Stretching 101

Hey guys!

I wanted to talk a bit about an important aspect of your horse's exercise regime, stretching. 

Stretching is taking a muscle or muscle group beyond its resting length to its outer range of pain free motion.  A stretch is often held in place to allow the muscle fibres to adjust to this new length in order to release tension, prevent chronic shortening or adhesion formation, and promote proper fibre alignment.

Stretching is a wonderful tool in maintaining muscle and joint health. It also has a wide variety of other benefits such as decreasing recovery time after injury, promoting symmetry within the body and maintaining and improving mobility and flexibility. In addition, when stretching is used in combination with a warm-up before exercise, it helps to prevent injury and enhance performance. In contrast, when used in combination with a cool-down after exercise stretching helps to reduce the effects of muscle strain and realign fibres that may have undergone some micro-tearing. As if that weren't enough, stretching is also an invaluable bonding tool for horse and handler!

Of course since there are so many benefits of stretching, many owners, trainers and handlers have taken to stretching their own horses. Most REMT's will tell you this is a wonderful idea! However, there are some risks and misconceptions that you should be aware of to ensure the safety of yourself and your horse! 

Here are some things you should know:

• If done incorrectly muscle fibres can tear and further injury and recovery times or adversely affect joints
• Poor stretching can exacerbate conditions if proper precautions are not taken
• Muscles need to be properly warmed up before attempting to stretch
• Stretches should be held for roughly 20-30 seconds
• Caution needs to be taken when stretching a horse with arthritis/degenerative joint disease, consult your veterinarian

Lastly, for those who are new to stretching here are some DOs and DON'Ts to consider:

• DO stretch before exercise (after warm up) and after exercise (before cool down)
• DO make sure your horse's muscles are sufficiently warm prior to stretching
• DO have your horse in cross ties and/or have a handler present
• DO allow the horse to stabilize themselves when a limb is picked up
• DO keep all joints in anatomical alignment during a stretch to prevent undue stress
• DO keep your body in a safe posture with your head up and your base wide
• DO use treats to encourage active free stretching of the head or neck
• DO end a stretch on your terms if you can help it (DON'T allow the horse to overrule you, this quickly becomes a safety hazard) 
• DON'T stretch the horse on slippery or uneven footing
• DON'T grasp tendons during a stretch, always support the joints
• DON'T stretch in a cramped or cluttered area
• DON'T stretch a horse with any kind of systemic infection
• DON'T stretch any areas of acute injury, consult your vet

Always ask your REMT if there are any stretches you can learn or practice and incorporate into your horse's workout regime!

That's it for now, I hope you all found this helpful

Happy trails,

Kaitlyn