Needs - Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage - page 49

called long reining). This gives not only your horse good exercise but you as well, as you
will be walking briskly to perform many of the maneuvers.
In-hand work is a practical way to introduce your horse to various new areas on or near
your property. It is a great warm-up and manners review and good exercise for you, too.
Electric horse walkers can be useful for occasional sessions but should not be viewed
as the mainstay of a horse's exercise program. Thirty minutes on a walker once or twice a
week might be a good alternative on busy days. Depending entirely on a walker for exer-
cise could result in a stiff carriage, resistance, laziness, and boredom.
Free-run exercisers are a recent innovation and consist of pens that rotate in a circle in
a concentric pathway around the central motor hub. Unlike with a conventional walker, the
horse is not tied and can move his head and neck freely.
Sherlock demonstrates that longeing can be a great exercise option and a convenient
way to work on balance and form; 2 to 3 inches of footing is ideal.
Treadmills can also be used for an occasional workout, providing that the horse is gradu-
ally conditioned to the work and carefully monitored for signs of stress. A continuous climb
at the 5- to 7-degree slope characteristic of most treadmills can be fatiguing. A workout