EHAL Magazine May 2019

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

EQUINE STRETCHING … BY KELLY BEHNKE

body alignment. To protect yourself, you should be concerned with your body’s posture also. Stretching is NOT a competition. You do not have to push the limits. The object is to RELAX muscle and ligament tension, in order to achieve freer movement. For best results, you need to stretch safely by starting with EASY STRETCH. During which you stretch only 65 to 70 % of the stretching capability. Holding each stretch for at least 3 releases allowing the horse 10 to 15 seconds for each release. Never use jerky movements. With each hold, gently guide through the normal stretching point. You should feel a mild tension. Do not exceed a total of 2 to 3 minutes on any given stretch. Be in control and breathe deeply.

Horses instinctively know how to stretch; they stretch spontaneously, continually, and naturally, tuning up the muscles they need to use most. With your knowledge of the bones, and muscles of the horse, we can now talk about the reasons why stretching should be a part of your routine. Regular stretching will benefit your horse and give you feed back on his/ her condition. Here are some of the benefits of stretching exercises: •Relaxation •Reduction of overall muscle tension and stiffness •Increased circulation of both blood and lymph fluids •Increased oxygenation and nutrition in the tissue •Increased elasticity of the muscle, tendons, and ligaments •Increased flexibility and range of motion of the joints •Improved coordination •Reduction of muscle strain and ligament sprain •Improvement of the stride length •Improve reflex time response STRETCHING SAFELY Always stretch your horse SLOWLY and GENTLY!! Give your horse time to adjust to the stretch. Watch for your horse to give you sings, (licking, chewing, muscles quivering,) When releasing the stretch always complete by returning the horses body part to its position.

REASONS FOR STRETCHING PHYSICAL Stretching improves the tone of the muscle fibers and the elasticity of the ligaments and the joint capsules. A strong pre-stretched muscle resists stress better. Muscle stretching increases circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the body parts; it prevents inflammation and adhesion (scar tissue) formation, trigger point formation and stress point build-up. CEREBRAL When we say “cerebral” we refer to the nervous system, which is controlled by the brain and spinal cord. A horse’s “body awareness” is, of course, cerebral. As you stretch various body parts, you help your horse focus on them and become mentally “in touch” with self-awareness, thereby improving his/her coordination and locomotion. Stretching the muscles will relax your animal both physically and mentally and will give you feed back on the condition of your animal. WHEN TO STRETCH Always stretch when the horse is WARM. Stretching a horse after warm- up period will limit the risk of damage to Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons. It is best to stretch your horse after every work out. HOW TO STRETCH You need to respect the horse’s limits and be aware of the animal’s natural

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