Walkers, I think I’m about to cave! Please tell me my options!?

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chocolategirl

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After saying I would never have one on my yard, I’m getting to the stage where I feel I’m going to be left with no choice:-( this is the fourth winter on the trot (pardon the pun) that we have had consistently wet weather and I’m literally at the end of my tether. It’s just so depressing! Thinking ahead to next winter, I really am going to have to put something, anything in place, as an alternative to turnout. It guts me it really does, but conditions are so bad, worst I’ve known in 23 years of running a livery yard, that if I don’t make changes for next winter, I’m going to seriously consider closing my yard. I’m a YO that refuses to keep horses in, so I provide several ‘sacrifice’ paddocks every year, which I accept are going to get destroyed, but it means the horses can get out and move around. This year though we have had several cases of mud fever, which we have never had before and it’s really upset me tbh. So lovely HHO’s what are my options? I need to keep it under £5k as it will be money coming out of my own pocket, and I’m not sure how much use a walker would actually get anyway as I would never stop turnout altogether, no matter what. What other alternatives have you guys got? My husband is very handy and would be able to do all groundwork’s himself as we have our own JCB luckily, but I just can’t decide what to do. Help me please! TIA.:-)
 
I would create all weather turnout pens instead, I think it's a preferable solution for the horses who then can spend a few hours out of their boxes at leisure rather than an hour turning a small circle
 
Each of our stables opens onto a small, individual yard. The stable doors are open 24/7 so the horses are not confined at night. ATM they are all off the fields. In the daytime the various yards are opened up to form larger yards and the horses wander either individually or in pairs around the place. As long as they are not confined and can go and talk to their friends over the fences they are perfectly happy. The yards are connected to the stables so their ad lib hay and water is in the stable and they go in and eat as they wish. I have 10 wandering this way ATM.

I would try and design some yards/turn out pens to suit your set up. If you have a digger you are half way there, some drains, fencing, possibly some membrane and hard fill. Plus lots of gates.
 
My preference as a livery client would be for all weather turnout that the horses can stop out in all day... paddy555's set up sounds amazing. I hate my horses having to stay in, and go up several times a day to hand walk both mine when they have to, but also would worry a lot about using a horsewalker.

I think all weather turnout is probably the future of winter horse keeping sadly.
 
I'd spent the time and monye on all wetaehr turnout - even if they are gravel/stone as a start.
Ideally a surfaced (sand or similar) option is best as horses love to lie, roll etc. but somewhere non slippy to stretch legs is a start. Walkers don't address their need for companionship, self directed movement etc.
Your other option and sensible is to cut down number of horses.
 
Sorry you are having a difficult winter chocolategirl. As someone with a mud fever horse I am always pleased if I can turn out at all in wet weather. Usually the land is not suitable even if turnout is offered. I would welcome a horse walker it would provide extra exercise in addition to riding. If funding it is a problem could you charge for it? I would happily pay £1 for 20 minutes though I have no idea if that would be considered a reasonable fee or not! If it holds say 4 horses that would be £12 an hour and if you are still providing turnout people are not forced into using it. An all weather individual turnout pen would be good too but if it was just the size of a stable I am unsure how much he would move around. It would be nicer for him though to feel the sun on dry days and not to always be inside unless hacking. Please keep your yard open even if it turns out you can provide only limited turnout there are those of us for whom turnout is not top priority anyway.
 
paddy555 said:
Each of our stables opens onto a small, individual yard. The stable doors are open 24/7 so the horses are not confined at night. ATM they are all off the fields. In the daytime the various yards are opened up to form larger yards and the horses wander either individually or in pairs around the place. As long as they are not confined and can go and talk to their friends over the fences they are perfectly happy. The yards are connected to the stables so their ad lib hay and water is in the stable and they go in and eat as they wish. I have 10 wandering this way ATM.

I would try and design some yards/turn out pens to suit your set up. If you have a digger you are half way there, some drains, fencing, possibly some membrane and hard fill. Plus lots of gates.
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that sounds like a great alternative, and much better than a horse walker....
 
I have an all weather turnout of woodchip and simple post and rail, all ground work ourselves cost less than 2k.
There are better options than woodchip but circumstances meant we had to use it.
 
I do have a walker and absolutely rely on it. But it is not a substitute for turnout - nor would I ever consider it to be. I can warm up one ride, and cool down another. With some I can build cardio fitness as I would if I lunged at walk for that period of time - and I often do but with longlines. But is not and cannot be a substitute for turnout. The horse has no choice but to walk where the machine directs it to - it cannot express natural behaviours. That said I am not a fan of all weather turn out either. We use sacrifice paddocks. Yes we do have horses prone to mud fever - including mine. The owners manager that appropriately.
 
We're on clay land which is wet at the best of times but this year it's horrendous. We had 2 horses on 8 acres, only turned out a few hours ago and the fields still got utterly trashed and waterlogged. Our neighbouring yard has built a big barn shelter and put the retired horses there with an area of hard standing where they have adlib haylage alongside a strip of land. It's not ideal but really, in conditions this bad it's impossible to find the perfect solution. Ours and all in 24/7 which I thought I'd never do.
 
The bigger the better with horse walkers - on the smaller ones I think the circling is a bit tight. I agree they are no substitute for turn out, but currently our fields have lakes in them and the trash paddocks are over the knees in mud.

The horses are really not enjoying turnout and I am seriously missing the walker at my last yard! You can often pick them up 2nd hand if you're ok to dismantle and reassemble. They are no good in ice and you need to insist on users poo picking them
 
On the mud fever front. Use shavings or wood pellet beds and DON'T wash the legs off when they come in - the bedding will dry them off for you. Heavily oil in the morning before turnout.
 
I am a YO. although I still have 24/7 turn out my other option would be
1. a horsewalker and also option 2 which is,
2.a half acre area which is stone and scalpings. horses can go onto both for a few hours eg 1 hr on the walker 2 hours later in the afternoon on the yard area. another way is to put gates on a lane (private driveway type thing) and turn them on there but only barefoot because of slipping if shod.
3. if you have an indoor school use that for turnout too. this would be a good added extra/alternative to the yard.
only turn out in pairs..
 
Could I ask if the people against walkers have had access to them? Having had the use of one, it was a godsend. We had sacrifice paddocks and there would be days where I opted not to turn out. The walker was used when mucking out, and putting more work into the horses. It was never used as the sole form of leg stretching either. When work was being restricted with bad weather, and you don't want your horse to turn itself inside out, a walker was incredibly helpful. I was on a yard previously, which was in a beautiful part of the Surrey Hills, but the because we were so high up, keeping this horses going in the depths of winter was nigh impossible (frozen school/hacking/deep mud), so I tend to place a high premium on anything that helps me keep my horse ticking over during this time.
 
I'd go for all weather turnout pens too. If it's more than the £5k I'd put your livery up a couple of pounds a week to recoup some of the cost. I'm sure your liveries would understand and would even be grateful given the circumstances. I know I would be in that situation.
 
I have an all weather turnout. It is fine, but the horses really just stand around unless someone goes and basically loose lunges them. I would really like a walker, and have used them at my previous yard, they are very useful to keep horses moving and ticking over fitness-wise.
 
We have 3 horse and 5 acres split into two fields. We sacrifice the bottom field for the winter, it's currently horrific but manages to repair itself over the summer. Our horses are turned out 24/7, the bottom field is open and leads to a big enough hard standing in front of the stables and stable doors are always open. Hay is provided on the hard standing and they can come in/stay out as they please.
 
I’ve a yard attached to my stable so it means horse can be out walking all day. It really is a brilliant thing and I’d be stuffed without it. If I was to go to a livery yard this would be my preference, although I would want it rubber sealed or gravel. I’m considering rubber sealing my yard so it’s less strain on the joints. It’s also amazing for box rest or rehab work - horse can mooch about in safe area reducing swelling and stiffness but still in a confined area.



To give you a rough idea of yard in front of stable. I’ve the option to split the yard in half if need to restrict more but the smaller the yard the more turning on the joints, not ideal for a whole winter.
 
PapaverFollis said:
My preference as a livery client would be for all weather turnout that the horses can stop out in all day... paddy555's set up sounds amazing. I hate my horses having to stay in, and go up several times a day to hand walk both mine when they have to, but also would worry a lot about using a horsewalker.

I think all weather turnout is probably the future of winter horse keeping sadly.
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This, I wouldnt use a horse walker
 
I worked at a yard that had a walker-in the winter horses had alternate days out and in between days on the walker. those that really needed to be out/couldnt handle the walker were catered for. All horses on the yard were in decent work too and were never on the walker more than 30mins. I have to say, they all had good tight legs and think they do have a place when used well.

There's a couple of yards up here that have set up with stables with individual pole yards coming off them with different surfaces (think one is wood chip and one uses hardcore) and think its a good compromise-especially if they do get the option to go out with a pal etc

I know sand can freeze but horses love it in my experience, dig in it-roll in it and in yards I've seen where they've had a choice, preferentially sleep on it. good for their feet too. I've known some use pea gravel but its apparently heavy going mucking it out.
 
I had access to a walker last year on a yard where turnout was unavailable for 2 months in winter. Really don't like them and I rarely used it.
The most dangerous thing was my youngster learnt quickly how to stop it, he'd rest his bum on it or bite and hold the rubber partition in front if the electric was on. I quickly banned him from going on as it was pointless anyway with him stopping it all the time. Unfortunately a friend thought she was being helpful and put him on for me while I rode my older horse, he reveresed whilst itching his bum on the partition behind him and it went fully over his back and head. Thankfully he wasn't hurt but it panicked all the other horses on the walker and if he wasn't so "bombproof" it could have been so much worse.

So if you have a horse as bone-headed as mine it's a no go!
 
Thanks for all the replies so far, lots to consider. I’m going to
Look into turnout areas I think, but won’t rule out a walker altogether. Personally, I won’t put mine on one, but I know some of the liveries will definitely use one. I’ve got the next 6 Months to sort something in time for next winter!
 
I would prefer a turnout area as well, even if just a small yard. Could you alter some of your trash paddocks and make them permanent hard standing or wood chip/sand areas. Even if they are quite small, it gives the horses a bit of fresh air, a change of scene and if you could make a few together, they would have the chance for a bit of social chit chat over the gates. I would think this sort of area would have its uses all year round, for fatties, those on the easy list or even box resting horses could go in the small ones. An area the size of a tennis court could make 4 pens, you could have gates to link them so they could be made bigger if needed at times.
 
All weather hard standing turnout has limited benefits as the horses have nothing to do and can get into mischief - mine incited the others to rug rip. Alternatively they all stood around looking bored but at least they had one another - the YO wouldn't all hay on the hardstanding unfortunately which added to the boredom. In addition to the hard standing all the horses went on the walker every day for at least 20 mins. Mine hated it and was very adept at stopping it, while others loved it and seemed to happily power round on a mission. My next yard didn't have a walker but managed to get the horses out every day on the grass for a few hours in the winter, but individually so there was no social interaction but the grass didn't get churned up! AS the garage man said to me 'pros and cons for, and pros and cons against'. But overall I'd install one if you can and charge people to recoup the cost.
 
At my last yard my stable and the adjoining one both had back doors. These led out into a surfaced area which was probably about 20 by 30 foot. When the ground was very bad or we had snow they each had half a day out with hay but could go back in if they wanted to. One summer mine was out on her own and the livery yard owner set up the electric fencing so she could come and go as she wanted to. In the very hot weather she would be back in her stable by 11am.
 
I’d probably advise putting in a second hand walker and woodchip allweather turnout.

Honestly, I find a walker invaluable for a leg stretch & fitness top up. I’m lucky as our turnout is pretty good but we do have the odd day in due to weather or the hunt.

I’d say mine goes on it about 5 days a week for 20-30 mins, either as a warm up while I muck out then I School, or as a leg stretch in addition to regular exercise for days they stay in.

The little allweather turnouts are nice for them to have a change of scene and a roll, but they get bored pretty quick in my experience and either muck around or just stand about. Might as well just pop them in the school for a bit to have a roll!
 
I've been trying to find any solid research on whether horse walkers cause leg problems - mainly because a lot of people seem to be against them. Nothing out there that I can find - am I missing something or is it just circumstantial?
 
SEL said:
I've been trying to find any solid research on whether horse walkers cause leg problems - mainly because a lot of people seem to be against them. Nothing out there that I can find - am I missing something or is it just circumstantial?
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I had a walker for 20 years and never had any problems. It was invaluable for early fitness, rehab, topping up fitness and as an exercise alternative when for whatever reason the horses couldn't be ridden.

All weather turnout is great, but it is a whole different thing to exercise. Up till this winter (I've moved my horses to a new yard), mine had exercise in one form or another, including the walker, and turnout pens, which they stood in looking bored unless they were acting like complete idiots.

I no longer have access to a walker, but I do have grass turnout.

If I had to choose between walker and turn out pens, I think I'd pick the walker.
 
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