Kate Walton Racing ~ our training facilities

The yard
Sharp Hill Farm has been in the family since 1958. The farm is situated on the edge of Middleham and is close to the Moors and Gallops. The yard is positioned in a tranquil environment away from the village and has 60 acres of turn out paddocks allowing for the horses to have time out, after their daily exercise or following a days racing. An individualised training programme is drawn up for each horse.

Daily Routine in the Yard
6am: Kate feeds all the horses.
It is a good opportunity for her to see all the horses, check if they have eaten up all their feed from the night before and check that they are all OK.

7am: The staff arrive at the yard.
Prior to their exercise, the horses spend time on the walker which allows them to stretch their legs before they are ridden. The staff muck out the stables and give the horses fresh water. Whilst the staff are carrying out their duties, Kate decides what exercise routine the horses will be doing, who will ride them and which horses will work together in each 'lot'. The work board lists the names of the staff and which horse they'll ride each lot.

The first lot usually leaves the yard at approx 8.00 a.m. although this is very dependent on daylight and also weather condition. Each lot usually lasts between 50 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes depending on what exercise they are undertaking. Kate likes to vary their exercise to ensure that horses do not get bored and each exercise has various benefits. Whilst the horses are out Alan is responsible for placing hay in the horses stable for their return. 

There are usually 3 or 4 lots each morning depending if horses are racing or not. If Kate is not riding out she goes onto the gallops to watch the horses exercise. This is an important aspect as it allows her to see how the horses are moving and to make sure they are well. Once all the horses have been ridden the team sweep the yard and ensure that all the horses have got fresh water and have had hay. The horses are then fed their lunch. Morning stables are usually finished by 12.30-1 p.m. Some horses will be turned out in the paddocks during morning stables and weather dependant may be left out for the afternoon.

4pm: The team return for evening stables.
This involves a variety of tasks but the main responsibilities are skipping out the horses stables to make sure their beds clean, giving them fresh water and hay. The horses are also groomed at evening stables to ensure they are clean and comfortable. They are then rugged up for the night. Each groom is responsible for their own horses. Other tasks are carried out during evening stables such as taking horses for a short walk or for a pick of grass.

Evening stables: Kate will check all the horses at evening stables, checking their legs and condition to ensure she knows the horses inside out, she is then responsible for the feeding of the horses tea. Evening stables usually finishes at approx 5.30pm and are also a good time for clipping the horses through the winter time.

9pm: Kate lives on site and checks that the horses are OK before she goes to bed.

Middleham Gallops
With private access from Sharp Hill to the Middleham Gallops we have some of the best all weather and grass gallops in the country. Most work is carried out on the Low Moor but for a change of scenery for the horses or for extended exercise regular trips are taken to the High Moor which used to be a racecourse. Racing people found that the peat-based turf on Middleham's gallops is ideal for exercising horses and extending their capabilities without risk of injury.

Schooling Fences and Hurdles
Schooling is an important part of the training and education of National Hunt racehorses and Richie McGrath is a great asset to the yard with this. We ensure that the horses are schooled regularly and are confident in their jumping as this can make the difference between winning and losing. We have our own jumps at home and have use of the all weather schooling lane, hurdles and fences on the Middleham gallops.

Hacking
In addition to Middleham's High Moor and Low Moor gallops, there are plenty of rides in the surrounding area which we take the horses on. This helps to break up their routine and keep them fresh and enjoying life.


Horse Walker and Loose School/Sand Ring
The horse walker is used to supplement the training of racehorses. They help horses warm up and loosen their muscles prior to working on the gallops. They are ideal for horses who require extra exercise in order to achieve peak fitness and for those that cannot be ridden due to an injury.

The loose school/sand ring provides a secure and safe area for teaching horses the basics. It is also handy for training horses and for a break when the fields get too wet.