Is the treadmill or eurociser best for getting for keeping a race horse in condition?/ Or for brining him back after a layoff?
griff
Treadmill vs. Eurociser
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Treadmill vs. Eurociser
"We has met the enemy and he is us" [Pogo]
No experience using either, but here's my 2 cents:
The horse treadmill gives me the willies. I fell off my own treadmill twice when I was just momentarily distracted, so a treadmill for a horse seems very unsafe to me. The potential for injury, especially at high speeds, seems extreme. Imagine a horse tripping and spilling off backwards. I've only ever seen it in use on video, but the ones I've seen were really clattering things. An Aquaciser seemed better than that to me. The horse sloshes through the water which makes his muscles work hard, but it doesn't build up those tremendous speeds
The Eurociser seems better than a treadmill. They are walking on stationary ground surface, not a moving belt, and the moving panels encourage them to keep going. It's familiar to them like a hot walker. I think that has to be tons safer. But of course, either way, you need an operator to be right there present every second. I assume the Eurociser is a lot more expensive (especially with the walls and roof), but it will last longer, like a hot walker, since the motor only has to move the panels. I'll bet the treadmill will have to have the belt replaced a lot, and it will suffer a lot from the concussion, and the motor will go out frequently because of the strain of pulling the belt with the horse's weight.
The horse treadmill gives me the willies. I fell off my own treadmill twice when I was just momentarily distracted, so a treadmill for a horse seems very unsafe to me. The potential for injury, especially at high speeds, seems extreme. Imagine a horse tripping and spilling off backwards. I've only ever seen it in use on video, but the ones I've seen were really clattering things. An Aquaciser seemed better than that to me. The horse sloshes through the water which makes his muscles work hard, but it doesn't build up those tremendous speeds
The Eurociser seems better than a treadmill. They are walking on stationary ground surface, not a moving belt, and the moving panels encourage them to keep going. It's familiar to them like a hot walker. I think that has to be tons safer. But of course, either way, you need an operator to be right there present every second. I assume the Eurociser is a lot more expensive (especially with the walls and roof), but it will last longer, like a hot walker, since the motor only has to move the panels. I'll bet the treadmill will have to have the belt replaced a lot, and it will suffer a lot from the concussion, and the motor will go out frequently because of the strain of pulling the belt with the horse's weight.
"When I am on my deathbed, I imagine I will say, 'Thank God I did that'" - Arthur Hancock, on buying back Gato del Sol from Europe after Exceller was killed in a slaughterhouse in Sweden.
We have a european walker here. They are brilliant. We had a filly which went back at the end of November who was on it for 4 weeks. She's now ready to run. You'd be suprised the muscle and tone it can give a horse. Ours has jogging speeds ect, but we only ever walk. Also use it for not in foal mares to get them ready for the season, just weaned mares to avoid any mastitis troubles, and great for nasty weather days when horses can't really get out. We'd be lost without ours I must say.
Terri
Terri
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Sylvie Hebert
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high speed treadmills are used in vet hospitals all over the country and horses are examined and tested while on it.I have seen horses falling on it and it immediatly stops and horse is non violently evicted to the rear,not really scary,i have known trainers using it at all speeds and in a good program with a smart person it is very useful,walking treadmills are useless.horse walkers are pretty much useless also keeping horse on a very tight circle head in the air and on same usually wrong surface and at a walk or trot (and i have seen many horses badly injured in freak walker accidents)...amost always turning same side.Equi-cisers are another story,most of them too small and people leave horses unnattended and surface is not taken care of but...(again a but)i have seen bigger ones(100 feet(like tapeta farm) or even almost like a track with straightaways)and on some horses used almost exclusively to a good result,with constant monitoring and a good maintenance.but some horses climb the pannels or travel sideways or badly,i have seen them with elastic reins,hearth monitors and all.it surely is better than a bad rider(even ME knows that) but i believe a horse should be trained on the surface it is going to run on or ideally, since it is going to travel anyway, on various different surfaces and at the gait similar to the one being used in a race(gallop open, not hobby horse canter or trot or walk)i don't think you can train a runner without running,like only swimming(any swimming races for horses yet?)or walking(no powerwalk races either)or trotting(except standarbreds)Walking is exercise to old people like me only and even to me it is not real exercise,trotting is for suppleness and discipline,a galloper has to gallop...so don't tell me your horse was ready to run a race after months on a walker or walking on a treadmill,it was only ready for walking races,bone remodeling,muscles,nervous system was certainly not ready,and this is the perfect recipe for breakdown in a few races or works.
The sport and industry survive not only because of the champions that are remembered forever but also because of the losers that are so easy to forget...
Oh bull. I have yet to see horses climbing sideways up the panels. And as far as the surface is concerned it's crumb rubber which is raked every day. As my husband and I do all our own work, quite impossible to sit with them to make sure they don't kill themselves, which they don't. The biggest single pain with the walkers is the clever bastards which know if they "sit" on the rubber partition, it stops. Enter Mr. Electric Zapper, as in the same as an electric fence on the rubber partition, and all normality is restored. And guess what, they go both ways. Imagine that, they don't have to go in a circle one way only. And 6 horses train at the same time compared with one on a treadmill which requires your full attention at all times. Sorry, I'm not a rich person who can afford to hire a treadmill attendant. And yet amazingly, my horses seem to be in good health, happy, and without joint problems.
And just remember, no matter how safe the treadmill, the stable, the field, the walker, ect, some horses will manage to hurt themseves anyway.
Terri
And just remember, no matter how safe the treadmill, the stable, the field, the walker, ect, some horses will manage to hurt themseves anyway.
Terri
Our trainers added a Eurociser at their farm three years ago, and it has been a godsend, particularly in winter months, or rainy days when the nearby dirt training track was sloppy and the turf gallops were slippery and boggy.
With the weather we're getting right now, it's a good thing they have it, because the paddocks are pretty frozen, too. It's a great way to get horses fit, and they can jog under tack as well.
I've only seen treadmills at equine hospitals, with horses under very close supervision and monitoring. I'd vote Equiciser all day.
The only issue I recall was once, our oldest homebred was quite a social butterfly and attempted to push his way through the Equiciser's divider to join his best buddy in his portion of the machine. He thought it be more fun to walk in company.
With the weather we're getting right now, it's a good thing they have it, because the paddocks are pretty frozen, too. It's a great way to get horses fit, and they can jog under tack as well.
I've only seen treadmills at equine hospitals, with horses under very close supervision and monitoring. I'd vote Equiciser all day.
The only issue I recall was once, our oldest homebred was quite a social butterfly and attempted to push his way through the Equiciser's divider to join his best buddy in his portion of the machine. He thought it be more fun to walk in company.