companymagic
Grand Prix Poster
Horses are for life not just for riding....
Posts: 1,739
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Post by companymagic on Dec 29, 2012 20:33:02 GMT 1
Me not the ponies they took it all in their strides!! So today for the first time in the two years that it's been there I braved the horse walker.. I was a jibbering wreak! Amigo turned around a few times but then got the measure of it was was fine and seemed to like it., Ailsa learn very quickly to sit on it and slow it down to a crawl and my friends cob after a few bops up the bottom also took to it really well. I only did 10 minutes on it but I was so unbelievably worried by it I don't want to use it again even though none of the horses were unfazed by it. It really could be an assist to me at the mo with Ailsa weight and the wet weather so why am I so worried by it ? Anyone else scared of the horse walker? Or am I a nutter on my own ;D
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wills
Grand Prix Poster
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Post by wills on Dec 29, 2012 21:13:13 GMT 1
Not alone I cant stand the things. I would never leave unnattended in it so personay dont thjnm they save on time....
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Post by antares on Dec 29, 2012 21:22:21 GMT 1
I don't mind them, they have their uses. We used to have one at the racing yard I worked at. Great for putting the horses on while mucking out or to warm up and warm down. Never had any issues
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Post by kizi on Dec 29, 2012 21:31:17 GMT 1
One of the yards I worked at had one. They had 40+ competition horses and liveries so it was going for several hours every day.. Everything from 12h up to 3* event horses and Grand Prix sj'ers were on it most days. The only problem they ever had was one 14h cob pony discovered he could lie down an it would pass over him! They had to stop putting him on!! But no one ever got hurt or freaked out.
I had to leave a 3yo green as grass horse at a vets once as he colicked in the horse box. I went to collect him the following day and they said 'oh he's right as rain, been on the walker and seems back to normal' I couldn't believe it! He had never done a days work never mind seen a walker! When I told them that they didnt believe me, said he hesitated going in but otherwise they thought he was used to one as he was fine with it!
Far as I know if a big horse stops it will stop with enough pressure.. It will slow down anyway.. Funny how well they seem to take to it.. I don't have one but I would like one.. For the dog too hehehe
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Post by Beth&Rosie on Dec 29, 2012 21:40:10 GMT 1
Nope. My yard has one and all the horses go on it most days whilst they muck out. It's great at the moment as the horses can't get much turnout due to muddy fields and horrible weather. It gets them moving for at least some of the day if they can't be ride or turned out and stops them getting bored and full of pent up energy and that's fine with me!
I was also surprised how well my girl took to it! She had never been on one before and can be a bit worried with things up her back end, but she took to it like a pro!
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wills
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 4,657
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Post by wills on Dec 29, 2012 23:19:21 GMT 1
I don't mind them, they have their uses. We used to have one at the racing yard I worked at. Great for putting the horses on while mucking out or to warm up and warm down. Never had any issues Unattended? Suprised at how many people are for walkers when so many on here are against lunging.
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Post by antares on Dec 29, 2012 23:24:10 GMT 1
Racehorses are rarely unattended! The walker was in the middle of the yard so no, not unattended but not constantly watched either. I'm not against lunging either
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tobyh
Grand Prix Poster
My horse of a lifetime!!. Magnus 1985 - 2005.
Posts: 1,616
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Post by tobyh on Dec 30, 2012 0:51:23 GMT 1
Yes totally after having been a livery on a big competition yard, horsewalker was round the back but was assurred it was supervised the whole time horses were on it, my poor boy after stopping for some reason then got a wack up the arse, electrified bumbers on the walker gave him a shock and he tried to jump out over the 6ft mesh outer fence, he was found on the floor, trying to get to his feet as other horses were still going round as other horses too scared to stop due to electric pushers, i was told it was a couple of minutes, but who knows the truth he had a star fracture of the shoulder, broken knees and to this day wont go past a walked without causing serious issues. We have had one on the yard, and i have used it for others of my horses but stand and watch every second and never ever put the electric pushers on and had easily breakable outside fencing if the need occured, i will never put my horse in a fully enclosed one again.
Also after his accident i did ring round al the big horse walker companies and they 100% advise that horses on walkers are supervised the whole time. Sadly i could not prove the yard had been negligent in their care.
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Post by lizpurlo on Dec 30, 2012 15:22:51 GMT 1
Blimey tobyh, that is a horror story. I had no idea these things were fitted with electric prodders, that sounds totally wrong and an invitation to disaster.
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Post by diggydoggy on Dec 30, 2012 15:49:17 GMT 1
Is that legal? Here in Wales, electric shock collars for dogs are banned. I can't believe it is ok to use electric shocks on horses. That is criminal.
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companymagic
Grand Prix Poster
Horses are for life not just for riding....
Posts: 1,739
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Post by companymagic on Dec 30, 2012 16:02:15 GMT 1
It is pretty common place sadly... Ours however does NOT have any on it nor would I use it if it did... I am not sure I will use it again, I just really didn't like the idea of not being able to get to them if I needed to if they got into trouble away from the gate. Would much rather the ones like in the US like a washing line that you tie them too. Oh well it was worth a try will just have to keep riding More hacking, more schooling and more ground work for us... It does us no harm :-)
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Post by bertie666 on Dec 30, 2012 16:29:33 GMT 1
Yikes I wouldnt go near one with electric prodders on = O
Id quite like one tbh, 10 mins twice a day might help shift the fat off my girls rather than lunging.... I think theyre better than lunging cos whilst they are on a circle they arent leaning onto their inside foreleg and motorbiking like they do on the lunge.
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Post by antares on Dec 30, 2012 17:20:23 GMT 1
if a horse lunges correctly they don't motorbike on corners but that's another thread!
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jinglejoys
Grand Prix Poster
Grand Prix Poster
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Post by jinglejoys on Dec 30, 2012 18:35:49 GMT 1
Horses go on it twice a day where I work.Never much of a problem except when you get the lazy gits who throw them on instead of putting them on gently. Wolfie on his first time kept going up in the air and panicking until I asked if anyone had told the new lad had been told how to use it!....Yes you guessed he'd pressed the wrong button and poor Wolfie was getting shocks
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Post by kafee on Dec 30, 2012 19:44:28 GMT 1
Blimey tobyh, that is a horror story. I had no idea these things were fitted with electric prodders, that sounds totally wrong and an invitation to disaster. Neither did I. Good god, I'm amazed any horse will go into a walker after being zapped. What torture will man think of next.
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