How do I do fascial stretches with my horse?

To stretch the fascia, we need to be slow and gentle. That’s one reason I’ve chosen to share fascial stretches in the course “Stretching Your Horse: A Guide to Keeping Your Equine Friend Happy and Healthy”. I think that slow and gentle works well with horses. A blog by Amanda Oswald on the Pain Care Clinic website states, “We know that trying to force fascia to stretch is not going to get us anywhere. However, the viscoelastic properties of fascia also mean that it responds well to heat and gentle sustained pressure. This combination creates a physical change in the tissue, making it more fluid, in the same way that the combination of heating and stirring treacle makes it more runny.”.

Allow the soft tissues of the body time to release tension. Think of how your body feels when doing a stretch (for example, a calf stretch or a hamstring stretch), and imagine that perhaps your horse is feeling similar sensations. With these stretches, slow and steady wins the race.

Take the time it takes. Perhaps think of ‘asking permission’ from your horse as you encourage him into the stretch. If you try to force the movement, he will resist against you, and you will create a muscular contraction rather than a fascial release. Learn how much stretch your horse can offer and work within his comfort zone. If you want to increase the range of movement, try doing the stretches more often, perhaps before and after riding or every day rather than twice a week.

Please help me to help 100 horses.

Do you live in an area where it’s challenging to get access to physio for your horse? Does the cost of physio mean that you can’t have your horse treated as often as you’d like? Would you like to be able to do more for your horse?

Do you know someone to whom any of the above applies? Please help me reach these people and their horses by sharing this blog. I’d love to help 100 horses this month; perhaps it’s your horse I can help. If not your horse, wouldn’t it feel wonderful knowing that you have made a difference by passing on the information someone needs to support their horse?

I’m on a mission to help those who can’t get the horse physio assessment and treatment they want to offer their horse. I’ve carefully and lovingly created an online course, “Stretching Your Horse: A Guide to Keeping Your Equine Friend Happy and Healthy”. There are ten stretching exercises (video included) and lots of information about how, where, when, why and what to stretch.

Course Overview

Discover the transformative power of stretching for your horse with our comprehensive course, which gives easy-to-follow instructions on various stretches designed to enhance your horse’s comfort, movement, and overall performance. By the end of the course, you will not only understand the importance of stretching and gain practical knowledge about its implementation.

A regular stretching routine can offer a multitude of benefits:

Improve Comfort: Alleviate tension and discomfort in your horse’s muscles.
Increase Range of Movement: Enhance flexibility for smoother and more efficient movement.
Reduce the Risk of Injury: Minimise the likelihood of injuries through improved muscle condition.
Relax Your Horse: Promote relaxation and reduce stress-related behaviours.
Improve Performance: Experience higher scores in dressage or more clear rounds in various disciplines.

Just as a short yoga session can leave you feeling more relaxed, a 15-minute stretching session can do wonders for your horse’s comfort and well-being.

Meet Sue Palmer – The Horse Physio

Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio, is a distinguished figure in the equestrian world. As an award-winning author, ACPAT, and RAMP registered Chartered Physiotherapist and Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Trainer, Sue brings a wealth of knowledge to this course. With qualifications from prestigious institutions and extensive experience treating horses, Sue promotes ethical and harmonious horsemanship.