Stretching – yes? No? Maybe?
Stretching has many benefits, but we do need to know what we are trying to achieve and which exercises are appropriate for our specific horse.
Before we implement a stretching protocol, we need to know what the logic behind each stretch is.
Stretching exercises are a great way to improve flexibility, mobility and possibly prevent injuries to the soft tissues. In the field of human sports, stretching is recommended for all athletes, recreational and elite alike. Despite some controversy over the details of stretching, it's generally a good idea to incorporate some stretches into your exercise routine. Is it the same for horses?
Generally, stretching in horses has the same effect as it does in humans. However, we should avoid mindlessly stretching our horses in whatever way we recently saw on YouTube. It's important to know what the goal of each stretching exercise is and whether or not that is something that our horse needs in this point in time. Here are some things to ponder.
When there is dysfunction in a certain area, the surrounding muscles will usually respond by either becoming hyper or hypotonic. Put simply, they will either become tight or weak. It often happens that one muscle will become tight and its antagonist (the muscle responsible for the opposite movement of the same joint) will become weak. For example, with hind end dysfunction, we often see tight hamstrings and weak quadriceps. Or, with back issues, tight back muscles and weak abdominals. If we want to restore function, we need to first address the cause, and then rebalance the muscles. So, we will need to strengthen one muscle and relax the other. Stretching is great for releasing tight muscles, but it's not great for strengthening them. So, if you don' know which muscle is tight and which one is weak, how will you know which one you should stretch?
The next thing to keep in mind is that tight muscles are often protecting other structures. The hamstrings are again a great example of this. They are often tight because the body is protecting the over-stretched nerves that come with hind end dysfunction. So, is stretching the hamstrings really a good idea in that case? Probably not. I'm not saying no one should ever stretch their horse. What I am saying is that the body is a complex thing and there is no one-size-fits-all stretching protocol for horses (or humans for that matter). So, looking up stretching exercises on the internet and blindly following them is probably not the best idea. A much better approach is to get a professional out to evaluate your horse and his specific needs, and then designing a stretching protocol tailored to your horse. That is a much better use of your time than mindlessly stretching something that perhaps does not need to be stretched at all.