Carrot stretches...anyone?

[chickflick1066]

So, who here gets their beautiful nag to do carrot stretches...has it had a positive effect for any of you?

I've been doing it religiously everyday for 4 weeks (at poohsmate recommendation) and I must say she is an old pro at them. Really stretching herself :)

Something she did really made me smile today...I usually got left, right and in-between her legs/underneath in an ordely fashion. Madam Stumpy decides to take it upon herself to do the last stretch herself should you take too long in the left/rights. So she's there with her smug face...one step ahead in the stretches with her head between her legs waiting for the next treat! Makes me chuckle :D

So I was just wondering who does them and has it had a positive effect for your horses both on the ground and ridden? Or is it all just a warm up exercise? :)

[CurlyWurlyRach]

i had a go for the first time today with a bit of apple!
Not sure i got it right though...would someone mind PMing/posting me some instructions? (sorry to hi-jack :o)

[Bay Mare]

I've done carrot stretches for a while with Saff. They've been very successful alongside correct schooling as she was very 'upside down' when I got her. They have also provided an alternative to going in my pockets for treats!!!

Here's Madame asking for her apple when I take her back to the field:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/TashaKat/Saffy/September06SaffyCurtsey.jpg


Here's what my upside down horse can look like now:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v146/TashaKat/Saffy/SaffyOct06-1.jpg

[chickflick1066]

BM, Saffy is STUNNING :D Do you compete in dressage?

How did she learn to go all the way down...I can't get Stumpy that far.

[neen]

I ask Fluke to do the sideways stretches both ridden and from the ground -- but he never gets any carrots for them. Don't anyone tell him that other horses do! All he gets is a rub on the nose. We do them if he's getting tense or fidgety or resistant, it's something very defined that he can focus on and that he knows how to do, so it defuses things and gets us back on track. Plus I imagine it's hard to stay tense with your neck bent round like that.

That's a very cute picture, Bay Mare! I wonder if i could get Fluke to do the downwards stretches without any food incentive...

[Bay Mare]

BM, Saffy is STUNNING :D Do you compete in dressage?

How did she learn to go all the way down...I can't get Stumpy that far.

Thank you :) We will be doing dressage at some point, she's still 'work in progress' at the moment even though she has nanoseconds of looking good :rolleyes:

I just use her favourite treat (apple chunks of Simple Systems' Lucienuts) and gradually increase the stretch by moving it slightly further away from her every time. I know if it's too far because she gives up and returns to 'neutral'. I also do the sideways stretches with her but she's not so keen on them!

I tend to do a series of stretches when I take her back to the field, it's become a bit of a routine for us :) Not only does it help with stretching but it also means that she doesn't spin around and show me a clean pair of heels the minute she's through the gate!

[Herbie's mummy]

lol she looks like she is itching her leg hhehe

[becs]

She has gorgeous dapples, Bay Mare! Lovely photos.

Agree with Rachel - instructions would be appreciated.

[aliw]

The horse behind her made me laugh - it looks as if he's saying "what is she doing?"

[galadriel]

Stretching:
http://lorienstable.com/services/massage/stretches.pdf

One of the best improvements I've seen with stretching was actually manual stretching of hind legs. I used to be able to get Kat's hind legs to stretch maaaaybe a foot. She can touch her elbows now. It's SO good for her hind end and for her back!

And she stopped spasming when you go to pick up a hind leg (looks like a kick), she can hold her hind legs up for extended periods of time for the farrier, and overall she's just more comfortable.

Regular carrot stretches have done wonders for any horse I've used them on. They get more flexible and more comfortable; they can handle more variety under saddle. One-sided horses get more flexible on their stiff side and more toned on their loose side.

[Rarah]

Great pics of Saffy Bay Mare.

I try carrot stretches with Logic, she's just started to get the idea, it's taken us ages....

We can only do them in the stable cos she just try to walk backwards to get the carrot, she only stops when her bum hits the wall :p

[domane]

Cherry and I were in a lovely routine of carrot stretches AND Galadriel's leg stretches too... but since the lameness and the move I have got out of the habit.... I didn't like to think that stretching her leg might have been making it worse :o

Note to self *I MUST start Chez's leg/carrot stretches again*.....

[Fizz]

i do them with mine, last time fizz had her massage i was told she has more strech than most of the dressage horses she does:D

[Giveitago]

Carrot stretches have been good for my neddy to improve his topline. We dont do leg stretches as he is already very flexible in the rear ligaments and muscles. Our aim is to 'tighten' him up across his hinds.

When carrot stretching between the front legs, rather than get a downward nose movement, I try and get him to put his nose right under his breast, toward his belly. My massage lady wants him to just buckle his front legs to get to the treat.

We also 'poke' the underside of his tummy, around the girth line, to ask him to lift his belly up and flex his muscles to create the topline.

It's all working really well- we havent quite mastered a stretch without a treat yet though, I think this might be some time away yet.

[RobaDob]

havent ever tried it, but will try it and give it a go :)

[Jessey]

I've used carrot stretches for some years, Bo was always a very scrawny horse with little muscle, we use carrot stretches to maintain his felxability and improve his muscle tone, the difference was quite visable. We also use belly lifts with him to help him to round up better.

Galadriel, I will definatly be using those leg stretches once Jess is all better, she is QH cross and heavily muscled, last time the chiro and bowen ladies looked at her she is slightly stiff in her back end, they think she is just a bit over-muscled for her age so those stretches should help her, I just want to improve the elastisity in the hind end a bit :p

[drookitsheep]

I've done carrot stretches with Murphy, but the "through the legs one" kind of makes me panic a bit! Rather than keeping his legs straight (like Bay Mare's horse), mine sort of stands on tip toe with his front legs, and has them bent while he gets the carrot. He seems quite happy holding that pose for a little while to get the carrot, but it makes me nervous! Haven't quite figured out how to get him to keep his legs straight - Have been taking it gently and don't think I'm "over asking".... The only way I can describe it is like how Rock and Roll guys used to flick onto their toes and back again! More practise required methinks.

The sideways ones we're fine with... :D and the hind leg stretching I can recommend also.

[capalldubh]

Galadriel, I will definatly be using those leg stretches once Jess is all better, she is QH cross and heavily muscled, last time the chiro and bowen ladies looked at her she is slightly stiff in her back end, they think she is just a bit over-muscled for her age so those stretches should help her, I just want to improve the elastisity in the hind end a bit

I have been doing these with Shannon since Galadriel suggested it in another thread - she is a little more stretchy every day, and together with the massage of her hamstrings, she seems more comfortable. She is now managing to lift up both her hind feet to be picked, whereas a week ago, the most she could do was point a toe.

[*Sez*]

My physiotherapist had me doing them for Salsa's back. Went really well initially, but he's too sharp for his own good. After a week, he started stretching round to touch his ribs, or down to the floor and when he didn't get a treat he'd nip the nearest person, horse or object! He did this in the field, when I was riding him, when being led, or when just tied up on the yard. He'd stretch beautifully, and very slowly then look around to say "I did my stretch, where's my treat??" Little monkey! I had to put a stop to it and after a fortnight of no stretches and no treats, he was back to being a good boy and not nipping :rolleyes: .