The chiro wants my mare to do carrot stretches–especially to the left–but she cheats on the hard direction by craning/tilting her head around to use the length of it to make up for the fact that she can’t stretch very well to that side.
Any tips for how to keep her from tilting?
First, don’t try to stretch so far to begin with. Only go as far as she can do it correctly. Gradually increase the stretch (it might take minutes, days, or weeks) when she can do it right, comfortably.
Second, I know chiro’s are big on not tilting, but sometimes if you need a really big neck stretch you just have to let them reach! Put the carrot clear back to their hip and let them reach as far as they can without cheating by moving their feet.
I really feel it depends on exactly where you need the most stretch.
Mine does the same thing to the right. Like @Obsidian Fire said, don’t ask her to stretch so far, instead make sure she’s keeping her head straight. I stand closer to the head and hold the cheekpiece of the halter to keep my gelding from tilting, but as soon as he gets “stuck” I give him the treat and ask again a little further back. It usually takes a couple of times on that side for him to loosen up enough to really stretch back while keeping his head straight.
Form first. Then speed/distance/time after.
The goal for muscle stretching isn’t just to get Part A to touch Part B (or whatever). It’s to have proper form, so that the stretching over time is still in proper form. Vertical head. Put a halter on and guide her to the right position, quietly, and in tiny increments, when she starts to tilt
Thank you! I had been instinctively taking the cheek piece of her halter and trying to correct the tilt, but I wasn’t sure if that was a valid method. 
Does anyone have photos of correct vs. incorrect head position? Honestly I’ve probably been doing it wrong all these years!
It’s pretty simple - head has to be vertical if you’re stretching muscles in the right way.
Yes, and try for a wider movement at first, not so tight to the body. Stand horse up next to a wall on the side you are bending away from. This will keep him from trying to move his feet to turn. So, you are bending to the left, horse’s right side is next to a wall. Then, with your right shoulder by his shoulder, press your right fist into the base of his neck as you ask him with your left hand to bend his head around your body, as low as wide as he needs. The support at his neck keeps him from falling in with the front feet. Allow him to lean on you as he reaches as far out and around as necessary to keep his head from tilting. Only go as far around as he can without cheating or without needing to take a step. The more you do it, the better he’ll be at it.
This works for me so much better than holding the halter. He always cheated, so I recently asked my vets to show me a better way, and they did the above. Now he only tilts if I’ve asked him to go too far. I think keeping his neck on straight is half the battle to keeping his poll going in the right direction.
Once you can do lower and wider easily, then I’d move up towards maybe stifle height but also wide. Then after that’s good, try a tighter wrap around holding the halter. It does still help there to have them going around your body for the stretch if they still tend to want to tilt.
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