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Harriet Graham trains at Brundeanlaws where, with the completion of our new stable block, we have a total of 17 boxes in two separate yards. The new stables are used for horses that are actually racing, whilst the other block (bulit in 1999), is kept for new arrivals, horses resting between races or up and coming youngsters. In this way we hope to stop the spread of any infection from new arrivals and also to keep each yard into its own separate routine. |
New Stable Block at Brundeanlaws |
The Border Hills |
We have access to thousands of acres of open hill land over which we ride every day. The ditches, burns and boggy ground they encounter teaches young horses to look after themselves which should hold them in good stead on the racecourse.
The amount of land at our disposal also enables us to vary the rides every day and to include natural obstacles to jump, which all helps to stop the horses getting bored. This is particularly useful for older horses and those that have come from big stables with limited facilities. In the winter, there is also always the chance of meeting up with the Jed Forest or Border hounds on some of our regular rides.
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| Having the Border hills on our back door, we have access to a wide variety of grass gallops including short uphill spins, long undulating canters and a long, stiff climb. We also have a superb, one mile, flat, oval grass gallop. The flat oval gallop is good for getting a serious bit of work into the horses without taking too much out. In particular, young horses enjoy it as it is so much easier then the hills. All our gallops are an easy hack from the yard. In extreme, icy weather, we take the horses either to one of the local all weather gallops or to Holy Island and gallop them on the beach. |
Our flat grass gallops |
The School |
We have four small paddocks and a large 20 acre field to turn the horses out into when at grass. Whenever possible we like the horses to get turned out for a couple of hours in one of our paddocks.
We have a four berth Monarch horse walker which we use in our daily routine to put horses on whilst their stables are mucked out in the mornings and evenings. We have also just put in a new all weather school behind the new stables which
we will use to break and back youngsters, start flat work and will be used to work the horses if icy weather prevents us getting onto our usual gallops.
We have our own Equisage machine which we use every day on all the horses that are race fit, to tone their muscles. We have also used it to great effect on horses suffering from sore shins, where application directly to the shins twice a
day removes the soreness. |
| Our schooling fences include hurdles and chase fences which are located on an uphill slope in our 20 acre field next to the stables. We also have a selection of logs, tyres and small cross country fences in the field which we start the youngsters over. Where possible, when given the time, we like to take young horses to shows and hunter trials to give them experience of an event as well as a jumping education. Some of the horses that we have trained have started by BHS eventing and some have also gone on to do so after their racing careers have finished. |
A young Harry Hooly at an Event
(Photo by Nick Morris) |
The Border Hills |
Away from the horses themselves, we use technology to help us to
find suitable races using the BHB/Weatherbys internet service. This service gives us a list of races for a set of given requirements (eg novice, handicap range, distance) and saves us wading through endless Racing Calendars looking for races. It also helps us to track the number of horses entered and declared in races to help us to decide whether to run. In the past, this has helped us to pick up some easy place prize money.
The internet also helps us to analyse races that we have entered using the Racing Post's excellent form history and entries listings. It also helps us to give better feedback to our owners about their horse's chances. We are also great believers in using e-mail where possible to keep
owners informed of entries, declarations, goings, the health of their horse etc. |
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More pictures of our facilities can be found by clicking here |
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