I am more familiar with “European” exercisers and the “cool down” use of mechanical hot walkers at the racetrack but around here I see a lot of the barrel racers who seem to use mechanical hot walkers for some form of conditioning (as in horses go on it for a few hours at a time).
I would worry about the diameter of the walker (seems much smaller than most freestyle exercises) and horses always seem to have their head higher than when walking “normally”. But it seems to be a fairly established practice in my area. What am I missing?
I don’t like them for the same reasons. The circle diameter is usually quite small. If you use it with any frequency, the footing needs a ton of maintenance because the horses are all on exactly the same track.
Edit: I’m thinking of the central pillar style walkers with 4-6 (not so long) arms, to which the horse is tied. Not the European-style ones with walls and dividers, where the horse is loose.
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you are comparing two different but similar products… an excelsior and walker
Yes, my question is because in my mind they are different products but the neighbours seem to be using their walkers the same way Euro jumpers use their exercisers.
the answer is than they are going to do what they think, the products are similar but not the same as you noted… changing the neighbor’s mindset is kind out of your control
There are many things that I see done with horses and most anything else as “What the Hell are they doing That for” that are completely out of my control and unless dangerously harmful there is nothing else that can be done, other than saying What the hell.
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This is so true. Every discipline and geographic region have practices that are accepted as normal even though they’re not remotely in the horse’s best interest (nerved tails, weighted tails, no turnout, neck sweats, headset gadgets, etc).
Humans basically suck, that’s all there is to it.
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I’m not sure what your question is?
I’ve used them before (and want to buy another one) as a way to get through more horses in a day. I work full time so my riding is limited to after work hours and weekends.
Most of the people I know who use them saddle up 4-6 horses at a time, throw them on the walker, and start riding. The walker allows the horses to warm up their muscles and joints at a walk so that the rider can pull one off and go straight to work. When the rider is done, they can put them back on the walker for their cooldown. Instead of 15 minutes before/after every ride, a machine is doing that, thus saving a couple of hours of work if you’re riding 8-10 horses a day.
I’ve also had them used when the turnouts are too wet for horses to go out, or the arena is soup, but the horses need to mentally get out of their stalls. Since the walker doesn’t allow them to gallop and leap and buck and snort through the air, it’s a safer outlet than throwing them on the end of a lunge line.
If someone is just throwing horses on them as conditioning, that’s stupid, but there is a true, very practical purpose for them.
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there is a design difference between a hot walker and exerciser… they look similar but differ. A European style horse exerciser allows free movement without tethered restraints whereas the standard hot walker the horse is tethered
Originally posted by Arelle View Post
I’m not sure what your question is?
I’ve used them before (and want to buy another one) as a way to get through more horses in a day. I work full time so my riding is limited to after work hours and weekends.
Most of the people I know who use them saddle up 4-6 horses at a time, throw them on the walker, and start riding. The walker allows the horses to warm up their muscles and joints at a walk so that the rider can pull one off and go straight to work. When the rider is done, they can put them back on the walker for their cooldown. Instead of 15 minutes before/after every ride, a machine is doing that, thus saving a couple of hours of work if you’re riding 8-10 horses a day.
I’ve also had them used when the turnouts are too wet for horses to go out, or the arena is soup, but the horses need to mentally get out of their stalls. Since the walker doesn’t allow them to gallop and leap and buck and snort through the air, it’s a safer outlet than throwing them on the end of a lunge line.
If someone is just throwing horses on them as conditioning, that’s stupid, but there is a true, very practical purpose for them.
there is a design difference between a hot walker and exerciser… they look similar but differ. A European style horse exerciser allows free movement without tethered restraints whereas the standard hot walker the horse is tethered
there is a design difference between a hot walker and exerciser… they look similar but differ. A European style horse exerciser allows free movement without tethered restraints whereas the standard hot walker the horse is tethered
^^ This, that was my question (and it was a genuine question not a “WTH, my neighbours are dumb”).
I am not familiar with the 4 to 6-horse mechanical walkers because they’re not common in my background (freestyle exercisers are what people use in addition to turn out). However, seeing them so widely used around here, I was wondering what the benefits were, how people were using them, and whether the concerns about diameter, etc I had were legitimate or not.
Thanks! 
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I sold a hot walker that came with my farm to a standardbred trainer. He said that in the winter when he can’t jog his horses he puts them on a covered walker for exercise to keep them fit, and does it before turnout so they are less inclined to be stupid. He said that they had done studies and it also helped with reducing ulcers, I assume because the horses were moving and not in their stalls
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I’ve never seen a walker with arms that short! The farm I was at that had a walker the arms must have been maybe 15 feet long.
They would use it for their cutting & roping horses. They would go ata walk for a while, then trot for 15 or so minutes and then walk for an hour. Those horses were fit and hardly saw the vet, never saw one take a lame step either.
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