Established in 2016 as one of the early track systems and still today, one of the very few assisted DIY track systems in the country!
Hardy Hooves is a small track/equicentral system set over 12 acres in the beautiful Rutland/East Leicestershire countryside with miles of amazing hacking and bridleways on our doorstep!
Offering 24/7, 365 freedom, forage, friends & enrichment for ridden, retired and all walks of life. You don’t have to be retired or laminitic to enjoy the more natural and fulfilling life at Hardy Hooves but if you are, then you too can experience freedom and choice without constant confinement, stabling or tiny paddocks!
We have two herds here with a self imposed max of 5 horses in each to keep things friendly and settled for all. Many of our residents have been here for several years and spaces therefore don’t come up very often. When they do, it’s not uncommon for us to take a LONG time to fill them because we are very careful to match the right horse/human with the space available so don’t be surprised or offended if you see us re-advertising a space but know that you are still on our waiting list! This isn’t just for us. Its to give all our humans the best possible environment we can to enjoy chilled out time with their horses and of course if you have a mare and the space is for a gelding…….we can but add you to the list 🙂
Carrying on from that theme…..we are a relaxed and supportive yard with various farriers, trimmers, trainers, vets, dentists and body workers all who support us and make us what we are. All wonderful people who value our difference in the equine world and contribute to the welfare and enriched lives of all our residents.
Assisted DIY here requires only one visit a day (to fit in with a rota & depending on the space available – either am or pm) so is ideal whether you work full time, live further away or just struggle to juggle everything in todays busy world. No having to bring in early in the winter! The horses do this all by themselves 😉 No worrying about them running out of food…….its ad-lib and always available! So, a little about our herds:
- Herd one is a mixed herd and comprises our laminitic/ ems residents who have can’t have grass. This system comprises a clay dirt track during Spring, Summer and Autumn and a smaller limestone track from Nov – March. Always with access to shelter and surfaced hard standing areas. Our youngest has just turned 6; our eldest has just turned 21.
- Herd two is a geldings only grass track (albeit minimal grass) April – October and then equicentral over winter on rotated paddocks with mixed species meadow grasses. These paddocks will have been rested and untouched for 10-12 months! No over grazing here! Our youngest here is 8, our eldest 16.
On both systems, all horses have the freedom to roam, make their own choices, free access to shelters, scratch posts, automatic water troughs, climbing mounds, sandpits, woodchip rolling areas, hardstanding areas and of course AD-LIB hay!
Depending on your horses need, you would go onto either option 1 or option 2 but not interchange.
Some of our residents are retired & just enjoy chilling with their herd mates, some enjoy ground work and walking out in hand, others enjoy riding out & exploring with their humans along the miles and miles of stunning off road hacking and bridleways that surround us. All but one of our current herds and their humans have been with us for several years now. Our most recent addition joined last summer.
Life at Hardy Hooves is socially and physically enriched for all. Ridden and retired but also catering for those struggling to cope with laminitis, ems and other grass related conditions. Our tracks, with their natural ridge and furrow are also ideal for those who struggle with arthritis and other stable exacerbated conditions as well as those benefitting from greater movement in general. At Hardy Hooves your partner will have a more natural lifestyle with freedom, forage & friends always at hand.
When you’re not here you can rest assured your partners are safe and sound with owners living on site and cameras dotted around to keep an eye on things. There is a grass arena available during spring and summer and fabulous off road hacking on our doorstep.
As noted above, we are predominantly an assisted DIY yard and this requires just one visit a day either am or pm depending on the space available at time of enquiry. It requires one full yard barrow of poo picking, sharing in the distribution of hay in allocated boxes, keeping the hard standing areas clean and free from loose hay, mud and debris and occasional cleaning of water troughs. We do everything else – source low sugar/starch hay and arrange deliveries, muck heap removal, fencing (and there is ALOT of it to look after), repairs, power harrowing to remove grass on the grass free track, harrowing of fields, coordinating rotas, provision of mains electric, water, shelters, sand pits, batteries, energisers, Insurance, sand pits, ragwort removal (though we hardly have any) etc etc etc You would be surprised exactly how much work and how many costs go into running a track system properly. This is a far , far cry from grass livery so please don’t get us confused. If you do, then you won’t understand our pricing below!
Prices start at £250 PCM on the grass track and £275 PCM on the grass free track…..and yes, this includes ALL hay!
If you’re a like minded individual and think your horse would enjoy and benefit from living a more natural life here at Hardy Hooves, with friends, forage and freedom 24/7, please contact us for an enquiry form and to go on our waiting list.