importance of hand walking horses

Question
QUESTION: hello sir. in at our local racetrack, horses are hand walked in the morning and everything for solid 45 minutes. may i know what is the purpose of hand walking a horse? is it an exercise for them?

ANSWER: hi  this is a usual thing that we would do if the horse is not schedualed for a gallop or work out that day.  lots of trainer do a lot of walking in the training.  thanks ED HESS

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QUESTION: thanks for the answer. is walking an exercise for the horse?

Answer
hi i don't think that walking is a exercise for a horse. it is a part of the training you do. most every horse walks quite a bit in their trainng. they enjoy it very much. it is a relaxation for them also. a happy horse is a good horse. thanks ed hess