The invention provides a stretching apparatus for stretching a pelt on a pelt board, wherein the pelt has a substantially tubular shape defining an inwardly oriented leather side, an outwardly oriented fur side, a nose end, a rear end and a pair of front leg cavities. The pelt board defines a top end for accommodating and fixating the nose end of the pelt, a circumferential wall for facing the inwardly oriented leather side of the pelt and a base end located opposite the top end. The stretching apparatus comprises a holding device for holding the base end of the pelt board, and a stretching device having a pair of stretching members. Each of the stretching members are adapted in order to be inserted into a respective front leg cavity of the pelt and the stretching device is movable in a direction towards the holding device for stretching the pelt.