Equiciser-Conditioning-Thoughts?

[PlaytoWin]

We have been considering installing on of these on our farm, for a while now, and would most likely start soon.
Has anyone had any experience pro/con with these contraptions?
Opinions on usefullness?
Thoughts on theory?

[Shannon]

Just make sure you have good footing. I know of several farms who walk their yearlings for up to 30min each way for sales prep. Lots of places use them with great success.
Best advice...don't cut corners. Spend teh money and do it right teh first time when getting it put in. ANd take weather into consderation when planning the footing and location.

[BJ]

We have been considering installing on of these on our farm, for a while now, and would most likely start soon.
Has anyone had any experience pro/con with these contraptions?
Opinions on usefullness?
Thoughts on theory?

They are good for warming horses up before going to the track for a gallop and especially before a breeze. As far as "conditioning" I think they are just good to "maintain" a certain level of daily condition on days when the track is wet/off, or the horse has minor down-time issues.

Just my opinion, based on my limited exposure to them. But then again, I hang around "natural" trainers. I know some farms use the aqua-treads to get young horses prepped for sale, BUT I would advise against them as they are very hard on the ankles and young horses are still forming cartilage. Anything designed to get a horse fit QUICKLY is generally NOT a good idea. Gradual and natural is always best.

[Intrinsic Worth]

Shredded rubber is the best footing I've seen for them. You just have to go in and rake it occasionally to even out the footing.

Some use plain rubber matting, but that gets slippery from the feces and urine.

[camohn]

To make them truly useful you have to do what our Amish neighbor does: hook it up to various equipment for milling grain and churning the ice cream maker ! (And I am actually NOT kidding!!!)

[BJ]

To make them truly useful you have to do what our Amish neighbor does: hook it up to various equipment for milling grain and churning the ice cream maker ! (And I am actually NOT kidding!!!)

Gosh...even the Amish have progressed. Historically they would have hooked the machine up to the horse and made the horse do all the work.

[camohn]

Yup. We have progressive Amish....most of whom are packing cell phones and one has imported a Dutch WB stallion from Holland to breed better buggy horses. They love their flashy saddlebreds but they on the whole are a bit skittish and delicate to make road horses........so are crossing Saddlebred mares w/ Dutch WB stallion to get something saner and more sturdy with the flashy movement. One bunch are avid Eagles fans and know more stats on the Eagles players than any "English" young men I know!!!

[Sylvie Hebert]

we have one here and use it a lot on crazy horses or sore ones.also put the babies in it for some controled exercise and discipline.ours is 60 feet.if i had money would get 100 feet or even those with the straightaways...you do have to get the footing right and maintain it well.

[Intrinsic Worth]

BTW they are quite expensive and generally horses shouldn't be left alone while in one.

[Denise]

I know the addition has really helped our trainers, especially because of the dicey weather here in the northeast. They have the shredded tire base and it's easy to maintain and easy footing. They only use it for general fitness conditioning when the ground is bad, or for warmups prior to gallops. Mostly, the horses are turned out ahead of the works if the ground's okay.
Our funny equiciser story of the past fall has to do with our homebred, now 3yo. Last Oct. he was put on the walker, but lonely for his buddy who was in the stall ahead of him. He bulled his way right through the divider so that he could walk along side his friend, after he figured out he couldn't jump over it!
Fortunately, no injuries, and he's now learned he has to walk/jog alone.

[Gallop58]

Sylvie wrote: "if i had money would get 100 feet or even those with the straightaways..."

I have only found one company which makes an exerciser with straightaways and they are in Germany.... Is anyone aware of other companies which are selling "free flow" exercisers with straights?

KH

[madelyn]

So would shredded rubber be good footing for a small exercise track?

[chumsalmon]

When I was a Drill Sergeant we used shredded rubber to teach hand to hand combat/Combatives. While it is a soft surface I don't know how good the "footing" would be and I would be afraid to do anything more than a slow gallop on it.

also after a day of training I would always have alot of black "dust" when I blew my nose and would always wonder how that was going to affect me later in life.....

[madelyn]

Huh... thanks... was the hand to hand combat taught indoors?

[chumsalmon]

Both actually. we use open pits and covered training areas. The covered training areas seem to keep the rubber fresh, but with more of the dust. The open pits have less dust but the rubber dries out faster and becomes more brittle with time and would seem to have less secure footing.