LyroticalSurfer

But, don't a majority of your horses run on turf (compared to US dirt tracks).

And, aren't pain medications more restricted in the UK circuits, so you really can't run a horse into the ground in the same way as US trainers can.

Also, what is your typical fitting up program? In the US, horses are typically stalled 23hrs and then either put on an exercise wheel (think a 70 foot diameter device that jogs them in a circle) or do a lap or two on the track. A relatively few trainers might swim horses. But, very seldom do you see trainers who take a horse out cross country for any distance or do hill work as part of a training program.

The horse walker is a very important tool for us

My experience in the US is that the 'horse walker' is actually used as a primary fitness training device. The horses are put into it and jogged one direction for about 10-15 minutes, then reversed and jogged the other direction for an equal amount of time. I've worked with trainers who used that as their PRIMARY fitness training for their entire string because it's free and there's no exercise rider fee associated with it. The only gallops are on the track and sometimes, for a fitted up horse, that is only when they need to record a work out.

To me, it's a miserable existence for any horse, but the trainer that I know who used exclusively jogging on a 'walker' specialized in training 2yos. Aside from the 'walker' they lived in their 12x12 stall 24/7. I found that especially sad, since young horses generally want to go out and 'play' so much more than mature horses.