--- In [email protected], "Virginia Tupper" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On 4/27/07, Kristen Mikula <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Have you ever read any of Linda Tellington-Jones's > > books? There is a great T-Touch strech for the back > > that uses a girth to lift the belly and another that > > you use your fingernails or a hoof pick (on the > > belly)to ask the horse to lift her own back muscles. > > > > Yes--I've tried some lift the belly but it appears that Gat doesn't > lift. I've used fingernails and girth but I don't see any change.
Varði is determined not to lift using the tickling/poking on the midline method. What does work for him (and this would be way easier to show than to describe, so bear with me) is to stand up very close to him, really lean into him sort of bracing my bodyweight onto my elbows (bring my arms in front, elbows bent so that my torso is pressing against the backs of my upper arms), palms on him, fingers pointing down, and then sort of "wipe" upwards from his midline towards his spine. Do it on both sides. It's not as contortionist as it sounds. :) You can also get most horses to lift by standing right up behind them (if it is safe to do so--beware the danger of being kicked) and then using your fingertips to poke them on either side of the croup, about midway down (you have to play around to find the spot). I tend to do a couple of those and then do a tail tug stretch (while standing behind the horse, *gently grab a hold of his tail and *gently* lean back. If the horse likes it, he'll happily lean straight forward and in so doing stretch his spine.) /Roo (and Varði)
