A racehorse trainer has been given the green light to create a gallop at his equestrian premises in Whissendine.

A planning application for the two furlong oval gallop - the minimum length to allow racehorses to be fully worked - was submitted by Matthew Mackley, of Retreat Stud Farm in Pickwell Lane, and approved this week by Rutland County Council.

A report supporting Mr Mackley's application said the lack of gallop 'is harming' his business from moving forward as racehorse owners are more likely to choose trainers with such a facility.

The report explains: "Gallop training is an essential day-to-day part of getting racehorses fit, and without it, horses are not able to fully undertake deep aerobic exercise and stamina building that enables them to properly compete in races.

"At present, the applicant has to transport race horses to other people's all-weather gallops, which is very much time and cost inefficient.

"Furthermore, there is a limitation to how many horses can be transported and galloped off-site each day, meaning that only small batches of horses can be fully gallop trained each day."

The report states that it would be a 'major hazard to the welfare of the horses' to gallop in the fields without installing an all-weather surface.

"The ground conditions would more often than not be unsuitable and dangerous, easily becoming poached in wet conditions, or too hard in hot, dry weather," it adds.

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