Does a horse walker have any benefit?

I have always been told the best thing for rehabing (and I do lots and lots of it with lots of different vets) is walking in straight lines- no soft surfaces and no circles.

spottybotty lunging is not good for tendons or the horse as a whole as again it is on a constant circle if you lunge in one spot.

the ones that change direction easily would be much better then those that don't, for what it is worth my vet events, his wife competes at grand prix level and runs a livery yard-there is not a horse walker there (there is a solarium though). take form that what you will.
 
I used to be at a livery yard, where the walker was a fair walk from our yard. The yard owner would walk down 3 horses. Ride or teach with one horse, and put the other 2 on the walker for more than 40 minutes, wearing pessoas! Then take all three horses back.
 
We have 5 of them in total between the 2 yards and they are invaluable. We use them for rehabbing from injuries, warm up/cool down for exercise and for leg stretches on days off. All 5 are rubber matted.

At 1 yard the horses are put on for 20mins walking before heading out trotting then galloping. Then when they come back in they get washed off and back on the walker for 10-15mins to cool down and dry off.

At the other yard we have a mile or so's hack to the gallop so they don't go on before they work unless they have been known to tie up then they go on for 15mins before being ridden. Once back from galloping they go on for 10mins to dry off but that is all.

When used as a leg stretch on a Sunday the horses go on for 30mins.

So long as you can hear them and pop your head round to check on them every so often you really don't need to be there the whole time they are on the walker as they are pretty safe in an enclosed are.
 
bouncing_ball said:
I used to be at a livery yard, where the walker was a fair walk from our yard. The yard owner would walk down 3 horses. Ride or teach with one horse, and put the other 2 on the walker for more than 40 minutes, wearing pessoas! Then take all three horses back.
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They were on the walker in Pessoas am I understanding that? Is she mad??? What if they get caught - I don't even like to see horses wearing headcollars on walkers in case they get stuck on something?!

I think there is a place for walkers but only used correctly and not excessively. I don't use one for either of mine but I don't have a problem with anyone using them responsibly. When I was on the livery yard I did get fed up with people chucking them on for hours though, it didn't seem "right".
 
Bonkers2 said:
They are invaluable in racing yards, [ trainers are people who are fanatic about legs] !
A suitable surface is essential and the time on the walker should be within the fitness level of the horse, most can cope with 20 mins.
They can be used to warm up pre exercise or cool down after work/washing. Also for a stretch in the afternoon while beds are made up. For those recovering from injury it is a safe way of walking exercise. For young TBs pre breaking it helps to build condition.
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An, trainers may be fanatical about legs but by the time the problems really show up the horse is probably past it's racing days or in a dog meat can. They have a relatively short time with the horse and don't get to see the long term cummulative damage.
 
I've had 4/5 years of using walkers at work. They have their place, but it is common sense how/when and why you use them. Luckily both sorts of walkers I've used have been very nicely rubber lined, suitable for 5 horses with very large compartments, and go both ways at whatever speed you set! Would personally prefer the 8 horse walker as the circle is bigger though. (Or the oval ones! £££££?)
 
canteron said:
An, trainers may be fanatical about legs but by the time the problems really show up the horse is probably past it's racing days or in a dog meat can. They have a relatively short time with the horse and don't get to see the long term cummulative damage.
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Which is why we have a 12yo in training that we have had since he was 3yo ... two 15yos that retired last year after 10years racing ...
 
I'd really like one! That slow, walk fittening work is invaluable, but takes so long to do them all properly, and with the sharpest ones isn't a pleasure at all, verging dangerous. Sadly we don't have the space, and a straight line walker which with variable inclines would be awesome, wouldn't really be cost/time effective for us (8 ponies in work atm, most of them unridden, clay turnout so grim in the winter, one groom!)
 
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Just about every racing stables in New Zealand has a walker. They are awesome and can assist in improving overall fitness. Most are around 20m in diameter so that squashes - the hard on tendons etc myth. Rubber matted, so not hard on shoes! Bored factor, horses love routine. To them they are having a walk with their mates. As to being too lazy to turn horses around, they either switch to the other way after 10 mins, or set the controls to stop and change direction after a set number of revolutions, or change the direction each day.

They come out of their stables and are put on the walker for 20mins which warms up their muscles and loosens them up. This helps reduce the risk of injury. On return from work they are washed off and put on the walker to cool down and dry off.

For the fatties they are awesome, I'd so live to have access to one I could keep my girl really fit. We are lucky that we have a surfaced all weather track almost a km long.
 
We have one on our yard and the horses love it, once put on the horses bounce about, buck and generally mess about. Some try pushing it on. It's quite fun watching them. It def helps if you have fit horses to get a bit of spark out of them first
 
We have one at work, it is often used when it is too wet to turnout as a leg stretcher. My horses have been on them in the past, but don't bother anymore as I prefer to turnout if possible.
 
EKW said:
Which is why we have a 12yo in training that we have had since he was 3yo ... two 15yos that retired last year after 10years racing ...
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Ha we have a 14 yr old and a 19 yr old both finished but ended up keeping as the trainer had a soft spot for them. Both were brought in at the yearling sales and both hack out with no problems. Daily walker use done no harm to them plus a lot of trainers are using thermal imaging on their horses now to pin point problems before they show but some always think the worst of racing
 
Not just racing yards that have no problems with them, every single professional event yard you go to has one too - used properly there is not problem on tendons. I ahve 4 horses and could not imagine not having a walker - great for bringing in jured horses back into work, stretching legs, 10 minutes to cool down after work and wash - fabulous. Having said that have just ordered an adjustable treadmill as I think it will help having gradient.
 
One of our hunters, who is not the best to hack out on, goes away at the end of summer for 2/3 weeks to a yard purely to go on the walker twice a day. By the time he comes back to us he has done 3 weeks walking is toned and tightened and we can crack on.
 
I find it very useful to get stabled horses out of their boxes for a leg stretch or for warming up and cooling off, I also think it can help with fitness to a degree however it is never a substitute for turnout or exercise. I'm also not a fan of putting young horses on but know someone who has her 3 year olds every day. I think it would be a nuisance to have to turn the horses round, ours turns automatically and the horses quickly learn to change direction.
 
EventingMum said:
I find it very useful to get stabled horses out of their boxes for a leg stretch or for warming up and cooling off, I also think it can help with fitness to a degree however it is never a substitute for turnout or exercise. I'm also not a fan of putting young horses on but know someone who has her 3 year olds every day. I think it would be a nuisance to have to turn the horses round, ours turns automatically and the horses quickly learn to change direction.
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We never had a problem either about turning around, stop the machine, switch the other way and initially a confused horse walking backwards but they soon learn to turn around.

We had one comedian who liked to be with his next door neighbour and would duck under the partitions until he found his friend and then happily walk the rest of his stint in the same segment.
 
We've got a little git that knows if he stands still he can stop the machine! He has been banned from 2 of the walkers and only goes on the electrified one! It only takes one shock every so often to keep the ****** moving so we keep an eye on him and zap him once a fortnight or so. He's not daft that one!
 
Definitely - ours only really gets used in winter but is invaluable as we don't have lighting so can't ride evenings and I work fulltime with a small child so pre-work riding is an nightmare. Using the walker the horses can at least get a 20 minute or so leg stretch during the day.
We've also got an inclined treadmill which is fab for smaller horses but my 17hh TB and my brothers 17.2hh WB are just too long for it.
And for those that say they get bored on it - my mare was on there when I got to the yard at the weekend, went to go and get her off so we could hack out and she stuck in her head in the air and trotted past me and the open gate 3 times the cow bag, so I ended up leaving her on there with the others.
 
I think it's sad that life has become so pressured and busy, and equine business so driven to reduce costs, that we have reached a situation where it is routine to get a machine to exercise horses instead of them interacting with humans.

And even sadder that when some of them try to tell us what they think of that, we give them an electric shock to convince them that they are wrong and we are right.
 
spottybotty said:
If that was the case then lunging at walk and trot would also be bad for the tendons? I use one to warm my older horse up before a lesson. The one I use goes in both directions changed by the flick of a switch and also at different speeds to suit the horse pony. I spent over 20 odd years at places with no facilities, not even a school but I wouldnt be without again! Its an invaluable piece of equipment used to help keep my horses fit for riding all year round.
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Lunging can be bad for tendons and joints. The smallness of the circle is the problem it strains both to keep going for extended periods, or even short periods if you keep doing it over and over again incessantly.
 
cptrayes said:
I think it's sad that life has become so pressured and busy, and equine business so driven to reduce costs, that we have reached a situation where it is routine to get a machine to exercise horses instead of them interacting with humans.

And even sadder that when some of them try to tell us what they think of that, we give them an electric shock to convince them that they are wrong and we are right.
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If you read a lot of the post state that they are used for warm up, cooling down, after injury ect and when bringing back into work, I use mine to get the edge of them before exercise never instead of exercise.
 
thatsmygirl said:
If you read a lot of the post state that they are used for warm up, cooling down, after injury ect and when bringing back into work, I use mine to get the edge of them before exercise never instead of exercise.
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I read it all. Because they can be useful and at times the best solution does not alter my post one bit. In livery yard and businesses all over the country they are being
 
cptrayes said:
I think it's sad that life has become so pressured and busy, and equine business so driven to reduce costs, that we have reached a situation where it is routine to get a machine to exercise horses instead of them interacting with humans.

And even sadder that when some of them try to tell us what they think of that, we give them an electric shock to convince them that they are wrong and we are right.
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That is true. Sadly, I know of 2 valuable horses who had to be destroyed after not agreeing with the horse walker, with horrible consequences.
Knowing this totally coloured my opinion of horse walkers.
 
I know of a horse who trod on his tongue in a horse walker, no idea how!

We don't have an arena, so a walker is down a loooooong list really, and even then I don't think I'd bother, now an aqua treadmill I'd go for.

I wouldn't trust most of ours on a walker either!
 
I think they probably have their place in a professional setting with people who know how to use them to compliment a fitness or rehabilitation programme, I would guess a lot of average owners (such as myself) are not using them that way, I've never used one myself, 2 of my horses are older and arthritic, am not sure walking in relatively small circles would be best thing for them.

Like Stencilface, I quite like the sound of the aqua treadmill, though am not sure what the horses would make of it!
 
SNAP, exactly what I have/do

PolarSkye said:
We have one - quite big, properly surfaced (cushioned), goes both ways (with electrified "pushers" if required). I don't use it often . . . but it's very useful for after a bath (suitably rugged if necessary) or a quick leg stretch before he goes in the field on his day off (he gets one day a week off). He is never on it for more than 20 minutes, and I ALWAYS spin him round/change directions halfway through. He is quiet as a lamb in it, doesn't require supervision - and I can see the walker from his stable anyway should I want to get on with some jobs while he is in there . . . really don't see the issue?

P
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My post should have ended :


used instead of spending time with the horse or to avoid employing someone. And I think that's sad, and work being done by robots is something I would rather see happening in a car factory than a stable yard.
 
ozpoz said:
That is true. Sadly, I know of 2 valuable horses who had to be destroyed after not agreeing with the horse walker, with horrible consequences.
Knowing this totally coloured my opinion of horse walkers.
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I know a horse who disagreed with his stable and broke a bone in his foot, hasn't coloured my opinion of stables
 
PolarSkye said:
We have one - quite big, properly surfaced (cushioned), goes both ways (with electrified "pushers" if required).
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'Electrified 'pushers'' what on earth. I'm hoping that this is a device that moves the walker and not something that shocks the horses into moving.

Total novice at this horse walker business, as I'm probably demonstrating. Could someone explain please?
 
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