Utilising a horse walker for fittening

[HiPo'sHuman]

As per the title really! Moving to a new yard and will be on full livery. I’m pretty time poor (hence the move) but want to try hunting this year and the pair of us are fat and unfit!

I’ve never used a walker before and thought it might be useful with me being pushed for time, any suggestions on frequency? I can commit to a minimum of 3 hacks and 2 schooling sessions per week. Pony was relatively fit but has barely been touched since Cheshire, was that towards the end of June? Lost track of things.

Reckon it’s doable?

 

[AmyMay]

If you want him fit for hunting, then hacking is what you want to do, rather than schooling. So five days hacking, rather than three.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

There is no substitute for hacking but a walker can help to build muscle

 

[SEL]

Old yard used one for fittening polo ponies who has been turned away over winter.

They started with 20 mins - 10 each way - at a fairly sedate pace and worked up.

I got my mare used to it by taking her on there on her own a couple of times then popped her on with the polo ponies. They were so used to plodding around that she just followed. Useful when mucking out to give her 20 mins instead of stuffing her face with hay!

In hindsight though I don't think it helped her various issues, but I didn't know at the time.

 

[dogatemysalad]

The hunters on our yard spend the summer on holiday in the fields and will soon come in for their fittening programme of daily hacking and horse walker. They look superb by the time they start the season.

 

[be positive]

They have their uses but will not replace exercise or make much difference to real fitness, for hunting the horse needs to be as fit as possible to help prevent injury, it should be used to hacking over various terrain so it's limbs are well conditioned.
I would put him on the walker as an extra not as an instead of exercise and crack on so you can get out autumn hunting so he is as ready as possible before the opening meet, once genuinely hunting fit and going out regularly you can cut back on the exercise as they will remain fit with less need to do so much work, it is the getting fit that takes most time.

 

[ihatework]

Useful as an add on rather than a replacement.

I like to use them 15 mins warm up/cool down then my actual time in the saddle (if I’m short of time) is spent on higher intensity work).

I think they do make a difference you just need to be careful how you use them and don’t become overly reliant on them

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Useful as an add on rather than a replacement.

I like to use them 15 mins warm up/cool down then my actual time in the saddle (if I’m short of time) is spent on higher intensity work).

I think they do make a difference you just need to be careful how you use them and don’t become overly reliant on them

This. They are great if you are short of time - pop them on to warm up and cool down so you cant get other jobs done whilst they are on the walker. Then when you get on you can kick on and get some work done.