misuse of horse walkers

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hollyandivy123

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I know that horse walkers are well used in this country now, and for some it is a good way to exercise/stretch legs etc esp in the winter. my question to everyone is do you think we sometimes misuse them, as in on too long and too fast and that is why we are seeing a rise in joint problems. i have a wide set horse who i don't like to see going to quick on the walker for this reason. also a previous yard i was at after the introduction of the walker seemed to have a higher rate of joint degeneration exp in the younger IDx type horse. when we lung most of us are carfull with the circle size, speed and time for this reason (well it was what i was taught ) i am open to suggestions:)
 
Yes I do, this is why a lot of yards are now going for the oval shaped walker, rather than circular one. I really dislike the tiny 4 horse walkers, the circle must be about 15m. Ours is pretty big, and has a really good liquid rubber floor. I wouldn't put my horses on one without a decent cushioning surface and would certainly not put a young horse on for longer than 10 minutes ish as a warm up or cool down period. You also have to make sure that you change direction, a horse thats got to do the walker for exercise should be put on either way.
 
I think walkers are as open to misuse as any other method of exercise. I have had one for 15+ years now. We first put one in when it got too dangerous to exercise large groups of hunters on the roads round us in the south of England.

We soon found that we had the fittest hunters out, with the greatest stamina, who stayed fit and sound throughout the season. No signs of increased limb problems, quite the opposite in fact.

I use my walker for fitness, general exercise when the horse cannot be ridden for some reason, warm up and cool down, getting youngsters used to tack, part of a schooling programme for many horses, getting the edge off a fresh horse, getting horses back in work after injury, and it was invaluable during the 2 long frozen snaps last winter.

I think the clue is in the name - it is a walker! The horses should not be pushed out of their natural walk rhythm, but nor should they dawdle. They should never have to trot to catch up.

I do not agree that they should always go both ways. For some horses there are reasons for them only to work one way, and the way some people get their horses to turn around while on the walker is really dangerous and teaches them such bad habits - just the way to make an accident happen.

Over the years I've had various surfaces on mine, and far and away prefer the rubber paviours, but some people including vets suggest that these are too grippy and don't allow the horse to move properly. I can see this, but think the benefits of a non slip surface/softer going, and less shoe wear, plus the fact that the horses stay cleaner, make up for it.

It's not a substitute for proper work, nor is it a "lazy man's instrument" as I have been told, but it's a heck of a useful tool if it's used properly:)
 
Yes, I think they are misused personally.

My horse hated the walker, she would often neigh etc and call as she wanted to get off but I never put her on for long, just to cool down or warm up or something.. Though I think I saw a programme on Clayton Fredericks, saying his horses liked to go on the walker and have a bit of a play... I thought..Er.. I think they would prefer to go out in the field and do not for one moment think you are supplying them with any 'play time' on the walker!

So I think yards and competition horses go on for some exercise and to get out of their stables and to me this just seems so...! Well i do not agree with it lets just say.

Warming up and cooling down it seems a great timesaver if you lots of horses to ride etc but I feel some use it to replace turnout which I do not agree with.
x
 
Yes! I know of a few yards who leave horses on for hours with side reins etc. on
I think it's disgusting, however it's nothing to do with walkers horses are treated unfairly in many forms of excerise.
 
I think they are useful if used correctly, our yard has 1/2 day turnout in the winter so I use the walker a lot for mine, especially my arthritic TB, he is much better moving at a gentle walk rather than standing in a stable.

Its also useful for a leg stretch while mucking mine out.
 
I know someone who used to get her Trotter racing fit on a walker...........full speed for an hour or so! :eek:
 
I think they can be very useful, a girl on our yard moved to a yard that had one temporarily while her horse was coming back from box rest. He couldn't be turned out and needed gentle exercise, without being able to put him on the walker she would have really struggled, she was able to take the edge off him without him getting to exciteable before she rode him.

Good if you can't turn out or turn out is limited too.

Interesting what someone said about joint problems though, the horse I was going to buy that failed the vet on hind flexions went on the walker daily...... she was also very one-sided.........

It was a substitute for ridden work (she wasn't ridden daily) and only had a small pen for turn out over winter.
 
We used to have a circular walker but got rid of it after a while as it wasn't really working for us (one of our pacers used to idle til it hit his bum then run forward and push it along for a while - he burnt the motor out :mad: and no it wasn't through fear or anything like that - he was messing around).

Now we use an sloped treadmill, they go on that for about 20 minutes and in the winter it's invaluable, we have up to 8 horses in and can't always turn out due to ground conditions, they go on there individually at a "good" walking pace and it provides a worthwhile workout without pressurising them or risking damage. Scariest thing that's ever happened though was the blimmin minature we've got who tends to roam loose in the barn getting on it UNDER my brother's pointers belly :eek: whilst we panicked about what to do she got bored and calmly walked out the front and down the narrow handler walkway!
 
I no someone who sticks there horse on the horse walker everyday because they couldnt be bothered to ride it ... then they expect to take it jumping on a sunday over 1.10 m courses! I personally do not use one as there isnt one at our yard but even if there was i dont think i would use it, ive never used one before and i must admit i dont like change :) lol
 
A horsewalker is a very useful piece of kit, especially in winter - it is not a substitute for turn out or riding, but does help in keeping horses fit.
I rarely put mine on for more than 15 minutes, never in both directions as I don't like them turning around, so I will do 15 mins in the morning left and 15 mins in the evening right for example.
They need to be walking, striding out, I set mine at about 5-6 mile per hour.
It's very handy if you need to ride many in a short space of time - for warming up and cooling down, when you can't turn out at the time of mucking out - no need to tie up in the yard, just pop them on for a walk.
It also teaches them a bit of discipline and gets them used to engine noise:)
 
Interesting subject. Has really made me think. Ours is a 4 horse walker, so is relatively tight. Last year (during the snow) the motor broke, and turnout had been banned, so I put my horse on twice a day for 40 mins each session, while we had no t/o, and I walked round pushing it. I certainly felt my muscles working, and realised how imperatively important it is to do sessions of equal length in both direction.

In normal circumstances I use it to warm up and cool down for 10 mins. I find it especially handy for warming up before lunging.

TBH I don't think there is any greater risk of horses developing joint problems, if used SENSIBLY (i.e. not being hammered round too fast, or for too long) than road walking, and would have less impact than trotting on roads? I know more horses who have had ligament and serious tendon problems due to being worked too hard in deep schools.
 
its nice to see everyones point of view, in an ideal world i would love to have an oval walker and my fantasy size would be the equivalent to 20x 40 school. if used sensibly i think the are a great tool
where i am i find the anoying thing is to put my horses on at a nice walk speed for them and to come back to find some has put their horse on changed the speed to suit theirs because it is going to slow for them !

in my head i think it is the speed thing vs tightness of the circle is real issue

keep coming up with ideas and thoughts its great to understand other peoples ideas :)
 
I have a walker and love it.
Great to get those few extra pounds off the laminitic prone pony and for horses comeing back into work. Wouldn't do without mine.
It's like everything you need to know how to use them and if used correctly they are fine. How many people trot for long spells on the road??! That is so bad for horses joints but everybody does it.
 
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