Horse occasionally does a ‘Downward Dog’ 🤔

[canteron]

Any experience of this?
It happens say once a fortnight when either tied up or in the stable about to tack up.
It seems an involuntary reaction but apart from that’s seems happy, healthy and her ridden work is fine. She has a nice balanced confirmation.

She has regular physio, teeth, saddle fitting and apart from a little tension in the hamstrings nothing to report.

Maybe I should do hamstring stretches with her before riding?

Any thoughts or experiences?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Mine does it every day, i post pics nearly every day of it

 

[Landcruiser]

My mare does it often, she loves a good stretch. She particularly likes doing it when I first pick up a front foot as I start to trim her

 

[Boots*McGruber]

My first pony used to do this with his front legs crossed. A lady at a show correctly guessed his breeding as she’d had one similarly bred that did the same!

 

[DabDab]

Quite normal, some do it more than others and some are quite sudden in the way they put their front legs forwards, but basically just a stretch.

One of mine is there every morning at the field gate when she see you coming to fetch her in doing a spot of yoga

 

[SEL]

Youngster does it in his stable - his head vanishes and there's a big sigh.

I do foreleg stretches with the Appy and sometimes she'll lean back properly into the stretch. She's over 600kg and nearly takes me out.

The only time I worry is if they consistently stand in a stretch in the field. My little pony with KS will stand with her bum up on a ridge and forelegs a foot lower when she's sore.

 

[MereChristmas]

It is stretching as said above.
One of mine used to do Downward dog followed by stretching each hind leg out every time he left his stable

 

[shortstuff99]

Mine does it when she doesn't want to do something or someone she doesn't like tries to pick her feet up

 

[Dasher66]

Mine used to do this when she had ulcers.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

Mine does this every morning, sometimes he also crosses his front legs over each other while he does it. He's perfectly happy and healthy.

 

[PurBee]

Mine does this mostly after standing for a while snoozing, to stretch and get fit to eat again! There’s a back leg gracefully thrown out sometimes too, and he gives a relieving sound like we do when we’re stretching.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Mine does it in the morning before coming to life. I think that’s perfectly normal as above.
I used to ride a mare though who suddenly stared it, she did it every day when I took her saddle in. That would have concerned me a bit had she been mine because it was a sudden but very definite change.

 

[millitiger]

Mine does it very regularly; I asked his physio about it, she said no problem and was happy he liked a good stretch!

 

[Wizpop]

Mine used to do it- accompanied by loud groaning/ grunting noises as he exhaled- I’d say it’s quite normal- tbh, I never thought much about it! Just made me laugh

 

[Denali]

Mine does it right after I put the saddle on. She’s also a huge fan of the stretchy trot. I figure she likes a good stretch just like I do.

 

[canteron]

It is stretching as said above.
One of mine used to do Downward dog followed by stretching each hind leg out every time he left his table

Thank you - and this also made me laugh as I had a vision of you all sitting down for supper and you horse getting up from the table and having a good stretch!!

 

[Floofball]

I had a horse that did that when approached with a saddle, he was new to me at the time so didn’t know him that well - unfortunately he turned out to have many issues and was never comfortable ridden. Young horse loves a stretch when he comes round from dozing and I don’t worry about it.

 

[MereChristmas]

Thank you - and this also made me laugh as I had a vision of you all sitting down for supper and you horse getting up from the table and having a good stretch!!

corrected now

 

[bluehorse]

My horse does it, he also stretches out his hind legs (not at the same time, that would be too clever). Weirdly, he only really does it in the spring/summer when the grass is shooting up, and he’s doing it a lot at the moment. I take it as an indicator that he’s getting too much grass, rightly or wrongly I think it affects his muscles.

 

[Cloball]

My loan pony used to do it in the mornings in winter when she was stabled before turn out

 

[meleeka]

The lodger, who’s the bendiest mini cob in the world does it. He appears to have now taught my oldies too as I’ve seen them all do it, when they never did before.

 

[EnduroRider]

One of mine does downward dog every afternoon when I arrive at the yard. I've never seen the other do it but instead he stretches both back legs out when having his feet done every morning. Oddbods!

 

[silv]

Mine does it every time I take his rug off in the morning. I saw a video of his very fancy sire and he did exactly the same thing! I fine it very endearing.

 

[hock]

I think all stretches are good as the sore ones are too uncomfortable to do it or so I was told many years ago. Don’t know how true it is but the cat stretch upwards is a great sign that alls good .