A stretching apparatus for stretching a pelt on a pelt board and a method of stretching a pelt on a pelt board, where the pelt has a substantially tubular shape defining an inwardly oriented leather side, an outwardly oriented fur side, a nose end and a rear end. 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 method comprises the steps of providing a stretching apparatus comprising a holding device, a fastening device comprising a gripping mechanism, and a drive mechanism connected between the holding device and the fastening device. The method further comprises holding the base end of a pelt board by the holding device so that the pelt board extends outwardly along a longitudinal direction from the holding device. Furthermore, the method comprises the fastening of the rear end of the pelt by using the gripping mechanism of the fastening device. The method also comprises moving the holding device and the fastening device relative to each other in the longitudinal direction by using the drive mechanism for applying a stretching force onto the pelt by the drive mechanism corresponding to an estimated maximum stretching force value or more during a total time period.