Story highlights
- It's healthy for horses to have down time away from the stables
- Sand is soft underfoot and low impact on horse's joints
- Seawater soothes skin and muscles
(CNN)Training horses can be a tough, exhausting business, so what better than a ride to the seaside?
Racehorse trainer Gai Waterhouse, known as the first lady of Australian racing, is a firm believer in time spent at the beach.
But it's not for her benefit, it's for the well-being of her horses, she tells CNN.
Rehabilitation
Firstly, training on the sand is low impact on a horse's tendons and joints. The sand is soft underfoot and has more "give" than turf, reducing impact and the likelihood of jarring.
"It's particularly good for horses that might have been injured," Waterhouse explains.
Exercise
Not all animals love the water, but when it comes to horses, cantering in the sea is effective exercise.
Waterhouse compares it to professional athletes running in a hydrotherapy pool, with joints and muscles supported by the water.
It's good strength and conditioning work, with minimal stress on the horse both physically and mentally.
Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
Bird's eye view – Two horses are exercised on Laytown beach ahead of the Laytown Strand horse races -- the only ones in the Irish and English calendars to be run on a beach under the Rules of Racing.
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Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
Setting course – Men work to erect the temporary race course on Laytown beach.
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Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
Seaside speed – Horses gallop along the Laytown beach course.
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Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
Coast with the most – A view of the action as riders and jockeys come into view through a gap in trees above the beach.
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Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
Reflected glory – A tightly-bunched race field is mirrored in the water.
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Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
On the hoof – Fresh hoof prints in the Laytown sand.
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Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
Rich tradition – These extraordinary races have been part of the local landscape since 1868, when they were held as part of the Boyne Regatta.
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Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
Riding the waves – Horses walk through the water ahead of a race. Races are run over distances ranging from five furlongs to two miles.
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Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
Best seat in the house – Spectators watch in a huge field with sweeping views over the beach and its racing action, while some get to perch in an improvised grandstand created in dunes on the edge of the beach.
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Photos: Beside the seaside: The horse race where life's a beach
Water's edge – There's nothing else quite like it in Europe -- the only horse race where life's a beach.
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'Massage'
The seawater also soothes a horse's skin, cleaning any cuts and loosening muscles.
Like a sports massage, this can be particularly beneficial when training levels have increased.
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Down time
It's also healthy for horses and their riders to have some down time away from the stables.
"Playing in the sea and sand lets the horses relax," says Waterhouse. "It gives them something else to do other than running hard in circles."
A horse's performance can drop if it gets bored of training, so a trip to the beach rejuvenates both horse and rider.
As Waterhouse puts it, "It's playtime as well as good exercise."
