-delivers on the amount of information, pictures,
instructions, and options of how to properly stretch a horse.

This book is packed full of quality color photos and also drawings to try to make sure the reader has a full
understanding of what is being presented.

Each of the sections offers information and instructions about passive stretching exercises (from the ground)
and active stretching exercises(ridden work) for each of the horse's muscle groups.

So, in summary, I would highly recommend this
book if you have an interest in stretching
exercises for your horse.

If you would like to purchase or learn more about
this book, please use the link to the left. There are
more book reviews by other people. There is also
a feature that will allow you to search inside of this
book if you would like to see the table of contents,
read a few pages, etc.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and is not intended
to replace professional opinions or recommendations.
Consult your veterinarian for advice about any medical condition or
treatment needed for your horse