Makeover magic

Whether you want to restore an old yard to its former glory or pull down derelict sheds and start from scratch, a stabling project needs a vision. Martha Terry discovers how to do it

- Martha Terry

GLOW-UPS are all the rage. Home renovation shows have been a TV staple for decades, and the vibe extends to the horse world, too. Whether it’s the shaggy winter cob transformed into a summer showing star, or tumble-down back yard converted into stunning stabling, we can’t get enough of it.

Gemma Dickens and her mother Lesley embarked on a project yard, Calke Abbey Racing Stables, Derbyshire, which had fallen into disrepair. It had been owned by a trainer who was jailed for growing and selling cannabis on the premises.

“We couldn’t see the yard or the property for trees and all the buildings were full of manure or rubbish,” says Gemma, motivated by giving her two veteran grade A showjumpers a luxury retirement. “When we removed the trees to fix the buildings, we found a shed and a horse walker we didn’t know were there.”

Gemma has refurbished the stables and the gallops, and the next project is the indoor arena, which has a collapsing floor where there were tunnels that had been built under the floor.

“We’ve done a lot of the work ourselves, and I’ve learnt new skills like driving a tractor and basic plumbing,” adds Gemma, a director at Deloitte.

Now four years on, Gemma has opened the gallops to the public and welcomed a trainer with 14 racehorses to the yard.