Stretching is a fabulous exercise for the horse, and should be done at the beginning and end of each workout, as well as intermittently throughout the ride for brief periods as a reward, and to test that your training has been correct. Learn how to do it CORRECTLY here!
In the sport of Eventing, ensuring that our horses are truly fit for our level of competition is one of the best ways to prevent unnecessary injuries.
Horses become incapable of learning when they go past a certain level of fear, anxiety, or stress. This means that if you keep hammering away at the horse, trying to teach them something when they are currently overwhelmed with stress, it will not work.
For the horse, the learning happens on the release of the aid. That means if you don't release the aid, the horse will not learn.
"Don't take the tempo down without revving the engine." ~ Chris Bartle