Race Horse Agistment.

Many owners of racehorses have to agist their horses at someone else's property. This can be for a number of reasons but the most common one is that the horse is in training. If the training is for a specific reason the agistment may be for only a short period. However, in many circumstances the training will be ongoing and agistment will be required on a semi permanent basis.

What are the benefits of having your racehorse agisted at a property that has expertise in this field? Normally, agistment properties that deal with racehorses on a regular basis will have additional services and facilities that working racehorses frequently require. For example, many racehorses acquire injuries during the course of a race and would greatly benefit from a swim in the pool or exercise on a treadmill or walker. These are facilities, which you would not normally expect to find at a standard horse agistment property.

Another benefit for injured racehorses is being exercised in salt water and you can find some horse agistment providers on the coast. This enables them to use the beach and allows horses to walk or exercise in salt water.

Most agistment properties for racehorses will have facilities for the horses to be in secure accommodation during the night but in open paddocks or yards during the day. By allowing the horse to have daily access to a paddock, which is sometimes shared but can be private, the horse is more receptive to training and exercise. It also allows the night accommodation to be cleaned and aired thus reducing disease.

Another benefit of expert racehorse agistment is that properties would usually have training and exercise gallops available to them. These exercise tracks will have varying gradients to allow for training up hill or on the flat. Some properties have their own gallops while others will be located near a racecourse where there will be tracks and gallops available. It is important for racehorses to be exercised in this way.

Horse walkers and treadmills are very useful to assist with warming the horse up before exercising. As every racehorse agistment provider knows if a horse is warmed up before exercising it is less likely to pick up an injury. Walkers and treadmills are also used as an aid in the treatment of horses with leg and back problems, as well as being used on occasions when weather is severe and horses are unable to get out into paddocks during the day.

Swimming pools are a great bonus and racehorses love them (with the occasional exception). Not only are they a great benefit in the treatment of injuries but they also help to keep fitness at the correct level.

The racehorse agistment provider will also be aware of the outside services and facilities that will be available to him for example, chiropractic or equine massage etc. These alternative therapies can be very beneficial, especially to those horses that respond badly to drug therapy.