Stretching: Is it really that important

Thu, 02 May 2024 17:13:43 GMT

May 02, 2024

Written By Kyra Wakeman

Stretching: is it really that important?

Stretching should be a vital part of your exercise regimes to increase muscle length, flexibility, suppleness and joint range of motion. Stretching keeps muscles flexible and healthy which in turn maintains range of motion within joints to sustain healthy joint structures. Without this maintained flexibility muscles become shortened and therefore tight and range of motion within the joint becomes restricted which has a ripple effect on the rest of the body. This then puts muscles and joints at risk of over exertion leading to muscle damage, strains, joint pain and long term joint degeneration.

Passive forelimb protraction stretch

There are two forms of stretching; passive and active. Passive stretching is an external force generating the muscle length, this is a stretch that we as therapists and owners perform by sustaining a hold at the end of range to gain flexibility. Active stretching is when an animal creates movement that allows muscle lengthening and is often used to actively warm up muscles with natural movement patterns.

The benefits

Increases joint range of motion by increasing muscle compliance and decreasing viscoelasticity of resting muscle
Increase proprioception/ body awareness
Increased circulation
Reduce muscle soreness, tension or stiffness
Stretches collagen within tendons
Prevents tissue shortening
Aligns collagen and mobilises scar tissue
Increases velocity of contraction

Active baited stretch

Carrying out a static stretch

Stretching should always be carried out under the guidance of your physiotherapist or a veterinary professional to determine the most suitable parameters for your horse.

Always carry out stretches when muscles are adequately warm this can be achieved in a number of ways for example, low intensity exercise, massage, or heat. This increases muscle compliance and reduces the risk of damage
Encourage a relaxed environment to perform stretches to reduce resistance from the animal
Correct alignment and support of limbs is important to prevent abnormal load on other soft tissue and joints
The limb should be stabilised above and below the targeted joint
The stretch and release should be slow

Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss stretching techniques suitable for your horse and/or dog.

Ball Throwing

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:24:52 GMT

February 29, 2024

Written By Kyra Wakeman

Ball Throwing

Veterinary professionals are regularly advising owners against ball throwing, you may think we are the fun police but your pets health is our biggest priority and sometimes that can come across as tough love. Ball throwing is something I witness everyday on my travels and I don't entirely blame owners for this, if your dogs daily highlight is the tennis ball how do you resist? Likewise, you cant do wrong if you don't know you're doing wrong so education is my only aim from this blog.

So what is ball chasing really doing to your dog?

Repeated micro trauma to muscles and cartilage result in long term damage
Unpredictable twists and turns puts excessive strain through muscles and joints, particularly the forelimbs
Forceful and quick breaking forces cause uneven weight distribution through the forelimbs
Over stimulation and increased adrenaline can lead to frantic or frustrated behaviours
Fibrous coating of tennis balls result in dental wear

"Prevention is better than cure"

Alternatives to Ball Throw

Hide and seek is a great way to still incorporate ball play in a more controlled manor. Hide and seek is mentally stimulating requiring critical thinking skills and a good sense of smell
Wait and retrieve is another alternative to controlled ball play and reduces the risk of explosive acceleration, uncontrolled deceleration and torsion force
Mental stimulation games (see below)

Top Tips for Ball Chasing

Always provide an adequate warm up (at least 10 minutes, gradually increase cardiovascular demand, and include dynamic stretches)
Always throw the ball low to the ground to prevent jumping, and high impact loading on the joints
Always throw the ball at a short duration as to reduce explosive activity
Do not throw a ball repetitively (high impact exercise should be restricted to 10 minutes a day unless adequately trained otherwise)
Always throw a ball on appropriate flooring, slippery flooring will increase the risk of sliding, torsion

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Stretching: Is it really that important