Issues with the walker

[mpicton101]

Hello people, just wanted to see if anyone elses horses had big issues with the walker?

My new yard has a walker and when we much out or cool off etc they go on it, normally only for about 10 mins each way. My boy is a bit of a pleb on the walker and insists on walking squished right to the front of the divider and gets very panicked if he can't see the horse in front.
Now i've only been putting him on for very small amounts of time to get him used to it but on Friday someone put the electrics on so the silly boy electricuted himself continually as he wouldn't back off from the front and then started bucking and twisting. I came running down to get him off and by that point he'de managed to turn himself inside out and was running backwards, facing the wrong way. In the process he slashed his eyelid open leaving a open gash. Poor pony was beside himself and had to have filler on the eye and can't go out as he keeps itching it.

Has anyone else had bad experiences and how can you help them overcome their fears?

I'm going to walk around it with him tomorrow, to start desensitising him to it.

 

[custard]

I read that terrible story in H and H about the showjumper who stood on his own tongue cutting it off, don't like walkers sorry!

 

[mpicton101]

Oh my good lord, that sounds horrific!

 

[custard]

I think he was either licking the floor or something but they left him unattended so will never know. They did try to sew it back on but it went all manky and now he has half a tongue but has learnt to eat again and stuff so he's ok. I just think they are dangerous if not supervised but if you're going to stand and watch over them you may as well ride!

 

[merlinsquest]

How did he keep electricuting himself.... are they like electric fences???

I have never used one as i'm not really keen on them.... oh and we havent got one

 

[Parkranger]

I'm not a big fan of them - Ty kept trying to turn around in the one at the old yard and bumping his head - maybe because he couldn't see the right side of him so get the idea that it was round and not straight?

 

[Laafet]

I love horsewalkers and as my line of work involves racehorses we use them a lot. Murphy has an aversion to them and sits on them to stop them if the electric isn't on but he was broken in using one so that's probably why. Your horse sounds like he really doesn't like it and while I think they are a godsend they don't suit all horses. On livery yards they do tend to be a nightmare with people turning the electric on or off, altering direction or speed but in most pro yards they are used with little ill effects. Can't suggest a way to get him used to it - is it one where they can't see the other horses or a more open one. The walkers used at work are closed, covered in rubber and regularly maintained so we get very few injuries off them if ever and then they were usually caused by human error.

 

[Rueysmum]

Terrible accidents have happened on walkers. I would never put either of my horses on one. Not in a million years.

 

[Seahorse]

Can you put him on it without turning the electrics on?

We had one at my old yard but it didn't have electrics and Axey kept stopping it and nearly burnt the motor out. He wasn't allowed on it any more!

 

[Weezy]

Never had a prob with any horse on a walker - but OMG PLEASE do not walk around in one with your horse

P knows how they work V well - I have to put a tail guard on her otherwise her tail is like a bog brush afterwards - and she isn't fazed by the electrics either. I know people will go mad, but we tie the ones that sit on the back to the panel in front of them with a loose bit of twine and voila, they walk around and don't sit on the back.

Am awaiting the backlash now...