Kate Walton Racing - Facilities

 

The 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 dailey exercise or following a days racing. Each training programme is tailored for each individual horse.
 
Daily Routine in the Yard
6.00a.m. - Kate feeds all the horses. It is a good opportunity for her to see all the horses and check if they have eaten up all their feed from the night before and check that they are all ok.
 
7.00 a.m. - The staff arrive at the yard. Before the horses are exercised the team start to put horses on the walker (which allows them to stretch their legs before they are ridden), muck out their stables and give them fresh water. Whilst the staff are carrying out their duties Kate decides what exercise the horses will be doing and places staff members names next to horses on the board and determines which horses will be going in which lots. 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 mins and 1 hour 30 mins 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 feed their lunch. Morning stables are usually finished at about 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.
 
4.00 p.m. - The team return for evening stables. This involves a variety of tasks but the main responsibilites are skipping out the horses stables to make sure their beds clean, giving them fresh water and also fresh 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 are also a good time for clipping the horses through the winter. 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 5.30 p.m.
 
9.00 p.m. - As Kate lives on site she 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 access to 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 gran gallops is ideal for exercising horses and extending their capabilities without risk of injury.

Schooling Fences and Hurdles

Schooling is such an important part of our job at home. Richie McGrath is a huge help within this area. We ensure to our best ability that the horses are schooled regularly and have their confidence jumping as this can make the difference between winning and losing. We have our own jumps at home including baby and tractor tyres and then also have the use of the all weather schooling lane, hurdles and fences on Middleham Gallops.

Hacking

As well as the use of the Gallops within Middlesham there are also plenty of rides surrounding Middleham which we take the horses on. This helps to break up their routine and keep them fresh and enjoying life.
 
 
 
 

Horse Walker

The automatic horse walker is used to supplement training, they are ideally suited to help horses who require extra exercise in order to achieve peak fitness, or for those that cannot be ridden due to an injury.
 
 
 
 

Loose school/Sand Ring

This 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.