Horse walkers are a vital piece of equipment for anyone
who is serious about horses and stabling. A Horse Walker is
a useful time saving way of exercising your horses, and
also of cooling them down after a ride. Other uses include
halter breaking and nursing an ill animal back to health.
Renewed daily use of a horse walker should result in a
stronger, fitter horse. Using a horsewalker before a ride
means the horse will be able to concentrate more on the job
in hand when he is taken out and tacked up.
There are several different types of horsewalkers but
they all have common features. Most horse walkers cater for
four or six horses at a time although there are horse
walkers on the market to suit almost any number of animals.
Basic models are flat packed and assembled on site, but at
the other end of the spectrum, stables can buy horse
walkers with roofs on, with fencing and with a huge range
of speeds and controls. Most walkers, as well as having
variable speeds, also have a forward and a reverse
motion.
Higher end models allow you to take pressure off parts
of the horse which may be injured, to stop it bucking, as
it may do in an open field, and preventing its wound from
fully healing.
Safety is always the priority, and those looking to
purchase an equine exerciser should make sure it suits both
them and their horse, and has basic safety features such as
an emergency cut off switch, should the horse become
distressed for any reason. There should also be enough
space within the horse walker for the animal to be able to
relax.