Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Margaux Farm’s gallop is an undulating 7 ½ furlong course built on the lay of the land on four separate hills. The synthetic gallop has five turns and is in the shape of a B when looked at from an aerial view. The outer loops of the course measures 5/8th of a mile, while the middle crossing of the track ranges 2 ½ furlongs and goes uphill. The middle strait of the course is beneficial for horses recovering from front end injuries and helpful to those that that may not be getting enough tone from behind jogging on the main track. The hills are also great for recovering horses in that it helps them to get fitter quicker without putting too much stress on the horse.
It has been proven that horses working uphill build stronger muscles behind and horses working downhill build stronger forearms and shoulders. The turns on the gallop are good for older horses and babies alike, and they can focus on proper lead changes and balance when entering turns. Margaux Farm’s track is built on an open layout, as there are no rails or barriers on the outside of the track. This style of training helps to relax the horse and focus on the task at hand.
The synthetic surface material on the gallop is a special formula made of pure silica sand, synthetic fibers, shoe sole rubber granules, and specialized wax. The wax coating found on our synthetic provides a near weatherproof surface for our horses. Since the surface essentially repels water, training can carry on year-round after the heaviest of downpours and at below freezing temperatures.
