| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| angelarab |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 11:03:00 AM
Love or hate?
We have one we can use at £3 1/2hour or free go if YO insists we keep them in,like this week. Baz didn't get on well last time on it he kept turning round like a waltzer
Persevere as a good tool or stay clear? |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Jess.And.Tiger |
Posted - 24 Feb 2011 : 8:29:13 PM
if onlyyyy *dreams*
I would love one... although I would love a menage even more :P
If I had a menage I think I would get up early every morning and lunge him before uni and plan my week of riding and jumping... I would love to be able to just ride when I want and do what ever I like whether it be lunging or jumping...
erghh its so hard without one and although I manage it is a pain... in the summer you can't ride early coz it's slippery, you can't ride late coz it's slippery, you can't ride middle of the day coz it's too hot- so you have to get your timing JUST right, and you can only do gentle schooling coz the grounds rock hard, and you can't jump coz they grounds to hard, can't do grid work coz it's all lumpy bumpy and on a slope haha!!! in the winter I just can't ride at all as I don't have hacking, the grounds to wet, or frozen and slippery and it's to dark hahah!!!
it's a painnnnnn... i would do ANYTHINGGGG for a menage!!!
hahaha we need to win the lottery!!! 
xxxx |
| kassha |
Posted - 24 Feb 2011 : 3:37:47 PM
Hi Lisa,unfortunately it was Kalon that fell over in the walker(see previous post).
My friends son has just come to ride him for me today and he is still carrying his tail low and to one side but is also lame still.
He must be the most accident prone horse I have ever come across and will be the oldest novice ridden gelding!
I only used it to excercise whilst mucking out -they were never on there for longer than 10 mins either way.Thank goodness only my two on it but I shan't be using it in future.
I know lots of people wouldn't be without them but they are not for us. |
| lisa rachel |
Posted - 24 Feb 2011 : 3:22:14 PM
At the end of the day, it is obvious that many people find them useful and where walking exercise is necessary for rehab but no-one has the time for all the in hand work, like your vet Tonim I have found them a useful tool. However there cannot be any pretending that they acheive anything that couldn't be as well/better acheived by work in hand/lunge/long rein, what they do is free up the human to do other things while the horse has a legstretch on a circle.
For myself, mine live out (with access to shelter of course), so can leg stretch whenever they want, if I am with them, I would rather do in hand work so they can exercise their brains as well as their bodies. Thats just my personal view and circumstance I am not condemning walkers. I agree with Tonim that the safety of them depends on the design and the common sense of the human in charge, they certainly can be dangerous if badly designed/miused.
Cheers
Lisa |
| Tonim |
Posted - 24 Feb 2011 : 12:07:04 PM
I think they are great as long as they are used sensibly and they are well made (I've seen some that look very dodgy!).
My OH has a six horse walker with rubber bricks and a roof and it is a godsend. It's used alongside turnout and exercise as part of the horses daily routine. They only ever walk on it and they usually do 15 mins each direction. Like others have said it's brilliant for warming up or cooling down or for when they have been washed off, it is especially good for horses coming back from injury. It was invaluable when Hartley had the problem with his hock and it was on my vets recommendation that he went on it. Hartley always gave the impression that he enjoyed it as well, I think he liked the social side of it being with the other horses as he wasn't allowed to be turned out. Also he liked to push the partition in front of him to make it go faster! |
| Sue J |
Posted - 24 Feb 2011 : 10:59:39 AM
I would love a walker so that I could keep all my older fatties a bit better exercised. 
Mine do go out every day and have done virtually every day over the last couple of winters but I think it would be useful to give one or two of them that bit extra exercise sometimes.
Funnily enough I have just been on a training Assessment week end which was held at a large livery yard. It was noticable that none of the liveries seemed to be turned out, but we watched several queing to take their turn on the walker. I must say they all looked very happy and my horse was fascinated watching them all going around even if she was a little perplexed |
| lisa rachel |
Posted - 24 Feb 2011 : 09:08:30 AM
Hi Barbara,
He reared and got his front leg trapped in a partition and ended up being dragged/ bouncing along on his hindlegs for a few strides until his owner stoppped it and freed his leg by some superhuman adrenaline fuelled metal bending. Horrible mess on his leg, bless him.
To be fair it sometimes seems like horses have a self destruct gene and can injure themselves in ways that we wouldn't have dreamed possible. I once had to put down a youngster who had broken his leg turned out alone in a well fenced flat 1/4 acre paddock , unbelievably unlucky.
Cheers
Lisa |
| barbara.gregory |
Posted - 23 Feb 2011 : 10:58:14 PM
How on earth did he manage to do that, Lisa? I would love one but alas my bank manager would never let me! Taz looked like a different horse after several weeks on the horse walker. It really improved his physique and outline.
Barbara |
| lisa rachel |
Posted - 23 Feb 2011 : 10:40:38 PM
Didn't comment on this at the time though I tend to feel a bit like Zan about them... it just shows that there is a mismnatch between the amount of time people have for their horses vs the amount of time the horses need..... ie if a horse can't be turned out, they should be ridden/ lunged/long reined/ handgrazed not bunged on a mind numbing machine...BUT I didn't say this at the time because I didn't want to sound judgemental.... I am only too aware of the time / money constraints on us all, and I believe that almost everyone on here does the very best that they can for their horses, I understand why people find them useful.
However having spent part of the day operating on a horse who has nearly had his foot pulled off on one (ddf laceration etc), I thought that a note of caution was in order, as some people above have said they must be used carefully, the lady who owns the horse I just mentioned is experienced and sensible and did nothing wrong, her prompt action saved her horse's life , but I have seen some ridiculous sights eg on a show yard a huge, nervous yearling being taken off a walker on which he was wearing side reins!!!
I see their advantages, loads of our clients find them invaluable but I wouldn't take one as a gift for my own horses, jmo
Cheers
Lisa |
| peg |
Posted - 16 Feb 2011 : 11:18:01 AM
Yes, to add to this: We had one installed two years ago and it is wonderful. We still have turnout every day unless it really is too horrendous, butI find it really useful as a (walk) warm up before riding my mare, and it is also brilliant for cooling her down afterwards. And before I cause outrage - my mare has lots of varied exercise and hacks in the forest as well as flat work )
Stuart is right: the foundations cost us far more than the actual walker, so don't be fooled! We have concrete foundations with rubber over the top. Our farrier actually said he prefers them not to have rubber as it is good to 'work the feet' (his words) on a hard surface, but I was too concerned about potential injuries.
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| pinkvboots |
Posted - 16 Feb 2011 : 10:43:22 AM
I use ours its indoor too so they don't get wet, Grace is fine on it and has really helped with getting her fit, she will go on while we muck out for about half an hour, Arabi is fine once on but not keen on going in and out have learnt that it is the noise so I completely turn it off and he is better.
Some people at our yard over use them in my opinion I think half an hour is quite long enough, Grace tripped over once and went down the first time we put her on but she got up ok and was fine. |
| kassha |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 7:29:32 PM
Well,I for one will not put any of my horses on one again.
Thankfully only my two were on at the time and I always put them with spaces in between .My gelding who is a bit of a bouncy chap but has always been sensible and walks in with his sister no question was on his feet one minute and the next was on his back with his legs in the air unable to get backup.
By the time I ran over to push the emergency stop button his sister was in the stall behind him and would have trampled on him had I not got there.
He did not have a cut or a scrape on him but the following morning could not walk and could not move his tail which was on one side.
He had damaged his pelvis nothing lasting and is on the mend now back to bouncing,his tail is begining to lift again but he does not like being brushed still and is quite sore.
So no more horse walkers for us!
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| emid |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 6:57:56 PM
I love the use of the walker. Use it most days for 30mins or to coo of after a ride etc. If he is in (like recently with a cut and infection)it allows clean dry activity and prevents the back legs swelling as they are prone.
I can not be there when he is put on as raji tries to follow me. I do question how long it will take for him to figure how to stop it as they are Arabs !
initially i was going to concede defeat and not bother, but after a few sessions he took to it fine. At one point he would walk backwards looking at his partner in crime behind
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| xsara |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 6:45:32 PM
we have one at work and we couldn't be with out it. It grest for warming up and cooling down or drying after washed saves hours of walking and helps limit the risk of tying up. It is great if you want to give the horse an easy day or get ones out of the box for an hour who aren't in work because of injury or rest etc. And it the really bad weather also if you dont want to give them a chill. We only walk on it, and can turn both ways as well. I had xsara on it a few times and she was fine though she doesn't exactly like it lol as it meant she had to walk on and not be lazy lol. she took to it very well we generally walk round with the horses to start with then unclip and slowly slip back till they get used to walking on and forward then slip out they do get used to it. |
| stuart |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 5:28:58 PM
Jude - in the nicest way...... and on behalf of my ponios....... we envy that fabulous facility!!!
......only as an option of course... |
| Jingo |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 5:04:21 PM
Stuart we've had ours for about 10 years now - it has a concrete base but we have the rubber cobbles and the sides are safe rubber sheets. We were advised not to go below a 5 horse as the turn circle and space is limited in a four. We only walk and have the advantage of going both ways so have had no problems at all. As you say combined with everything else it is such a great piece of equipment - oh ours has a roof as well, so they can go on in ALL kinds of weather. |
| LadyLuck1 |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 3:19:30 PM
We have one at the yard Kirstie is on 50p per day if you use it. Kirstie has been on twice and was fine with it. The side come off if a horse does freak out on it. We are doing lunging and long rein so dont really need to use it. There is a horse with us that damaged a tendon andis now walking 30 mins a day so the walker is a god send.
Love it
Mary |
| stuart |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 3:18:49 PM
Susie - I will reciprocate! If I win first - you and I will have shiny all singing walkers!! |
| phoenixbruka |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 2:54:03 PM
its fine stuart, I'll even buy you one as well when I win the lottery no probs!
susie |
| stuart |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 2:47:41 PM
If he can provide the recipe for proper concrete on a budget....... we would all like to know!! |
| phoenixbruka |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 2:42:38 PM
Thats the joy of having a farm as a livery yard - you have the farmer to do all the work with his boys toys!
Susie |
| stuart |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 2:29:51 PM
I cannot wait to have a horsewalker!! Field + Riding + Walker = sorted!!
I could have served my horses far better during periods of the last 2 winters with one!
Citing all the reasons Jingo has posted! I don't think that anyone who has one is suddenly going to either stop turning out or riding where possible.
As to the choice of circular or 'long sided' - 5k will not site you a cicular walker + concrete base either with or without rubber mats/bricks....... 15k will not see you even siting the long sided walker let alone the 'footing'.
Phoenixbukra - wish for 20k!! |
| phoenixbruka |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 1:19:36 PM
there have been several studies done that show traditional circular horsewalkers are incredibly BAD for horses! they put too much pressure on them going round and round and round.
The new designs that are shaped more like a running track with 2 long sides and 2 short sides with gentle corners put much less continuous pressure on their legs.
I would only use one of these TBH (as soon as I win the lottery or have a spare £5k I'll be having me one of those babies! )
but i agree, theres no subsitute for turnout!
susie |
| Mrs Vlacq |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 1:08:48 PM
Definitely have their uses, especially if you need him fit - as long as they are safe and on a good surface (not concrete!!) I can see the benefits.... not for young limbs though |
| Slave 2 Magic |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 12:05:26 PM
I have one at my yard and even though I have been there for nearly 2 years I still haven't plucked up courage to put Majic on it.
I always tend to fear the worst. She'd probably be fine. If turnout is limited I tend to lunge instead. |
| weirton |
Posted - 15 Feb 2011 : 11:51:12 AM
When used sensibly they are a great tool but as with any 'tool' they can be mis/over used.
Really good for keeping the muscles in trim when ridden work and turn out are impossible as in the icy weather we've had recently. Never a substitute though, just a useful addition. I wish......
Jean |
