Carrot stretches

[Em 1]

Does anyone know of any good books or websites or even suggestions for different carrot stretches?

Hew is reluctant to bend through the rib cage so I want to do some stretching work. I've tried holding a carrot between and next to his forelegs but I'm sure there must be lots more, I'm just scared of over doing it and straining him so need some advice please!

[**Krista**]

Dont know any books but i ask dev to bend to the left and right by putting the carrot (or Treat) at the girth area, sometimes a bit further back and ask him to stretch round. We usually do 5 on each side before he gets his carrot (mean mummy ;) )

We also ask him to stretch down between his leg in a bow position. Hes getting good at that now!!

[cvb]

I'm sure you can get books on massage and stretches - that skinny "guide" series that they do alsorts in. Or check out the TTeam/TTouch info...

[Trewsers]

Oooh, am going to try some carrot stretches with my mare tonight - well, polo stretches perhaps :D (she loves her mints). Wonder if humans should do chocolate stretches???! :D :D

[cvb]

re:chocolate
http://www.cornercardshop.com/greeting-card-view.asp?card_cd=rgc-em29-1

[Drummers mum]

Try an internet search, I'm sure thats where I got my original idea!

[cvb]

and
http://www.cornercardshop.com/greeting-card-view.asp?card_cd=rgc-em56-1
:D

[cvb]

TaDa !!!

http://www.todayshorse.com/Articles/HorseCarrotPractics.htm

[Bay Mare]

Be careful (joking) :D Saff now associates carrot stretches with getting erm, bits of apple ... perhaps I should rename them 'apple stretches'. She now curtsies (cute) when she wants a treat BUT she has been known to do the whole repertoire of stretches in about a nanosecond, she looks like she's having a fit and it can be quite disconcerting if you don't know what she's doing! She goes from one stretch to the other in record time ... it's SO funny (yet I know that I shouldn't laugh ;) ).

Jill Firth, McTimoney Chiro has a downloadable Acrobat 'booklet' on stretches. I don't have her website but Bebe and Yann probably will have. I THINK that it's called something like 'Back in Balance'.

[KarinUS]

Oh what a great post and what helpful replies!
I think I will check out the back booklet:
http://www.back-in-balance.co.uk/horse_back_problems.htm

[Murphs]

Stretches for your Horse by karin Blignaught is very good - Robinsons have it in their catalogue , no doubt amazon do it - i bought mine via equine veterinary journal www.evj.co.uk

[nix]

cvb ... I love those links you posted for the cards, I wish I could find a "chocolate kingdom" :rolleyes: .

Em 1 ... the main stretches are to either side and through the forelegs, the main thing is not to ask for too much stretch to start with if Hew isn't that flexible eg not too far down or back between the forelegs. As he starts to loosen up over time, you can ask him to do more. I would add though, that if you have any particular worries about tightness in any area it would be best to consult your vet and ask them for a referall to a good physio or chiro, but I expect you've done that already :).

[Em 1]

Thanks everybody, I knew I could rely on you for help :D I'd done some internet searches but I'm always wary of sites that don't come recommended by people I trust, after all anyone can start a website!

I'll definitely get some books on massage and stretches - the one you suggested looks ideal Murphs. I can just imagine Hew learning the sequence and running through it at record speed! He doesn't like to hang around where food is concerned :D

I must admit though that Hew dropped his disguise as the incredible wooden horse, today and showed me how well he could really bend. We tried some pole work for the first time and he loves it! He'll slalom through poles like a pro, bending beautifully round my leg. Methinks the large freckledly one has been taking me for a ride in more ways than one!! :D

[cvb]

Methinks the large freckledly one has been taking me for a ride in more ways than one!! :D

An appy ??? you gotta post piccies (if you haven't already)

signed

a fellow "freckled-one" owner ;)

[Big Ears]

we did them with an ex racehorse who was very stiff and sore

we did

carrot between forelegs and under girth area to get him to stretch neck
stand at his ribs and bring carrot to outside of your body so he bends round you to reach carrot
do this both sides
then stand at his hips and keep carrot close to his side so he bends closer to himself
the forelegs one can also be used to outside of his knee etc

they usaully get very good at it!

[Em 1]

I think Hew will get very good at them Big Ears! The first time I tried it he looked at me with an expression that clearly said 'what are you doing back there with my carrot?' but quickly caught on to the tiny stretches I've been trying so far. I reckon we'll have moved on to backflips by Christmas :D


An appy ??? you gotta post piccies (if you haven't already)

cvb - he's not an appy just very, very spotty!! :D He's an IDxAA and believe it or not, started life as an iron grey! Here's Hew:

[Murphs]

just one point - sure you're doing it already but please make sure the horse has warmed up his muscles before you ask for any stretches - so either do at the end of a schooling or hacking session or take him out for a walk for 10 - 20 mins before the stretches.

[Ginger Thing]

The Karin Blignault book is excellent, and aswell as the stretches there are ridden exercises too.

[Equine_Obsessed]

Em 1 I just wanted to say ya got a beautiful horse that states a point. I love his color, very catchy. Hes a cutie!

[Chablis]

Just a quick aside. I'd still call that horse grey although in Australia we would call it a flea-bitten grey.

I do carrot stretches with my horses as well. Head down between front legs (getting further and further under), head brought round to either side and I also do leg stretches as she hasn't got normal reach in one shoulder due to an old injury that went unnoticed (!) and the tendons etc tightened up.

I have taken to doing a little cue before providing a carrot as one of my horses is a bit green and can tend to snatch so he doesn't always get a carrot but a rub instead.

[CrazyMare]

apart from the between ''the front legs and ''bending round to the girth'' area stretch what others are there?? people say to make them up but I can't think of any new ones :rolleyes: , any ideas as me and my horse are getting a bit bored and he's mustard at it now!! :D

[cvb]

did you look at the link I posted ? (no not the choccie ones ;) )

[CrazyMare]

Just took a look, thats great, Going off to try them out now!! :D thanks

[LindaAd]

Just a quick aside. I'd still call that horse grey although in Australia we would call it a flea-bitten grey.

.

Yes, I'd call him a flea-bitten grey too, in England. But I can't believe he changed from iron grey ... do flea-bitten greys always do that? I expect when he's old, he'll end up white ..

But I agree, he's beautiful. What's AA - anglo-arab? He looks very ID to me, not anglo arab in the least.

Linda

[Tnavas]

I found this picture on another siite; loved it and saved it.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Evelyn53/Wheresmycarrot.jpg

[drookitsheep]

I've started doing carrot stretches with the Murphmonster and he does that weird looking thing now of kind of "going up on his toes". I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing and have been careful that he's not doing it because I'm asking too much. I've also seen pics of horses who keep their front legs straight (not bent at the knee) but who keep their straight front legs right out in front of them while they stretch back for the carrott. I'm not sure which is correct? Murph going up on his toes (like an Elvis impression), I find quite scary!

Re greys - I used to have an iron grey horse with a big white splodge on 1 side the shape of his saddle. He slowly turned a gorgeous dapple colour - like a rocking horse! Then slowly he went whiter until only his legs were dark with kind of white asterisks and lines on them. Must try and dig some pics out and scan them in! Another horse on the yard used to be a darker grey - not quite iron grey and went really fleabitten too over time. I wish they stayed "rocking horse" coloured forever - it's so gorgeous!

[Em 1]

Thanks everyone for your comments. 'Unfortunately' I have a very fast learner on my hands. I tried some small stretches on one occasion (as I mentioned earlier in the thread). Then we went on holiday for 10 days and I only tried the stretches for the second time yesterday. By today he has learnt them. I went to brush his girth area off with a damp water brush and he immediately bent to touch the girth area :D He's never done this before although I always brush him off after a ride, usually with a damp brush. I went the other side and got the same response :D The only thing is that he is not quite as flexible to the left so when we did the stretches yesterday was just touching his lips to his knee. I didn't want to overdo it so rewarded him for that. Now he has learnt that nibbling his own knee gets food :rolleyes: :D It's interesting that he doesn't show his stretches at all before riding when I am grooming him. I've only ever done stretches at the end of a session and he has simply learnt instantly!! Next stop the exercise in your photo Tnavas!! Backflips by Christmas is clearly setting my sights too low - I'll have him flying a jumbo jet to Lapland I reckon :D

By the way Hew is indeed a flea bitten grey but the most freckly horse anyone round here has every seen :D Thanks, Equine_Obsessed - I think he is a sweetie but I'm biased :rolleyes: ;)

But I can't believe he changed from iron grey ... do flea-bitten greys always do that? I expect when he's old, he'll end up white ..

But I agree, he's beautiful. What's AA - anglo-arab? He looks very ID to me, not anglo arab in the least.

Thanks Linda. No apparently that degree of colour change is quite unusual although 'dark' greys often lighten as they get older so I think you are right and we'll end up with a snowy horse eventually! AA is anglo arab - he is actually a quarter AA although I'd never believe it - we are working on slimming him down :rolleyes: :D The previous owners think the spottiness may have come from his AA roots - he certainly is very spotty he's even got spotty eyes!!

[cvb]

Em

I did carrot stretches with one of my loans after it was suggested by the physio who saw her. I also tended to do it that same time. She was slightly "cold backed" (and yes, I know its not strictly a condition..) so I used to saddle up very slowly. So I'd do the stretches as part of this. Trouble was that it got to the point where I'd put the saddle on, and she'd immediately swing her head round to me, and then to the other side :rolleyes:

Wasn't too sure her owners would be very impressed with this new behaviour, so had to try and "unteach" by varying what I did. Its a LOT harder to unteach than to teach :eek: :o

When my dad brings our 3 off the longer grass they get a treat as a reward - he always insists they stand properly and don't reach/ask for the treat. if they do, they don't get it.

Not sure how you could build this into the carrot stretches - I think perhaps you need a proper "cue" to teach them, and then they only get rewarded when they stretch to the cue ?? (not stretching cos they fancy a treat ;) )

[RachelEvent]

Re. Spottiness, I've known a few horses who have changed from iron grey, through to fleabitten grey, and continue to get spottier right until old age!

I expect that Ferdie is one of these, and probably Hew too - when we bought ferd as a 6 yo he was strongly dapple grey, now at every coat change he gets more and more spots. Many of his spots are conjoining and becoming big appaloosa style spots!


2003:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v162/RachelEvent/XC%20Tumpy%20Green%20Apr%202003/Pict0069.jpg

2005:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y183/Rrrrachel/dressage3.jpg

How old is your chap?