Stretches for your horses

[Walk_N_Gal88]

I need your best or favorite stretches to keep an older horse limber please. I welcome stretches for humans too. I’m getting us both back in shape

[Pehsness]

Have you Googled carrot stretches? And I don’t know the names, but pulling the limbs forward gently from the fetlock. Similar to you doing a standing hamstring stretch.

Those are my go tos and what I was taught by various bodyworkers.

For me… also trying to get back in shape and I focus on my hamstrings and lower back when stretching. They are ridiculously tight.

[Walk_N_Gal88]

Thank you, I haven’t but I will now.

[paintedpennypony]

Here are links to books I have found very helpful for stretches and in-hand work:

1. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1603424636?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

2. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1570768676?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

3. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1570769389?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

4. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1570769788?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I use the Pilates for horses one a lot at the current stage of rehabbing my horse from an injury. I target trained her with a clicker and we do a LOT of these stretches, backing up with her head low, and walking/ some amount of trotting very very long and low all at liberty. Target training made the process of teaching her long and low infinitely easier.

[NaturallyHappy]

Thanks for these books!

[paintedpennypony]

Of course! They are all amazing resources and I’ve learned a lot from them. I hope you get the same value from them too!

[Posting_Trot]

Jec Ballou’s 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses is an excellent books that has both ground work and some ridden work designed specifically for getting horses back into shape. It’s an excellent resource!

(I see that Ballou’s book is one of the books recommended by @paintedpennypony).