Go behind the scenes during National Racehorse Week // AD

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Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at a racing stables? There is no better time to take a look as National Racehorse Week is coming up between 10th to 18th September. During National Racehorse Week, over 150 venues including trainers, racing stables, and aftercare centres are opening their doors to the public to see for themselves what really goes on behind the scenes. It’s a chance to see the high levels of care that goes into looking after racehorses first hand.  You can take a look around the facilities, and see the racehorses up close. 

A visit to Dominion Racing Stables 

We were recently invited to the home of Ian Williams Racing at Dominion Racing Stables in Worcestershire to take a behind-the-scenes look around. Dominion Racing Stables is an incredible facility for racehorses and is home to race winners ‘Buxted Reel’, ‘Sarsons Risk’ and ‘Alwajd’ to name just a few. Upon arriving at the stables just after 9am, the yard was a calm yet a hive of activity. Due to the warm weather, the majority of the horses had already enjoyed their morning exercise. They were being kept cool with a much needed refreshing wash down. The stables were being mucked out and supplies such as hay, feed and fresh water were all being replenished. 

At Dominion Racing Stables, there are over 220 acres of world-class racehorse facilities. It is heaven for the horses that live there. The yard is home to 78 purpose-built stables in its 13 barns. It has recently added to its accommodation with a new block where it can accommodate up to 100 horses.  There’s plenty of open space for the horses to enjoy as well as offering excellent training facilities. 

World-class training facilities 

We were given a guided tour around the racing stables which we all found really fascinating. We got the chance to look at the horse’s take on The Hill Gallop. The hill is a stiff uphill straight gallop for horses and is used for conditioning and fast work. The lower stretch provides the schooling fences for chasers. It was brilliant to see the horses galloping with their trainers, they really are very quick. There’s also an all-weather four-furlong round gallop which the horses can train on whatever the season. 

We had a look around the equine pool which is used to help with rehabilitation and fitness. Swimming is brilliant for horses with leg injuries and helps them build up their strength. We also had a look at the horse walker which is used regularly to allow horses to dry off after spending some time in the pool. There’s also an international sized arena which is used for warming up horses before their canter and gallop exercise. It’s also used during the colder months by all the horses and is a fantastic space. 

Incredible care by staff 

One of the things that I noticed whilst walking around the stables was the levels of care that the horses received from staff. There were lots of jockeys, handlers, stable hands and other yard staff tending to the horses. They were making sure the horses were all fed and watered whilst being cared for to be the best race horses they can be. We saw the farrier and the vet doing their routine rounds and it was fascinating to see how much goes on behind the scenes. The boys had some questions answered which was great as who better to answer the questions than the professionals themselves? 

Book your visit now ahead of National Racehorse Week 

If you want to go behind the scenes and visit an open day, you need to book in advance to reserve your spot. Open days include Henry Cecil Open Day, Epsom, Newmarket, and Malton open days to name just a few. Dominion Racing Stables are opening their doors to the public on Thursday 15th September. National Racehorse week is a celebration of racehorses so find your local open day and book your space with the whole family by checking out the National Racehorse Week website here.