Does anyone have good stretches to do for my horse? I’ve been working on some stretching with my guy per our chiro/vet and I was wondering if there is anything I can add to my routine.
I do left and right neck stretches, “belly ups”, and bow pretty regularly.
Any videos? I know not to over stretch, over do, and do cold. Normally all the stretching is done after a ride.
Thanks!
I do all the ones you mentioned plus a few more. I pull his tail and slowly release it, lift his hind legs in front of him and them let him stretch them out behind him, pulling front legs forwards, putting thumbs just above hips and pulling them towards his butt and pushing. If that makes any sense…
If not I can try to explain more, but these are what I do.
Yes thank you!!!
Do you pull his tail straight back or off to the side? I have heard of both. What part is stretching/releasing as a result of pulling the tail?
There is the giraffe - treat held really high.
And the rusty hinge at the top joint of the neck - hold nose and other hand under jowel and twist slightly towards you so eye is in flexed position.
Straight back, although I wouldn’t try this with an untrusted horse, and even still be very cautious. I slowly pull, hold for 10s, and release for another 5-10 seconds. This stretches the topline, especially over the butt and saddle area.
My horse thouroghly enjoys this, so be prepared to pull really hard so that your horse doesn’t pull you off your feet.:lol:
Thanks everyone!!! Keep 'em coming 
Can’t wait to try these.
Diagonal hind leg stretches. Pick up hind leg from the opposite side and stretch it towards you under the horse’s belly. You can try to place it in front of the foot closest to you that’s not being stretched. Once they become more flexible you can go further than that. I could put my guys hoof on the ground and he would actually stretch himself.
I would recommend doing this in the arena before you ride for the first couple times.
My boy loves his stretches. We do the carrot stretches to hip, fetlock, and under girth on both sides.
Also front legs straight out forward, supporting on the fetlock and behind the knee with your hands, until he stretches “down” into it. Then take the leg backwards, folded up at the knee, and gently apply pressure to the knee to stretch the front of the the leg. Then very gently (no force in this one) place the foot down as far back as the horse comfortably allows, so his hoof is behind the shoulder. Let him relax into that, he’ll step out of it when he’s done.
Back legs - stretch forward, supporting the hock and fetlock with your hands. Then take the leg backwards, moving it ever so slightly outwards as you move backwards (so he doesn’t pull back and try put the leg down). Stretch the leg out backwards, again supporting the hock and fetlock with your hand. Bring the hoof back and pass it through to the opposite side, gently (no force here, only as the horse allows) placing it as far under the belly as possible. Let him relax into this, he will step out of it when he is done. If you do not trust your horse to allow you to move around his back legs while holding a hoof, rather just ask for the hoof from the opposite side.
I then do the tail pull as grandprixer describes. After that, I do a belly lift at the tail. My boy does not respond to belly tickles, but this works. Using your thumb, pointer and middle finger pinched together, run the tips of your fingers down his bum from the top point of the croup to the point of the hindquarters about a hand’s width away from the spine. If your horse is not used to this, do it gently first so he can get used to it. I apply a fair amount of pressure for my boy. They should tuck the tail, engage the stomach and lift their back. Better shown here: http://practicalhorsemanmag.com/article/bellylifts_011706-16980
Then his personal favourite and my weight training exercise :lol: Standing next to the hindquarters, reach underneath the tail and cup the point of the hindquarters opposite to you in the depths of your palm. Fold your fingers around the point and begin to apply pressure. This creates a stretch through the hips and SI joints - very hard area to stretch otherwise. Be careful here - my boy literally leans into this pressure hard. He takes all the weight of the hind leg closest to me off and just leans into the stretch. That means that A. I must be careful he doesn’t push me over and B. I must be careful to slowly release pressure so he doesn’t fall, as he would if I suddenly released it.
[QUOTE=Engage;8876294]
My boy loves his stretches. We do the carrot stretches to hip, fetlock, and under girth on both sides.
Also front legs straight out forward, supporting on the fetlock and behind the knee with your hands, until he stretches “down” into it. Then take the leg backwards, folded up at the knee, and gently apply pressure to the knee to stretch the front of the the leg. Then very gently (no force in this one) place the foot down as far back as the horse comfortably allows, so his hoof is behind the shoulder. Let him relax into that, he’ll step out of it when he’s done.
Back legs - stretch forward, supporting the hock and fetlock with your hands. Then take the leg backwards, moving it ever so slightly outwards as you move backwards (so he doesn’t pull back and try put the leg down). Stretch the leg out backwards, again supporting the hock and fetlock with your hand. Bring the hoof back and pass it through to the opposite side, gently (no force here, only as the horse allows) placing it as far under the belly as possible. Let him relax into this, he will step out of it when he is done. If you do not trust your horse to allow you to move around his back legs while holding a hoof, rather just ask for the hoof from the opposite side.
I then do the tail pull as grandprixer describes. After that, I do a belly lift at the tail. My boy does not respond to belly tickles, but this works. Using your thumb, pointer and middle finger pinched together, run the tips of your fingers down his bum from the top point of the croup to the point of the hindquarters about a hand’s width away from the spine. If your horse is not used to this, do it gently first so he can get used to it. I apply a fair amount of pressure for my boy. They should tuck the tail, engage the stomach and lift their back. Better shown here: http://practicalhorsemanmag.com/article/bellylifts_011706-16980
Then his personal favourite and my weight training exercise :lol: Standing next to the hindquarters, reach underneath the tail and cup the point of the hindquarters opposite to you in the depths of your palm. Fold your fingers around the point and begin to apply pressure. This creates a stretch through the hips and SI joints - very hard area to stretch otherwise. Be careful here - my boy literally leans into this pressure hard. He takes all the weight of the hind leg closest to me off and just leans into the stretch. That means that A. I must be careful he doesn’t push me over and B. I must be careful to slowly release pressure so he doesn’t fall, as he would if I suddenly released it.[/QUOTE]
Engage, you just perfectly explained what I do. Refer to that post, not mine, everyone…
[QUOTE=Engage;8876294]
Then his personal favourite and my weight training exercise :lol: Standing next to the hindquarters, reach underneath the tail and cup the point of the hindquarters opposite to you in the depths of your palm. Fold your fingers around the point and begin to apply pressure. This creates a stretch through the hips and SI joints - very hard area to stretch otherwise. Be careful here - my boy literally leans into this pressure hard. He takes all the weight of the hind leg closest to me off and just leans into the stretch. That means that A. I must be careful he doesn’t push me over and B. I must be careful to slowly release pressure so he doesn’t fall, as he would if I suddenly released it.[/QUOTE]
Do you have a picture or could you link to a picture of this one? I’m a visual learner and am having a bit of a hard time figuring this one out! It sounds like something my horse would appreciate, so I’d like to give it a try! Thanks!
I do the butt tucks similar to what Engage describes (this link: http://practicalhorsemanmag.com/article/bellylifts_011706-16980).
But my draft x is really insensitive, unlike my 5 YO. Does anyone have any ideas to get a better response from him? I have tried a plastic comb, but even then I have to use a lot of pressure.
Check out Dr. Hilary Clayton’s book on strengthening the horse’s core
[URL=“https://www.amazon.com/Activate-Your-HOrses-Core-Unmounted/dp/0974767018/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TJ4316MYR4X31QHXR65R”]https://www.amazon.com/Activate-Your-HOrses-Core-Unmounted/dp/0974767018/ref=pd_sbs_14_img_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=TJ4316MYR4X31QHXR65R
I’ve found the exercises very useful.
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