Why Carrot Stretches Are Not Safe for Every Horse
- Heather U
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Stretches, when done correctly, can prevent injury, improve flexibility, circulation, and joint mobility. This often leads to improved overall well being and performance.
One common method enlisted by horse owners and bodyworkers to achieve the aforementioned goals is known as “carrot stretching”. As the name implies, this involves a carrot or horse treat to encourage the horse to follow with its head to various positions, allowing for a deep stretch. Carrot stretches are not always a bad way to help your horse gain flexibility and other health benefits when done correctly and when applied to the right situations.
Unfortunately, when utilized on horses that have certain pathologies or issues, carrot stretches can do far more harm than good. What’s more, if they are done on healthy horses, they can still cause injury when performed incorrectly.
How can you know if you’re doing carrot stretches correctly?
Carrot stretches should be taught by an osteopath or equine professional such as a bodyworker who can show you how to achieve each stretch with proper “set up” and form so that the horse does not pull a muscle, herniate a disk, or develop problematic muscle patterns. And yes, this is a very real issue. I have seen it happen. As an example, if your horse has it’s head in the incorrect position, or if the horse must reach beyond what it is currently capable of (motivated by a treat), he can seriously hurt himself, thus making the stretches completely counterproductive. There are many “carrot stretch how to” videos on YouTube and I cringe at the number of them that teach incorrect methods. Just be careful and if in doubt, check out some good tips below.
How do you know if your equine is a good candidate (or not) for carrot stretches?
Not every horse is a good fit for carrot stretches. This is surprisingly a complex topic, and I could write pages upon pages of the technicalities that are involved and conditions that may cause concern so instead I will provide a short summary here, for the most common reasons to not do carrot stretches with your equine partner.
**Pain, chronic injury, acute injury: Never stretch a horse with a new injury, localized inflammation, or arthritis flare-up without a vet’s clearance. For example, if your horse has a recent spinal injury, uncoordinated movement, or shows signs of pain/resistance carrot stretches are NOT for you.
**Neurological (EPM, Lyme, Toxo, Anaplas, etc): If your horse has trouble balancing or shows uncoordinated movement, stretching can worsen their stability and do far more harm than good. Hot tip: In a horse that is not diagnosed, if you notice the horse has poor balance or trouble standing for farrier or bodyworker, etc, it’s time to test for neurological disease. Subtle symptoms mean disease has not yet progressed and early detection is ideal.
**Improper Posture: If the horse tilts their head, twists their neck, or shifts their feet, they are cheating the stretch and potentially compressing their spine or pulling muscles. Ouch!
**Cold Muscles (Passive vs Active stretching): Forcing deep flexion when muscles are cold can result in micro-tears. Stretches are best performed after or during a light dynamic warm-up.
**Food-Aggressive / Nippy Horses: If your horse is overly food-motivated to the point of being nippy or pushy, they may try to snatch the treat and compromise their form. Choose a different style of exercises and stretches that don’t involve food.
How can I perform carrot stretches safely when my body worker isn’t around?
Here are my tips if you’re going to fly solo. Though, I still recommend taking a crash course with me during an appointment, attending a class, or finding another skilled bodyworker or sports therapist who can help.
** Go slow and work at liberty in your horse’s paddock, pasture, or a round pen. Take your time and allow the horse to stretch slowly so that there is no sudden movements during the stretch that can cause harm. Holding for a few seconds per stretch is a good starting point.
**Listen to your horse; he knows his limitations.
He knows what hurts. If he’s showing signs of resistance or if it seems that he cannot perform a certain stretch for a few seconds, skip it and move on.
**Pay attention to unusual changes. If you notice changes such as when the horse suddenly can’t do something he normally can handle, this is a good indication that something is “off” and it’s time to contact a professional.
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