18/08/2026
Passive Stretching: What Does the Research Tell Us?
Passive stretching has long been used with horses with the aim of improving or maintaining the flexibility of muscles and other soft tissues. A limb is moved into a position that places the targeted tissues under tension and the position is held for a period of time.
But how much do we actually know about the effects of regularly stretching horses?
What Is Passive Stretching?
In a traditional passive stretch, someone moves part of the horse’s body into a stretching position and holds it there for a period of time. The handler creates and maintains the position, with the horse allowing the limb to be moved.
The horse still has to maintain his balance and make muscular and postural adjustments while the limb is being moved. However, these responses have not been the focus of the equine stretching research discussed here. We therefore do not know how much core muscle activity occurs during passive limb stretching or which muscles are recruited.
What Stretches Did They Perform?
The stretching routine included a limb relaxation technique followed by four passive stretches for the forelimbs and four for the hindlimbs.
Forelimb stretches:
* Modified girth stretch — the lifted forelimb was brought forward while remaining relatively flexed.
* Full girth stretch — the forelimb was taken farther forward into a more extended position.
* Leg flexor lift — the forelimb was lifted and folded, bringing the lower limb upward while the joints remained flexed.
* Triceps release — the forelimb was flexed while the elbow was brought forward.
Hindlimb stretches:
* Hamstring stretch — the hindlimb was brought forward underneath the horse.
* Farrier stretch — the hindlimb was held behind the horse in a flexed position similar to the position used by a farrier when holding the hind hoof.
* Stifle and hip flexor stretch — the hindlimb was taken backward behind the horse into a more extended position.
* Lateral quadriceps stretch — the flexed hindlimb was lifted and moved outward to the side.
These are the names given to the stretches in the study. Each position would place tension through more than one muscle and other soft tissues, so the names should not be taken to mean that only the named muscle or muscle group was affected.
Each stretch was performed twice. The first repetition was held for 10 seconds and the second for 20 seconds.
What Did the Researchers Measure?
This is an important part of understanding the study.
The researchers did not directly measure muscle length, muscle flexibility or soft-tissue extensibility. They also did not take the limbs in hand and measure how far the joints could be moved passively.
Instead, they measured the horses while they were trotting in hand.
Measurements were taken: at the beginning and then every 2 weeks for 8 weeks.
At each assessment, video analysis was used to measure stride length and the amount of movement occurring at the:
* shoulder
* elbow
* carpus
* fore fetlock
* hip
* stifle
* hock
* hind fetlock
The horses were trotted by the same experienced handler at a consistent speed for each horse. Measurements were averaged from four repetitions.
The “range of motion” reported in this study therefore means the angular movement occurring at each joint while the horse was trotting. It is not a measurement of how flexible the horse’s muscles had become or how far a handler could passively move the limb.
What Did They Find?
Stretching did not significantly change stride length over the eight-week study.
Of all the joints measured, significant differences were found only at the shoulder, stifle and hock.
Three Days per Week
The horses stretched three days per week had greater shoulder range of motion during trot than both the six-day group and the control group.
Stride length did not significantly increase.
Six Days per Week
The horses stretched six days per week showed less range of motion at the stifle and hock than the other groups. Compared with the three-day group, they also showed less movement at the shoulder.
The researchers suggested that stretching six days per week may have been too intensive. They proposed increased muscle stiffness and delayed-onset muscle soreness as possible explanations for the reduced joint movement. Neither stiffness nor soreness was measured, so these explanations remain hypotheses.
What Can We Take From This Study?
In this study, stretching three days per week was linked with greater shoulder movement, while stretching six days per week was linked with less movement at some joints.
Changes in joint movement did not lead to a longer stride. Stride length depends on how the whole limb and body move together, so greater movement at one joint may not change the overall length of the stride.
Overall, the study suggests that repeated passive stretching can change how some joints move during trot, and that the frequency of stretching matters.
https://koperequine.com/fascia-is-not-an-elastic-band-why-stretching-misses-the-point/
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