Stretching the Horse

Stretching is a fabulous exercise for the horse, and should be done at the beginning and end of each workout, as well as intermittently throughout the ride for brief periods as a reward, and to test that your training has been correct.

I think that there are many riders who are slightly confused about what constitutes a proper stretch for the horse. I see many riders riding long and low, thinking that they are doing a constructive stretch, but are instead doing something quite unproductive. Riding the horse with it's head and neck low is only beneficial to the horse if there is a connection over the back. The following pictures show examples of right and wrong, and should help to clear up any confusion. (Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)