The facilities at St Gatien

The first class facilities at St Gatien Stables can currently house 37 horses and are maintained to a very high standard. Since I have been here I have carried out lots of improvements to both yards which include replacing all the stable doors with hard wood, galvanized framed doors. I've put new roofs on the Horse Walker Barn and the Isolation boxes, resurfaced the whole of the lower yard, replaced the horse walker floor with a rubber brick surface and painted all the stables and house – inside and out !

There are 13 good size boxes in the middle yard which are overlooked by the house. The new stables doors which were fitted last year allow the horses to look out and enjoy this peaceful setting.

The lower yard has 15 traditional equally spacious boxes with purpose built feed rooms and storage. In summer 2010 I built a further 7 brick loose boxes, additional storage and a staff breakfast room. We had numerous winners from these new boxes in the 2010 / 11 season so they seem to be doing their job well!

There is a small grass turnout paddock which all the horses enjoy at regular intervals. The covered horse walker is also an invaluable training aid. Access to Newmarket Heath, 2,800 acres of world class gallops and training grounds, is just a stones throw away from St Gatien. Positioned on the Warren Hill side of the Heath, I benefit from having easy access to both Warren Hill and Long Hill, two of the best training canters on the Heath. My horses can also regularly be seen working on the Al Bahathri gallop and using Sidehill and Bury Hill canters and cooling off through the woods.

The schooling grounds are based at the Links Golf Club along the Cambridge Road, which is a short hack away using Newmarket’s unique network of horsewalks. Here there is a new all-weather loose school besides the traditional schooling fences and hurdles on both grass and polytrack. Veterinary care is of the highest standard with the practice of Rossdale and Partners attending to the St Gatien horses. I also have my own modern 2 horse lorry and hire extra transport when we have the need.

I am very fortunate to have the use of Ark Farm Stables, the family farm nearby at Bury St Edmunds, for recuperating horses and for those needing a holiday or “freshen up”. If you would like to view the facilities at St Gatien Stables please feel free to contact Neil.