Horsewalkers are a standard piece of kit at many professional and livery yards. Most horse owners are likely to have seen one in operation, or indeed had use of one themselves. But how many of us can say we’ve had training in how to use a horsewalker safely?
Walkers are generally installed to help meet the specific exercise needs of a yard’s population, whether that’s to help combat weight loss, increase exercise levels, or aid in warming up and cooling down for ridden work. One 2019 study found that 20 minutes on a walker was equivalent exercise to an hour’s turnout. This came with the caveat that while a walker could not replace the psychological and health benefits of turnout, a walker might assist in releasing energy and providing exercise in periods when turnout has to be restricted.
The composition, size and operation of horsewalkers varies across the industry and their build can be adapted to meet a variety of different uses. A private livery yard is likely to install a smaller walker than a large racing yard, whereas a rehabilitation yard might opt for an oval-shaped walker to avoid vulnerable horses walking on a constant small circle.
Once the idiosyncrasies of structure, use and the individual horse have been taken into account, what other factors need to be considered when implementing best, and safest, horsewalker practice? H&H spoke to experts in horsewalker manufacture and use for their advice on getting the most out of a walker while minimising the risk of accidents.
1. Wear the right gear
On the topic of handler safety, gloves were a unifying factor among our experts. The British Horse Society also advised a hard hat and appropriate footwear.
Lizzie Ragg, yard manager at the Berkshire College of Agriculture, told us staff and students are required to make a habit of assessing their own personal protective equipment (PPE) before every activity.
“Any time you’re leading, you should be in gloves,” she comments. “We have a rule here that means as soon as you’re leading outside the confines of the yard, where our walker is, you also need to be wearing a riding hat. Our horses leave the yard for two reasons – to be exercised or turned out. You don’t want a horse anticipating he’s going out and becoming strong or silly while you’re not protected.”
For dressage rider and rehabilitation yard owner Laura Whyte, a horse’s kit should be kept to a minimum.
“A pet hate of mine is seeing side reins and rollers on walkers,” she tells H&H. “Walkers are not an alternative to training.”
In Lizzie’s case, nylon headcollars are always removed on the walker and additional equipment is used on a case-by-case basis.
“We have some horses with bar shoes on, so I’d always put overreach boots on them on the walker. I think walker rugs are a good idea if you’re using the walker in cold weather and when warming up and cooling down. I know people do put horses on walkers in full tack, but it poses a higher risk. I wouldn’t allow my staff or students to put a horse on a walker in tack.”
2. Pay attention to the surface
“It’s important to ensure horses have grip, and aren’t hitting concrete or stone,” says Laura. “I don’t use a rubber tiling as it can be slippy. You get the same with concrete, plus it’s too hard. We use Equigrids for grip topped with a waxed surface.”
Sweeping out the walker removes droppings and standing water.
“I used to manage the yard at West Anglia College, where everything went on the walker each day,” Lizzie tells us. “That walker was swept out thoroughly every day.”
The BHS advises looking closely for any hazards.
“It is essential to keep the entrance area of the walker clear and obstruction-free. The surface of the walker should also be thoroughly checked before and after use. This applies to rubber matting as well as bricks, which could potentially overlap and cause a tripping hazard.”
The BHS went on to recommend consideration of weather conditions, and advised owners are mindful of using uncovered walkers on wet or icy days.
Lots of walkers employ an anti-lock braking system (ABS), which means the pushers aren’t blown around the walker when it’s not in use. According to a video on its website, Monarch Equestrian suggest levering the ABS off for cleaning the walker for ease of moving around the track.
3. Warm up your walker
Lizzie Ragg comments that users should consider that some walkers need to be warmed up – run for a few minutes – before loading horses on.
Guto Davis, saftey specialist at horse walker manufacturer Molenkoning, explains why: “Some walkers run on oil and when the oil is in use, it warms up and gets thinner. This causes the walker to move faster, which can speed up the horses. With Molenkoning, we use an electric motor that requires no warming up or servicing.”
4. Timing is everything
Laura says it’s important to be considerate of other horses if you’re adding yours to the walker.
“When you stop a walker, it’s disruptive. Horses sometimes turn around in their partitions if they get agitated,” she warns. “The best thing is to time it well, so the empty partition lines up with the gate and you can load the horse straight on. Then, the walker is stationary for as short a time as possible. If you’re unsure about it, let someone more experienced help you.”
She adds that you can use the placement of the partitions to show your horse where you want him to go.
“If you make sure the pusher at the back of the partition is close to the door, your horse has a big open space to walk into. He’ll be encouraged to start moving in the direction the walker is set to.”
Laura prefers to put first-timers on the walker alone so other horses aren’t at risk.
“I start off slow and keep my fingers on the control panel while he walks. If he stops, I stop the machine and it gradually revs down to nothing. You’re trying to make sure they don’t get a wallop from the pusher. It’s fine if it hits their bum gently, but no big crash up behind.”
Meanwhile, the BHS told us: “To make sure your horse is confident and comfortable when introducing them to a walker, it is best practice to use the ‘follow the leader’ principle. By having a more experienced horse in the lead position, you can reduce the risk of your horse turning in the opposite direction.
“The use of an assistant to operate the gate and speed/directional controls is recommended too.”
While loading horses, Molekoning advises the walker “should be stationary and electric gates off when entering”.
Horsewalker manufacturer Monarch Equestrian’s website advises the handler should always stay between the walker’s outer fence and the horse.
5. Work on both reins
Our experts universally advised equal work on both reins as a key part of how to use a horsewalker safely. In addition, Molenkoning stipulated 20 minutes as a maximum session time.
Guto tells us: “Our walker timer is set to ten minutes in each direction as it is imperative that horses are exercised equally on both reins. We install, and advise DIY users to allow, a 2.5m width track to enable all sized horses the space in which to turn around easily when the horsewalker changes direction.”
Instead of using both reins in a session, Laura opts for alternating the walker direction day-by-day.
“I personally don’t think turning on the walker is a comfortable manoeuvre. We’d always turn them manually by taking them off and reloading them.”
6. Match your horse to his companions
To ensure comfort on the walker, Laura considers who goes on with whom.
“Older horses don’t go on with fit competition horses, and certainly for less time,” she says. “People with nervous horses who jog tend to put a quieter one in front. This doesn’t really work – if there’s a horse in front they’ll want to catch up. Instead, we put a slower horse behind a nervous one to get them thinking about the horse behind and matching them.”
If a horse seems too unsettled and jogs continually, Laura brings him off.
“People often interpret jogging as a horse blowing off steam, but in my experience it’s usually just anxiety.”
7. Consider additional safety measures
Many companies offer bespoke features, such as wider walkways. Molenkoning walkers come with electrified gates and pushers as standard, but these can be turned on or off while the walker is in use. Monarch stipulates on its website that electric gates should be turned off when horse are loaded on and off.
The panels on Laura’s walker are mobile.
“If they really panic, our pushers swivel upwards up to 90 degrees, like a cat flap. Even though they’re heavy metal panels, you know there’s a safe get-out if needed.”
8. Get your walker serviced
Monarch advises walkers are serviced every 12 months, depending on usage. In a video on its website, the company explains: “For highly used walkers, such as racing yards… we recommend every 12 months. For quieter yards, possible every 18 months.”
For Monarch walkers, services should be conducted around your own basic checks, made periodically – namely hydraulic oil checks at the control box and heavy duty gearbox oil supplied to the bearing plates and ball bearings, part of the mechanism in the centre. If you haven’t topped it up in a while, you can “start to hear a grinding noise, as the ball bearings will have basically dried out.”
9. Placement is key
The general consensus states that horses should not be left on a walker unattended. A spokesman from the BHS told us: “One of the most important things to remember when using a horse walker is to ensure you can always see the walker and horse. The equipment must be easily accessible too, such as the emergency cut-off controls, in case of an accident.”
“From the yard to the walker is only about 12 strides, so I’m never out of range”, says Laura.
The BCA’s walker is outside the confines of the yard, so Lizzie has to consider staff and students getting the horses to the walker safely. “We teach the students about risk-assessing, reading the situation,” she explains.
“As well as correct PPE we ask them to consider the correct method of restraint on the horse, thinking about who they are and their behaviour on the day. For example, stronger horses are lead in a slip bridle to the walker.”
The BHS also stressed the importance of risk-assessment, adding: “This includes making sure everyone involved in the use of a walker has had an induction in safe use and procedures. We would recommend this for all staff at a centre and also for situations where livery clients may place their horses on and off the walker.”
10. Is it in your horse’s best interests?
Lizzie encourages staff and students to look at the whole horse before deciding if the walker would be a productive part of his routine.
“The main thing we focus on is benefit to the horse. We wouldn’t use the walker indiscriminately. If you’ve got a native type that could do with shifting some weight, the walker could be a useful addition. A horse whose legs have filled overnight would be helped by a session on the walker. However, if you’ve got one with arthritis, being stuck on a circle isn’t going to be beneficial.”
Analyse the situation
According to our experts, how to use a horsewalker safely comes down to assessing your horse, yard and the walker you have access to. As well as this, regular checks and professional services keep a walker running as it should, and ensure you are wearing a hat and gloves whenever you load the walker. Ultimately, consider compatibility of a range of factors in relation to your horse – walker size, speed and surface, your horse’s routine, temperament and condition, his companions and how he feels on the day.
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