26/04/2016
Stretching is a term that's being tossed around a lot lately in the horse world. It's supposed to be some magic, unattainable posture that will solve all of your training and riding woes. But what exactly is "stretch"?
There are several key components to stretching, which I've highlighted in this (very, very) basic sketch. I find that it's easiest to achieve this using liberty work, either with a halter and lunge, or in a round pen if your horse isn't accustomed to working totally free. Your horse should be able to maintain a steady trot without too much interference.
Red Circle: The first part is perhaps the easiest to overlook. Your horse should be relaxed, but actively listening. Look for signs that he's in a good place mentally: Relaxed ears, soft eyes, loose mouth (but not pouting/lower lip stuck out). Take the time to help your horse achieve this mindset through structured work time, or even just spending some quiet time together.
Yellow Circle: This area is perhaps the largest part of achieving stretch. The horse's neck processes should form a long, gentle curve. Pay particular attention to the s-curve at the base of the cervical vertebrae--it should be a wider curve, with everything falling into line easily. Some horses that work primarily in a collected posture might find this both a relief and a challenge, especially if they've been forced to adopt "rollkur" posture, often because of draw reins. Horses that are primarily collected have a tremendous amount of pressure put on their s-curve, and the space between their second and third vertebrae opens up, which puts stress on tendons and ligaments. In addition, they might have weak posture muscles due to this, which should always be addressed.
Blue Arrows: The horse should generally be working LONG and LOW. The back should look level, and the belly should still be firm and supported, but generally speaking, the horse should have a visible lengthening throughout the midsection. I personally find it's easier to achieve this by doing canter in warm-up BEFORE trotting.
Green Circles: It's easy to overlook the hooves and legs in this kind of exercise. The front legs should be moving well in front of the horse, and the hind legs should be tracking well under the horse, with the rear hooves over-reaching the front. The horse should have a relaxed gait, but still be moving with energy and impulsion. Ground poles can be an excellent way to encourage your horse to remain active and engaged, and not simply on "auto-pilot".
Once you've learned how to put your horse into a good stretch on the ground, it will be much easier to put your horse into this posture while riding. This is an excellent exercise to help build posture muscles and fitness in your horse, and will benefit any rider of any discipline!
