Explore Our Track

Slow feeders

We have several feeders dotted around the track. These allow the horses to eat in groups with others and move around looking for other food sources as they would in the wild. Our slow feeders provide a constant source of forage availability which is so important to horses as they are trickle feeders.

Water

Our main point of water access is from an automatic water trough by our main barn. We keep this near the barn and the pond to ensure a constant supply of safe water.

Pond

Our pond has been a magical addition to the track. Horses use it to play, paddle, cool down, get muddy and browse pond plants. It is enclosed in its own fenced off area so it can be left with constant access or shut off if ever needed. Its undulating sides and slopes provides much proprioception based fun for our equine friends!

Places to rest and shelter

On track we have a large barn with the most innovative rubber matting available on the market, topped with our favourite bedding which is hemp based and very absorbent; a double field shelter and several areas of windbreak and hedging. We also have a sandpit, gravel pit and woodchip areas which are really popular for sleeping and playing.

Enrichment

Enrichment is a part of the daily lives of our horses here at Graveney Equine. Why? Because it important to us that horses have as many learning experiences as possible. These experiences not only enable them to increase their potential to interact effectively with the world, but to increase their positive mental states. Our enrichment takes many forms; different substrates, edible plants, physical puzzles, seek and find challenges, scratch posts, scents, self-selection, water buffets and natural obstacles to name a few.

Surfaces and tracks

Our tracks have a range of surfaces designed to abrade, toughen and harden hooves in a range of ways. From sand and shell to granite and limestone. We also have soft and/or dirt sections in most areas so that compromised horses aren’t made to feel uncomfortable on their journey to stronger hooves. We have over one mile of track in total at Graveney Equine which means in just a day horses are often travelling around ten miles under their own steam.

Woodchip Pen

This area is a firm favourite with all of the horses here. The windproof barrier provides a calm space and also acts as a suntrap on chilly mornings whilst the soft footing encourages horses to rest and sleep deeply in the company of their friends.

Sandpit

The sandpit is a HUGE area of deep sand. The horses go here to play, to sleep, to roll and clean their coats. We use beach sand here as it remains uncompacted and mobile in all but the worst weather.

Gravel Pit

This was an experiment that we saw so many benefits to. The horses, somewhat surprisingly, absolutely LOVE to roll here. It seems to scratch an itch that other areas don’t! But it also has the benefits of providing a comfortable place to stand for those finding their feet and once those stones start making crunching sounds underfoot, nobody can resist kicking up their heels and playing. The stones soak up all the wonderful summer sun and create a warm place to lie down, incredible for those with arthritis.

The Mound

The mound originally started life as a modest little pile of dirt but as we’ve excavated earth from other places, it has grown into what we have today. Covered with shell to provide grip it is a great place to survey the surrounding land and an even better place to charge up and down when playing!

Hedges

Our hedge line was planted with a range of horse-safe plants and trees especially to provide a range of nutrients and ultimately protection for the herd. We have willow, sea buckthorn, hawthorn, alder, hazel and many varieties of rose. As this grows and matures, it also provides important areas of shelter around the track.

Trees

Because our original set up was largely devoid of trees, we made it a top priority to start planting as soon as possible. Again, all horse-safe with the intention that eventually we will have an area of track that enjoys dappled shade and tasty nibbles along the way.

Isolation areas

Although our ethos is to keep horses together as a herd, we know that sometimes they may need to be slightly more contained for some physical health conditions. We also isolate new horses so that we can monitor their health and get to know them before they join the main herd. The principles of our isolation areas are that even when in them, the horses are never truly alone. They are still surrounded by the herd and not trapped in a small space. Our different isolation areas all provide for a slightly different range of requirements. Some smaller, some softer, some closer to the horses, others slightly further away.

Our Meadow

Our beautiful wild meadow is bursting with many different species of grasses and flowers and herbs. It provides an occasional grazing space for horses who are able to cope with fresh vegetation which is packed with plant-based nutrients. There are millions of bugs and creatures who shelter in the tall grass and ground shrubs and because of that we also get to see kestrels, barn owls, buzzards and little owls swooping over the meadow every day too.

Exercise area

We have a 25x25m exercise area with agility equipment and poles available. Lauren is a qualified trainer and also registered with the ABTC and can provide training and fittening services as part of livery packages.