Does a horse walker have any benefit?

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PStarfish

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My yard is just finishing off building a horse walker. Most liveries have said they'll use it while they muck out and I thought the same too, but thinking more about it, I turn pony out when I get to yard so would popping her in the walker for 20 mins or so first, serve any purpose? She is a 'head down to eat' kinda girl! So no, she doesn't particularly exert herself in the field. But will a 20 min walk on a circle help with winter fitness in any way? Never had this sort of luxury before. Do others use them daily or are they more for stabled horses who need a leg stretch?
 
They should not be used to replace ridden exercise or turnout. How tedious for the horse. But as a leg stretcher, horses recovering from injury etc they have their place.
 
I don't like the little ones but the larger ones can be ok. When my horse was off work on box rest and I was then told to start walking her out, we got about 10 yards from the stable before she started rearing repeatedly and throwing herself round. She is a very athletic TB so it was pretty dangerous. I sent her to a rehab yard where they have a huge horsewalker and she went on there instead of being walked in hand. Much safer! So I do think they have their uses for a quick leg stretch or for example in icy weather when turnout wouldn't be safe, but I wouldn't want to use one every day if there were other forms of exercise available.
 
Safe form of exercise in low light conditions.
Saves fields from poaching in extremely bad weather when fields unusable.
Alternative to roadwork for fittening/ hoof improvement if no safe alternative.
Convenient when mucking out a batch of stables (stick 6 horses in walker, do stables, more efficient).

I don't like them, but they do have a place in many modern equestrian situations.

Saying that the SRS have a pretty swanky one.
 
Unless they are massive they aren't good at all for joints/ legs etc. You can always spot a competition horse who's been on one load and loads as they can be really stiff on one side as people are too lazy to turn them around to go the other way.
They also go through shoes like nobodies business so will cost you £sss

If I win the lottery then I'd have a straight line treadmill types.

If you pop her in the field while you muck out that is relaxing chill out time, walker will be 'work' totally different for her.

If you need her super fit and don't have loads of time its a necessary evil, if you just want to do something different when the weather is grim take her for a graze in hand.
 
My vet is desperate for me to move my horse to a yard with a walker as hes on box rest and needs 15 mins in hand walks twice a day! otherwise I can't imagine I'd use it!!
 
Polos Mum said:
Unless they are massive they aren't good at all for joints/ legs etc. You can always spot a competition horse who's been on one load and loads as they can be really stiff on one side as people are too lazy to turn them around to go the other way.
They also go through shoes like nobodies business so will cost you £sss

If I win the lottery then I'd have a straight line treadmill types.

If you pop her in the field while you muck out that is relaxing chill out time, walker will be 'work' totally different for her.

If you need her super fit and don't have loads of time its a necessary evil, if you just want to do something different when the weather is grim take her for a graze in hand.
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I was under the impression that the vast majority of them can only go in one direction.

I don't like them they must be mind numbingly boring for horses and bad for the horses physically.
 
Old ones I think that's true but anything made in the last 15 years or so can be altered to go in either direction - not easy though.

Can you imagine only riding in the school in one direction every day!
 
Polos Mum said:
Old ones I think that's true but anything made in the last 15 years or so can be altered to go in either direction - not easy though.

Can you imagine only riding in the school in one direction every day!
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did not know that

no but I could not imagine walking round and round in circles on the same spot every day, would much rather someone bothered to take me out for a walk, ride me!! or put me in a field
 
hihosilver said:
hate them really bad for tendons and should be used only for 5 mins if you have to!
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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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Orangehorse said:
Why are they so popular then? Seem to be in every yard.
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from what I can gather they are another yard toy on the average yard, often they are used as time savers but for me that is not what having or working with horses is about they are living breathing things that need interaction not machines, I honestly don't think people think about things enough
 
Thankfully the only ones I've seen go both ways.

I used one at a previous yard fairly frequently, I had two fit hyper horses and the walker was useful for giving them a bit of a walk before I turned the out in the Winter. One of the fields was a little walk away so a little less energy was helpful.

I think it just helped with the routine, on the walker one way while I did haynets, turned them around and did waters then stopped them and turned them out.
 
Our yard has one. They are great if you can't turn out for weather or other reason and need somewhere for your horse to go while you muck out. All the horses on our yard go on very happily and are quite content to plod along. But then, most of us ride very regularly and turn out as much as we can, so the walker is a handy tool, but not a substitute for exercise or turn out.
To be honest, I don't think horses really think in terms of 'OMG, this is SOOO boring...' I think, on the whole, if they have good food, good company, good exercise and a good routine, they are pretty content. Even if they have to go on a horse walker now and again.
 
twiggy2 said:
from what I can gather they are another yard toy on the average yard, often they are used as time savers but for me that is not what having or working with horses is about they are living breathing things that need interaction not machines, I honestly don't think people think about things enough
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Not suggesting they are instead of "interacting", the horses are put on it while the beds are made up, so they get interaction when put out and when brought in, must be better than just standing still.
To be frank, when I kept my horse on DIY yards, in winter, most of the horses got very little work or grooming, the owners had almost no time for anything other than the minimum.
 
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I think it's very 'fashionable' to believe that they are god awful things. I'd be interested to read any studies that's how that they are detrimental long term...

Worked on a hunt yard that had one, was invaluable in the depths of winter and they certainly help keep them fit. I would use one if I couldn't exercise my horse appropriately.
 
My personal opinion having access to one is that they are useful in some circumstances such as when coming back into work from box rest, when the fields are too bad to turn out on (we're on clay ground & sometimes have no turnout for a few weeks during the worst of winter), or for cool down after a particularly hot session.

If you've got access to guaranteed all year round turnout I'd personally conclude that it wouldn't make my essentials list when looking at yards :)
 
Thanks for all the opinions. Seems it's as I thought and it won't serve much purpose to me. Pony goes out every day regardless of weather. Like the idea of using it to cool down after exercise. Still a nice to have though.
 
My old yard had one - it was in rubber mats so less impact from feet. It was invaluable when turnout was restricted to just three days a week last winter as it was so wet. It meant that you could stretch their legs. I would ride for 20min before work then in the evening when mucking out put him on for a stretch. It also meant when they were turned out they didn't go wild as they had done some moving around on the 'in' days. The YM had the booking sheet for the walker and they had to be turned round after 10 min
 
There was a study that found that oval horsewalkers were preferable to round ones, but my google skills have failed and I can't find it. I'm in the 'not fond of them' camp as IME people can get lazy and overuse them, I've seen a few nasty accidents on them and I'm not convinced that constant turning (as almost all I have known are the round type) is good for horses recovering from injury - good old fashioned straight line work is what i prefer.
 
I was under the impression (perhaps incorrect, based on other replies to the thread) that horses need to be supervised while using a walker, which would surely mean that you can't stick them on while you do other jobs and therefore you might just as well walk them in hand. Unless of course you have six horses to walk and you can do them all at the same time I guess!
 
hihosilver said:
hate them really bad for tendons and should be used only for 5 mins if you have to!
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How can they be bad for tendons?? The horse is only walking so therefore are you saying walking is bad for tendons and walking on the lunge is bad for tendons? Have you got any studies /scientific proof to back this claim up?

We have a horse walker on our yard and I have never heard that they are bad for tendons? They use it before and after the horse has been in the pool (rehab yard) and other use it for warm up before riding. It also has rubber matting and is huge!
 
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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
 
I've never had one but having a bit of a stiff old beast I would imagine if we did have one I would possibly use it for warm and cool down either side of schooling sessions especially if he has been stood in a bit.
 
We have one at our yard and I never used until my horse needed walking after a tendon op and i slipped a disc in my back meaning I can't walk properly - it's been an absolute godsend to me. My horse goes on for 20 mins while I hobble around mucking out, it's on a rubber surface and she doesn't seem to mind it at all. It's much safer for me as i can't be jerked about if she spooks and she's enclosed so behaves on it. I'd have been completely stuffed without it. As I get better I'm trying to use it less as I'm aware of the constant circling (it does go both ways so I alternate) but it has been a massive help and she's shown absolutely no ill-effects from being on it.
 
Carrots&Mints said:
How can they be bad for tendons?? The horse is only walking so therefore are you saying walking is bad for tendons and walking on the lunge is bad for tendons? Have you got any studies /scientific proof to back this claim up?

We have a horse walker on our yard and I have never heard that they are bad for tendons? They use it before and after the horse has been in the pool (rehab yard) and other use it for warm up before riding. It also has rubber matting and is huge!
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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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