Kentuckiana Lodge is a highly maintained harness training facility, consistently being fine-tuned with regular improvements.
Consisting of 100 acres (45 Hectares) of pasture green grass for its equine athletes, it has a professionally groomed 1000m track.
“I have a beaut 3-tonne track conditioner from Bendigo, Victoria, which can go as deep as I want,” said Cran Dalgety, Proprietor of Kentuckiana Lodge.
“It’s one of the best things we've ever bought and makes the track like running on a beach,” he said.
“Having the track surface like a beach enables the horses to work and get their heart rates up without going fast, reducing the risk of injuries.”
A few years ago, a new barn was added, essentially to house up to 14 yearling
colts as Kentuckiana Lodge annually replenish our horse stocks from the yearling sales.
The barn has been constructed close to the Kentuckiana Lodge training track, allowing easy access and room for breaking-in, and long-reining of the youngsters.
The hay racks a bit lower than usual, and they open out so you can fill the feed bins without actually entering the box.
We made some slight modifications after viewing other barns and it's an ideal home for the yearlings that arrive here from the sales.
CO-TRAINER NATHAN PURDON SAYS HAVING THE YEARLINGS HOUSED AWAY FROM THE RACE TEAM IS HUGELY BENEFICIAL.
"It's great to be able to have a barn purely for the babies, they come from so many different farms that you don't want them mixing in closely with the race team," he said.
"The yearlings love it, they've got windows at the exterior of each box which while allowing extra ventilation, also gives them a view out over both tracks so they keep an eye on whats going on. Having their paddocks just a stone throw away is perfect too.
Kentuckiana Lodge has multiple established barns, used to house the strong race team.
Traveling to race-meetings, workouts, and trials are carried out in comfort in either the horse transporter or tandem horse float.
The operation is run methodically, in a controlled, calm, atmosphere.
