Carrot Stretches
- Cristina Tomas
- May 31
- 6 min read
You all know that I don’t include carrot stretches in my after session homework suggestions. Tami Elkayam is an Equine Tensegrity Balancing Therapy Instructor and has written up an excellent explanation for why they can not be a one size fits all recommendation.
read what she has to say:
“Carrot stretches we all do them, they are supposed to be the cornerstone of rehab but are they actually SAFE and do they act only do what they promise to do?
Can they really be used as the blanket therapeutic approach without reproach ?
Who came up with carrot stretches for horses and are they really effective as a means of rehab?
Carrot stretches scientifically known as dynamic mobilization exercises were developed by equine physiotherapists and researchers, notably formalized through studies at institutions like the Royal Veterinary College and the University of Tennessee.
According to research they are highly effective, not just for flexibility, but for actively strengthening the horse's core and spinal stabilizers (the multifidus muscles) this is we are all told.
The effectiveness of carrot stretches referred to academically as dynamic mobilization exercises (DMEs) is backed by extensive, peer-reviewed scientific data. The definitive body of research was led by Dr. Hilary Clayton(Michigan State University) and Dr. Narelle Stubbs (University of Sydney/McPhail Equine Performance Center), who pioneered the quantification of these exercises using ultrasound, electromyography (EMG), and accelerometry.
These studies focus on the mobility and size increase of musculature as a result of doing these stretches.
The simple question is could this be a narrow view and over simplification of what is actually happening in the body of the horse
Viewing carrot stretches as a simple "muscle-strengthening exercise" is a major oversimplification of what actually happens inside a horse's body. Biomechanists and fascia researchers emphasize that these movements trigger a complex, whole-body chain reaction that involves far more than just the deep spinal muscles.
Where the "Simplification" can fail
The danger of a simplified view is that owners often focus only on the horse reaching the target (the carrot). If a horse has neck pain, it will cheat by twisting its jaw, tilting its head, or shifting its entire weight sideways to grab the treat without actually flexing its spine.
In those cases, the oversimplified exercise can actually reinforce bad movement patterns rather than fixing them.
Could these stretches cause injury to a horse that is already compromised in its spine ?
Yes, carrot stretches absolutely can cause severe injury to a horse with a compromised spine if they are performed incorrectly, forced, or used without a precise veterinary diagnosis. While dynamic mobilization exercises (DMEs) are powerful rehab tools, they place a massive structural and mechanical load on the vertebral column.
When a horse has a pre-existing spinal pathology, these stretches can easily transition from "strengthening exercises" to highly destructive movements.
The 4 biggest risks to a compromised spine
Bone-on-Bone Pinching (Kissing Spine)
Accelerating Spinal Arthritis (Facet Joint Disease)
Catastrophic Neurological Falls (Wobbler Syndrome / EPM)
Hardening Bad Compensation Patterns
A horse in pain will always prioritize getting the treat over moving correctly.
What if the spinal issue is ligamentous or soft tissue using a blanket treatment for every horse out there seems dangerous especially as it’s marketed as a fix for all for owners.
Marketing carrot stretches as a safe, universal "fix-for-all" is not just misleading it is clinically irresponsible and dangerous.
When a spinal issue is ligamentous or soft tissue-based rather than bony, dynamic mobilization exercises (DMEs) can actively tear healing fibers, prolong chronic inflammation, and permanently destabilize the horse's spine.
Why soft tissue spinal injuries react horribly to stretches
The two primary ligaments running along a horse’s spine are the supraspinous ligament (which runs along the tips of the vertebrae) and the interspinous ligaments (which connect the bones to one another). When these tissues are strained, micro-torn, or suffering from desmitis, stretching them works against biological healing.
Tearing fresh scar tissue ligaments heal by laying down collagen fibers in a disorganized, fragile web. When you bait a horse into a deep stretch, you place those fibers under massive mechanical tension. If the tissue is actively healing, a deep stretch will instantly tear those new fibers, restarting the injury cycle.
Aggravating hypermobility, Unlike bones, which can benefit from decompression, an injured ligament is already stretched out and unstable. Muscles will naturally contract to form a protective splint around the injury. Forcing the horse to stretch breaks that protective muscle guard, leaving the unstable joint completely unprotected.
Creating friction on inflamed tissues In cases of supraspinous bursa inflammation (like "fistulous withers" or localized bursitis), the surrounding soft tissues are intensely swollen. Forcing the neck down or to the side creates extreme shearing forces, grinding the inflamed soft tissues against the underlying bone.
Why the "universal" marketing is so dangerous
Carrot stretches are heavily marketed as a DIY fix because they require zero equipment, they are free, and they make the owner feel like they are actively treating the horse. This creates a dangerous loop.
The diagnostic blindspot owners bypass expensive veterinary diagnostics (like localized ultrasound or digital X-rays) because "carrot stretches are good for all backs anyway."
Masked Pain expressions horses are prey animals and experts at hiding discomfort. A highly food-motivated horse will often endure acute ligament pain and micro-tear its own tissues just to reach a sweet carrot.
The delayed recovery weeks or months are wasted doing exercises that are actively worsening the injury, turning an acute, treatable ligament strain into a permanent, chronic condition with irreversible scar tissue buildup.
So can we still say that carrot stretches are beneficial when we don't know what the horse is truly dealing with?
No, we cannot safely say carrot stretches are beneficial if we do not know what the horse is truly dealing with. In fact, practicing them blindly without a diagnosis is a medical gamble.
If you do not know the underlying cause of a horse’s back pain, carrot stretches should be treated as a diagnostic risk, not a therapeutic solution.
Why "blind" stretching is dangerous
In veterinary medicine, treatment is entirely dictated by pathology. What cures one condition can actively cripple another. If a horse has back pain, it falls into one of two categories.
If the issue is bony (like Kissing Spine): Flexion stretches can be highly beneficial because they separate the bones.
but
If the issue is soft tissue (like a torn Supraspinous Ligament). Those exact same flexion stretches are highly destructive because they place intense tension on the tearing fibers.
Without a diagnosis, you have a 50/50 chance of tearing an injured ligament every time you ask the horse to round its back for a treat.
Food motivation overrides the horse's self preservation
The argument that "the horse won't do it if it hurts" is completely false. Horses are highly food motivated. A horse will routinely bypass its own pain thresholds, twist its skeleton into toxic compensatory postures, and micro-tear its own healing tissues just to reach a piece of carrot. The fact that a horse can reach the treat does not mean the movement was safe or beneficial.
Does bigger muscle equate better function
No, bigger muscle does not automatically equate to better function. In fact, in equine biomechanics, focusing entirely on muscle size without considering how that muscle is used can actually decrease performance and increase the risk of injury.
For a horse to move correctly, muscle quality and coordination matter far more than muscle bulk.
Then how can we say that carrot stretches that are opening the spinous processes spaces and increasing spinal muscles size will equate to correct function of the spine and actually solve the kissing spine its a very local floral approach
This is what no one tells you a carrot stretch is a static, local movement, and a standing stretch by itself does absolutely nothing to fix how a horse actually uses its body during locomotion.
If a rehab plan stops at carrot stretches, it has failed. Opening the spinous processes for three seconds while standing in the barn aisle does not magically translate to a horse carrying a rider at a trot or gallop. It is an extremely narrow, localized approach to a dynamic, whole-body problem.
Carrot stretches do not solve Kissing Spine; they only create the structural opportunity for a real solution to begin. To move from a "local trick" to "correct function," a horse must bridge the massive gap between static stretching and dynamic locomotion.
Kissing Spine is ultimately a movement disease caused by a lack of hindquarter engagement.
If a horse's hind legs trail far behind its body, the pelvis tilts forward, pulling the spine downward into a hollow shape. No amount of neck bending with a carrot can fix a trailing hind leg.
True function means the horse learns to tuck its pelvis, step its hind legs deeply underneath its center of gravity, and lift the entire base of the spine from behind. The neck flexion is just the very front end of a full-body system.
⚠️The aim of this post is not to throw shade, it is to raise awareness to create a moment of pause and reflection on what we are doing and why.
Carrot stretches are the most prescribed and linearly used application in the equine world; it's been watered down and over simplified and the reality is often they cause more harm than good.
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