Our Facilities at Bellwood Cottage Stables
Stables
We have recently extended our capacity to 63 stables at our Highfield base and have a further 35 stables at our Bellwood Cottage yard. Many of the younger horses or horses on rest are kept at Bellwood Cottage whilst horses in full swing are stabled at Highfield. However, what’s most important is finding the stable which your horse is happiest in. They are all airy and are cleaned out via steam cleaners regularly.
Gallops
Our range of gallops is excellent and essential to the way in which we do things. We have both the use of Langton Wold gallops as well as Tim Fitzgerald’s Highfield gallops. These combined gives us the use of two polytrack gallops, a sand gallop and numerous grass gallops.
Indoor School
Our indoor school is situated at Highfield and is used by every horse before each lot to allow them to warm up and then after each lot to cool down. During the winter months when weather can be inclement we are never held up thanks to this furlong and a half covered ride.
Schooling Grounds
Whilst both sets of gallops have their own schooling grounds we also have our own private one with regualtions hurdles, brush hurdles, Easyfix hurdles and fences and tyres and poles. We pride ourselves on horses jumping well and it’s the hours spent on these schooling ground that are vital in us achieving that.
Equine Spa
This is without doubt as useful a piece of equipment that we have. Whether and old horse is suffering from wear and tear in their joints or a horse has just badly banged a joint the spa speeds up recovery time and keeps joints ice cool.
Horsewalkers
We have two eight-horse walkers at Highfield and a further four-horse walker in use at Bellwood Cottage.
Treadmill
Installed in 2017 this is already proving to be an excellent training aid. Horses can walk, trot and canter on it. We have found it particularly useful for horses returning from injury, ones starting pre-training and also keeping horses that are in full training fresh between races.
Paddocks
At both yard we have the use of turnout paddocks. We find that this keeps a horse mentally fresh and allows them a bit of ‘down time’ in between races and whilst they are on their holidays.