Equine Stretching Exercises

I have been surprised by the amount of peope who come to my site looking for equine stretching exercises. I
don't think that many people really realize that stretching is actually one of the ways that you can -
unintentionally - harm your horse. I have seen many people do what I think they consider "stretching", thinking
they are helping their horse - when in fact they may be causing muscle problems.

I have seen way too many people grab their horse's leg, give it a quick, hard yank and then drop the foot - hard -
back onto the ground . They usually do this before riding while their horse's muscles are still cold - which can
do more harm than good.

But honestly, even if the horse was warmed up, this really isn't stretching. I don't
really understand just what it is that they think this is supposed to do?!?!?

If you are one of these people - Please stop this nonsense immediately!!! You are
NOT helping your horse. You may actually be doing him harm.

I have not had a chance to write instuction on the proper way to stretch your horse. I
will try to get to that very soon. The sections I have finished so far are:

I am sorry I have not had time to get to instructions of how to perform stretching exercises - I will try to get to
this soon.

In the meantime, check out Range of Motion Exercises for Your Horse. Range of motion exercises are not
as "popular" as stretching. But I think that may be because most people don't really know about them.

One of the great things about range of motion exercises is that there is less possibility of over-stretching a
muscle so in some ways they are safer than stretching exercises. The benefits of ROM exercises are similar to
that of stretching. They are a great way to increase your horse's suppleness and flexibility.

Range of motion exercises are also great for a warm up or to use prior to stretching exercises.

I urge you to at least take a look and give them a try.

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

Until I get a chance to make videos about equine stretching, I have found this video by Dr. Joanna Robson
on how she stretches a horse. This video is for stretching the front legs of a horse.