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Post by MirandaSophie on Dec 24, 2006 6:51:05 GMT 1
Just wandering what you all think about hrose walkers?
The horses i have seen be put in one obviously don't like them, they didn't resist, but they looked SO bored and they'd be in there for about half an hour / 45 minutes.
That can't be good, can it?
At least with lunging, there si some human contact and the paces can be altered etc, you can also use poles.
I personally don't like them. What are your views?
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Post by mags on Dec 24, 2006 7:02:42 GMT 1
I thing they have a use in large yards to get the horse out of the stable more. and I found them very useful the other day when one of the racehorses was going nuts bucking in stable. Put her on the walker and she looked much happier. Ideally she would have been turned out obviously but we have to do the best we can
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Post by MirandaSophie on Dec 24, 2006 7:11:48 GMT 1
yeh that it mags & dan, in an ideal world they'd be out
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anon
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 1,014
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Post by anon on Dec 24, 2006 7:11:49 GMT 1
Bored? or relaxed?
If they were used instead of lunging or other training - then no I don't like them
If they are used as well as other training then ye - very useful. Especially with horses that are kept in places with less turnout. Also very useful for cooling horses off thoroughly after exercise.
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Post by MirandaSophie on Dec 24, 2006 7:19:55 GMT 1
the ones I saw were definately bored. Also, the one that this yard i worked at, only had one speed and one of the ponies that was in there couldn't get the right speed for himself to walk, so would get left behind and then trot to the front of the barrier. Maybe I was just beig too sensitive-but he kept looking at me and I jsut wanted to get him out Someone else gaev thier horse their brekkie (they ahd big hard feeds), left it for 5 mins and then put him in there for nearly an hour. Dont' they go by the same rule that you should leave exercise for at least an hour?
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Post by julz on Dec 24, 2006 11:08:22 GMT 1
the yard where I used to work has a horse walker..... you'd think being a riding school, they wouldn't have use for one, but in the winter their clientele goes down to almost nothing, and the horses then need a way of being excersized, there are too many living in/in the yard to be ridden by just the staff alone (if indeed half the staff can ride half the horses!) HWalker's do have an option so you can have them trotting too, but this should only be done under supervision...
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Post by Pauline on Dec 24, 2006 11:18:26 GMT 1
If I had the money I would get a Horse walker,but only a really good one.One that would change direction and had a variable speed.
With 4 horses competing and work as well ,it would be a great help.
In the early days of getting a horse fit they are very good.
When you are short of time like early in the morning while you are mucking out 6 stables and 2 field shelters,the 4 horses could go on the HW for half an hour or more.
Pauline
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Post by sallyandruby on Dec 24, 2006 11:46:08 GMT 1
imo i hate them lol. it really must be so so sos so boring going round in a circle looking at the same metal bar, going at the same pace for hours. and i think they could ahev quite a health and safey risk to the horses ie if the horse had a heart attack or somehting the machine would kep going no matter what and if everyone is in stables mucking out then whoes gonna be there to save the poor horse?? pauline- not attcking you or anything it your own personal opinion but look at you sig message!! treat your horse like you would like to be treated. really sorry didnt mean to offend you or owt was just looking and made me think!!
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cesca
Novice Poster
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Post by cesca on Dec 24, 2006 11:58:13 GMT 1
Sallyandruby they don't keep going no matter what, they do stop if they meet real resistance. Having said that I don't like them at all and would never subject my boy to one. I think they probably have their uses for horses that can't go out or need loads of exercise, but my old yard has just had one fitted and they'll all just use it instead of riding. Horrible. It's also all electrified so if they stop moving and the partition touches them they'll get a jolt. All seemed a bit much to me!
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jo
Novice Poster
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Post by jo on Dec 24, 2006 11:58:36 GMT 1
V good for the recovering from injuries horses, better than lunging. V good for cooling down. V good for drying off after bath in summer.
They cut off if horse decides to stop the movement. Some horses just won't tollerate the going round and figure if they stop they can stop the machine. Those horses do not go back in again. Can be tied or left loose - they figure it all out quickly and always look very relaxed. Direction is alternate days, speed depends on the horses being walked but only ever in walk. Great to get a horse to fitten gradually and loosen up before and after a workout. No real effort being asked of horse other than stretching out? This can't be a bad thing!
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Post by kirstie on Dec 24, 2006 12:00:55 GMT 1
dont like them,chloe was put in mrs becks for 30 mins each day & she hated it
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Post by jen1 on Dec 24, 2006 14:02:02 GMT 1
i like the idea of them, but i hate the size,, im currently looking into how to get hold of the mechanisms, if we get round to making a barefoot paradise, im thinking we could make a pit 3 times the size of the average horse walker and contition feet that way, , but as a normal horse walker its the size that puts me off them, i guess they are pretty boring and for those yards that have the horses kennaled 24/7 then i think it will help to maintain a reasonable body fitness, even though they dont offer and mentasl stimulation, hey i wonder if we could get them a virtual reality machine that makes them think there ambling free in the counrty side,lol
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Post by Pauline on Dec 24, 2006 14:03:34 GMT 1
Yes sallyandruby I do not think that you were getting at me BUT my horses have the best I can afford.I would prefered to be treated with some exercise and if it meant that they themselves could get out then a horse walker is useful
At least my horses get out and about,better than being in the stable for 23 hrs a day.
A HW is no exuse to being out,but as my horses also spend time out in the field (have only just bought them in they will have about 8 hours in and 16 hours out).
They would not go on the HW every day.
As Maggot says they are useful for returning from injury.
My horses are endurance horses and THEY get a lot of work.So I do spend a fair amount of time with them
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blueali
Olympic Poster
water horse vs. land horse
Posts: 822
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Post by blueali on Dec 24, 2006 17:21:53 GMT 1
As was said above they are not a substitute for other exercise but are a useful addition. I know if we had one I would be able to warm the polo ponies up and down so when ridden by their owner they weren't mounted then pretty much straight into canter. I haven't seen one for a long time but hope their design has improved and is more welcoming, and I agree bigger would be better. The only time I would consider putting Blue on one would be for that rather sensible idea of shoeless hoof conditioning.
And Miranda the don't ride until at least an hour after feeding is only really relevent if you were doing fast work after a large hard feed. As it is only then that the diaphragm presses onto the stomach were the hard feed sits (as opposed to the grass one).
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Post by janetgeorge on Dec 24, 2006 19:36:08 GMT 1
the ones I saw were definately bored. Also, the one that this yard i worked at, only had one speed and one of the ponies that was in there couldn't get the right speed for himself to walk, so would get left behind and then trot to the front of the barrier. A walker that doesn't have variable speed AND a reverse gear is as much use as a chocolate teapot! Mine is a very simple 'cheapie' - but you can do anything from very slow walk up to fast canter speed if you want - in either direction. We only do walk and slow trot - as it's a relatively small circle. They start on one rein, do 5-10 minutes of walk, then 5 - 10 minutes of trot, then back to walk; then we turn them around and they do the same on the other rein. The walker is NOT used as an exercise substitute - but for extra exercise - especially when short staffed (or tomorrow, when it's only me to deal with 20 stabled horses!) It's extremely useful for unfit horses. I have one that has just come back - I sold her nearly 18 months ago but she's spent the last 6 months in a field doing nothing. She's now up to 45 minutes on the walker, next week that will increase to an hour, THEN we'll start riding her. The hunters do an hour of walk only - in addition to their ridden work - or walker only the day after hunting. Others do an hour on the walker in the morning and are schooled in the afternoon. None of ours seem to mind it - or be bored. Alfie spends most of his time on it trying to grab hold of the rubber paddles - it amuses him and stops him wanting to kick the horse behind. Batty thinks it's just not fast enough and tries to bat it along with her head. The stallions can't be left on it unattended as they just stop it and scratch their bums on the gates! I must get around to designing a zapper for it!
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