Clinical Technique
Stretching Exercises for Horses: Are They Effective?

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Abstract

This article aims to present research in both animals and humans that support the use of stretching exercises in horses as a means of increasing range of motion, improving body flexibility and posture, and preventing injury by strengthening the supportive tissues. Too often veterinarians may overlook the importance of stretch exercises. This could partially be due to a lack of familiarity of what type of exercises to recommend, how to perform them, or where to obtain the desired information. Studies demonstrate the beneficial effects of stretching, warm-up, and temperature on the mechanical properties of muscle, potentially reducing the risk of strain injury to muscles. Evidence demonstrates that various approaches to conditioning that include warm-up and stretching along with other techniques such as strength training and proprioceptive training enhance performance and prevent certain types of injury. In addition, stretching of specific muscles and articulations for specific activities might enhance the effectiveness of these other pre-exercise activities, which is consistent with a multifactorial model for injury prevention. Stretches are either dynamic (having motion) or static (having no motion). Dynamic stretching involves moving parts of the body and gradually increasing reach, speed of movement, or both. It is controlled movement or swings that gently take the limb to the limits of range of motion. Static stretching consists of stretching a muscle (or group of muscles) to its farthest point and then maintaining or holding that position. Passive or relaxed and isometric stretching are both types of static stretches. Passive or relaxed is where a position is maintained by holding it with some other part of your body, or with the assistance of a partner or some other apparatus. This type of stretching is the most common type used with stretching exercises in horses as we control the motion and positioning desired. Slow, relaxed stretching is useful in relieving spasms in muscles that are healing after an injury. Relaxed stretching is also good for “cooling down” after a workout and helps reduce postworkout muscle fatigue and soreness. A case study and an example of a stretch exercise program and what to look for in a “how to” guide is also presented.

Introduction

Stretching is a common practice before participation in human sports and competitive activities. Athletic directors, physical therapists, coaches, and trainers recommend exercise programs that include stretching in an effort to improve flexibility, relieve pain, prevent injury, and enhance performance. Flexibility (lack of tightness) is an intrinsic property of the body tissue that determines the absolute ROM in a joint or series of joints that is attainable in a momentary effort with the help of a partner or piece of equipment. It is specific to the type of action performed at the joint.1

Static flexibility of a joint is measured by tools such as a goniometer, and is reported as degrees of ROM, commonly of flexion or extension.2 The improvement of short-term flexibility that results from stretching has been documented.3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Dynamic flexibility is the ability to perform dynamic (or kinetic) movements of the muscles to bring a limb through it a full ROM in the joints. This is seen when a cancan dancer swings her leg around from the hip and then twirls the knee. Active flexibility is the ability to assume and maintain extended positions using only the tension of the agonists and synergists while the antagonists are being stretched. An example here is the splits. Passive flexibility is the ability to assume extended positions and then maintain them using only your weight, the support of your limbs, or some other apparatus.1 With horses this would be your support aiding the stretch of a leg.

Stretching exercises are designed for athletes to target specific body regions or tissue related to sporting activities based on the joints and muscles most commonly affected. Availability of this information has led veterinarians, therapists, horse owners, trainers, and riders to use stretching exercises with similar reported benefits for their horses.

Some benefits include regaining proper balance (right to left and front to rear proportions), flexibility, and body awareness, proprioception, or limb placement.7 Proprioception can improve with exercises and stretching specifically designed to stimulate the central nervous system's primary input fields such as the mental status and sensory input from the surroundings along with the body's relationship in space to that environment. In addition, stretching of specific muscles and joints for specific activities might enhance the effectiveness of other pre-exercise activities (eg, in horses these could be lounging, bringing the head around while in the saddle, walking, and loping as a warm-up), which is an approach consistent with a multifactorial model for injury prevention.8

Evidence demonstrates that stretching increases flexibility and might improve performance or decrease the risk of injury.3, 6, 9 Compared to control study groups those that performed stretching exercises had an increase in ROM and stretch tolerance after 4 weeks of stretching, with no change in muscle stiffness, work absorption, or delayed onset muscle soreness. After eccentric exercise, they also had greater ROM and stretch tolerance.10

The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss the following issues.

  • 1.

    Review of literature and proposed mechanism of action to assess whether stretching can actually improve ROM and prevent injury.

  • 2.

    What evidence exists that stretching can relieve pain?

  • 3.

    When are stretching exercises appropriate?

  • 4.

    What types of stretching exercises are appropriate for horses?

  • 5.

    Provide an example of a stretching exercise protocol.

Section snippets

Review of Mechanisms of Action

Stretching increases the joint ROM through increases in the compliance and decreases in the viscoelasticity of resting muscle.5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14 Compliance is the willingness of tissue to lengthen with very little force and is the reciprocal of stiffness. Compliance is most necessary during the active phase of muscle contraction as that is when most injuries occur.11, 12, 13, 15, 16

Viscoelasticity refers to the presence of both elasticity and viscous behavior. An elastic substance will

Stretching Methods

Important steps to preventing muscle strain injuries include warming the muscles and joints prior to exercise, stretching (pre-exercise, postexercise, time outside of exercise) and improved flexibility.11, 13, 22, 26, 27

Warming up tissue before stretching has consistently shown to produce improved benefits for increased ROM and flexibility.3, 5, 19 Heating augments the increase in ROM achieved by stretching by increasing the extensibility of collagen within the tendon and joint capsule. Heat

Clinical Applications

A regular stretching routine for prevention of injuries is important for all performance horses but is especially important for stalled horses. These horses do not have the opportunity to graze, flex, and extend joints through their ROM, or engage muscle groups throughout the day outside of their training program. If a program is not based on cross training, many muscle groups may rarely be engaged, if at all. The in-saddle training “warm-up” does not compensate for good regular ground

Case History

A 7-year-old 3-day Eventing Warmblood with a 2-month history of changes in willingness to take a right lead and flex to the left, loss of tone in gluteal muscles, tenderness over lumbar region, slight kyphosis, base narrow stance, shifts weight off right rear. PEX: No soft-tissue trauma, joint flexion tests normal, chiropractic adjustments to correct; restricted dorsoventral motion in right pelvis, low lumbar spinous process left rotation, mid lumbar dorsoventral restriction, upper lumbar left

I. Rear Leg Stretch Series

  • A.

    Image 1 (Figure 1): Forward Pull–Hind limb protraction exercise. The gluteal muscles and tensor fascia latae work to pull the rear limb forward and flex the hip. The hamstring muscles will be extended and stretched during this exercise. It will also engage the lumbar region to extend.

  • B.

    Image 2 (Figure 2): Quadriceps Extension–Hind limb retraction exercise. Extension of the hip is controlled by the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris. The quadriceps group will extend and be

Pelvic Rock

This stretching exercise retracts the entire leg in a somewhat flexed position with a gentle protraction/retraction rocking motion that encourages ventral (anterior) movement of the pelvis on the same side. It is used to facilitate ventral motion of the pelvis after a posterior fixated pelvic adjustment.

A. Image 4 (Figure 4): Position of horse and administrator, note placement of forward (superior) hand on the stifle.

B. Image 5 (Figure 5): Position of caudal (inferior) hand on the hock.

The

Summary

Muscles and connective tissue respond to overuse by shrinking and tightening. Its response to underuse is much the same. Stiffness can result in injury, lead to inactivity, and eventually speed up the aging process of the musculoskeletal system. To remain supple the connective tissue and muscles need regular stretching. Stretching helps resist the gradual shortening and tightening of tissue that otherwise sets in from both overuse and underuse, reducing the discomfort and slowing the

Definitions

Concentric exercise – A type of muscle contraction in which the muscles shorten while generating force

Dynamic flexibility – Movement of a joint that depends on the strength of antagonist muscles to move the limb and on the freedom of the limb to move

Eccentric exercise – A voluntary muscle activity in which there is an overall lengthening of the muscle in response to external resistance

Flexibility – The absolute ROM in a joint or series of joints and muscles that is attainable in a momentary

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