Stretching is a regular part of a human athlete's routine, however it is less commonly thought about for horses. Stretching has a number of benefits for all types of horses, whether they are competition or leisure horses, they can all benefit from including stretching in their routine.
Stretching can be done on the front legs and hind legs, as well as other areas of the body, and it can be done in different directions (forwards, backwards, and sideways) to benefit different muscles and joints.
There are different types, the most common are:
Static - moving a muscle or muscle group to its limit and holding it there(1), they can either be passive or active:
1. Passive: relies on an external force, someone else is stretching the individual (e.g. stretching a leg)(2)
2. Active: no external force, the stretch is completely done by the individual (e.g. a baited stretch)(2)
Dynamic (ballistic) - this is where the stretch goes to the natural end range of motion and then rapid, alternating movements are done (bouncing). This type of stretching is not often performed due to the risk of inducing injury(3)
The benefits of stretching include:
Improved flexibility(4)
Increased circulation(4)
Reduced rate of injury(5)
Minimised muscle soreness(6)
Increased joint movement(7)
Increased muscle mass(8)
All stretches must be performed on warm muscles (e.g. after exercise / massage) and introduced gradually; initially stretches should be held for 5-10 seconds and eventually building up to hold them for 30 seconds, on a maximum of three days a week, as over-stretching can be detrimental.
Visit our page on Manual Therapy if you want to find out more information.
Please discuss with a qualified professional before you start stretching your horse.
References
1. Frick, A. 2010. Stretching Exercises for Horses: Are They Effective? Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 30(1), pp.50-59.
2. American Sports and Fitness. 2022. Active vs Passive Stretching. ASFA. Available at: https://www.americansportandfitness.com/en-gb/blogs/fitness-blog/active-vs-passive-stretching-know-the-difference
3. American College of Sports Medicine. 2013. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.
4. Deshmukh, V.Y. 2019. Health Benefits of Stretching. Aayushi International Interdisciplinary Research Journal, 6(5), pp.123-126.
5. Woods, K., Bishop, P. and Jones, E. 2007. Warm-Up and Stretching in the Prevention of Muscular Injury. Sports Medicine, 37(1), pp.1089-1099.
6. Nelson, A.G. and Kokkonen, J. 2020. Stretching Anatomy. Illinois: Human Kinetics.
7. Rose, N.S., Northrop, A.J., Brigden, C.V. and Martin, J.H. 2009. Effects of stretching regime on stride length and range of motion in equine trot. The Veterinary Journal, 181(1), pp.53-55.
8. Warneke, K., Freund, P.A. and Schiemann, S. 2022. Long-Lasting Stretching Induces Muscle Hypertrophy: A Meta-Analysis of Animal Studies. Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise.
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