Tips for doing the back lifting stretch?

[rockymouse]

We found out this week that my mare, who’s always been problematic under saddle, has four spinal processes that are “kissing,” two of which overlap. Ouch. This explains a lot. She had injections in these areas and the vet demonstrated the back lifting stretch that I am to do with her several times a day.

It looked easy when he did it - he has big man hands and big man strength and when he performed the stretch on her for me, she really lifted her back in a wowza kind of way.

I, however, get nothing noticeable. I feel like I’m not doing this well. Basically, I put the ends of my fingers under her barrel, a little down-horse from where the girth might be, and press upward. She just looks around at me like “what are you doing?”

Could someone please describe to me what they do, and maybe I’ll get the hang of that?

Thanks!

[leesa1]

This is going to sound worse than it is but give a hoof pick a try. Not a sharp pointy one but a flat rounded edge and don’t weaponise it. I have no fingernails and all and have cysts in my wrists from lots of computer work and just don’t have the strength to do the lifts easily either, but a hoof pick has a nice long thick handle that worn fingers can comfortably hold and and upturned tip that will contact the belly at the right angle without me having to duck and scrunch my hands up under the ribcage.

It concentrates the cue into a small surface area much like a spur does… but like you also wouldn’t with a spur… don’t dig it in… lightly is fine.

[sheltona01]

Until they get used to it, sometimes you have to dig hard. I use both hands about 8 inches apart if they are really resistant. Keep in mind, it maybe really hard for them and they need extra encouragement.

[JB]

Hoof picks for the win! BUT, before you try that, take stock in how much you’re actually pressing to ask for the lift. And WHERE you’re asking. It really doesn’t take “man hands and man strength” to do this. It takes finding the right place, and really putting your body into it in the right way.

Play around with it each day.

It may be a little more forward of where you’re asking. And probably harder. Over time, it won’t take as much “ask”, as she’ll learn to know what you’re asking for. My TB mare takes a bit behind the girth, but my WB gelding needed to be asked RIGHT behind his front legs.

[rockymouse]

All of this is so helpful.

Thank you, wise COTH!

[lorilu]

In addition to all the above, be sure she isnt standing “strung out”. If she is standing a bit closed - hinds under her and fronts straight down from shoulder - it is easier for her to raise her back.

[Kyrabee]

Yep…hoof pick or some other pointy object…keys work well.

I ask for the lift and wait for her to hold it a bit then ask for more lift when she starts to relax.

Susan

[IPEsq]

Also agree on hoof pick or keys. Unless your horse is really itchy and leans into it instead of moving away (ask me how I know ). I do think if you can figure out how to use your hands on this particular horse that does tend to work better in getting them to hold the stretch for long enough than the sharper tools. Could be if the horse is stiff you will need to repeat a few times to get good range of motion. Sometimes starting with butt tucks helps that then move into sternum lift.

[rockymouse]

Thanks everyone!

[horsepoor]

Mine are all pretty cooperative with just fingers, but what I’ve seen my chiro/vet use is the plastic cap/container things that needles come in.

[Fiesta01]

I’ve also seen (and done) one hand under belly and other hand on opposite side of the croup, simultaneously. This always worked even on the most uncooperative.

[Djones]

The cap of a ball point pen.

YMMV, buy my routine is a couple of lateral carrot stretches and bows, then a belly lift or two, then a tail tuck.

[lintesia]

My horse’s chiropractor suggested just a few days ago that I do these lifts with my gelding. She showed me how and then watched me try to get the same result – fail. Instead of showing me again, she demonstrated the amount of pressure and movement on MY back. That was the “demonstration” I needed and I immediately was able to get my horse to lift his back as she wanted. (For me, the difference was much more pressure and a much slower movement. I have no fingernails to speak of, btw., so that wasn’t the issue.)

If you see your vet in the next few days, ask him to apply the pressure/movement to your arm so that you can feel just how much of each is required.

[JB]

@Fiesta01

I’ve also seen (and done) one hand under belly and other hand on opposite side of the croup,

I love this exercise too, but it is different enough that it’s not a full substitute. Vertical lift is different from lateral flexion

[rockymouse]

Well, I have very short fingernails (hello, lifelong fingernail biter) and I’m applying all the pressure I can. But going slower, and using a pen cap/hoof pick is what I plan when I go out today.

I love the collective COTH wisdom and generosity. I’ve learned so much from this place and knew I could count on y’all.

[StormyDay]

Take the hoofpick and just run it, lightly, from the belly button area up towards their front legs right at the midline. Works on every horse I’ve met.

You can also do the same thing on top, run it from between the hips to wither, for the opposite stretch. I find for tight backed horses doing both is really helpful. I end on whichever way I’d like them to stretch the most. For most, that would be top first, then belly. But for one of my horses who has have tight hips I end on the top stretch.

[Fiesta01]

Thanks for that info. My chiropractor taught me to do that as part of my horse’s daily massage. I didn’t understand the difference.

[Renn_aissance]

I get the best results with my horse with one hand at the heart girth and the other a few inches forward of the umbilicus. Add pen cap, etc. as needed.

The Posture Prep curry/massage tool might also be a helpful investment- more than any other curry I’ve found that a zigzag motion from heart girth to umbilicus and back with this thing encourages core engagement without encouraging the horse to kick me in the head.

[JB]

@Fiesta01

Thanks for that info. My chiropractor taught me to do that as part of my horse’s daily massage. I didn’t understand the difference.

For normal horses, doing all these are very valuable as they help with mobility and stability.

But some horses are hyper-mobile in some areas so you wouldn’t want to do exercises that work on that mobility. If there’s a lumbar injury you might not want to be doing butt tucks yet.

Lateral flexion is different from vertical flexion, each very valuable in their own right, but each also not appropriate in given situations. That’s why it’s always very useful to know why you’re doing a particular exercise

Carrot stretches are another mis-understood and mis-used exercise. If you think about how we ask a horse to work, we don’t want him tipping his head. Regardless of whether we’re asking him to carry his head higher with a more closed poll, or lower with a more open poll, or higher with a more open poll, we want his head vertical - yes? We want the line between the eyeballs to be parallel to the (flat) ground.

So why would we ask him to do a carrot stretch with his head all kinds of sideways? Doing that lets him avoid stretching (on the outside) or strengthening (on the inside) the muscles that allow him proper flexion and stretching when we ride him

But there may be a specific therapeutic reason to ask/allow him to stretch with his head tipped. however, that’s an exception, not a normal practice

[Feathered_Feet]

@JB

Carrot stretches are another mis-understood and mis-used exercise. If you think about how we ask a horse to work, we don’t want him tipping his head. Regardless of whether we’re asking him to carry his head higher with a more closed poll, or lower with a more open poll, or higher with a more open poll, we want his head vertical - yes? We want the line between the eyeballs to be parallel to the (flat) ground.

So why would we ask him to do a carrot stretch with his head all kinds of sideways? Doing that lets him avoid stretching (on the outside) or strengthening (on the inside) the muscles that allow him proper flexion and stretching when we ride him

Our chiro (who is also a vet but just does chiro now) always emphasizes this point - if the horse’s head is beyond a, say, 10% angle, you’ve lost the point of the stretch. Keep the head as close to perpendicular to the ground as possible so you are stretching the correct muscles.