Saddle Up for Stable Safety With Two Way Radio

Running successful stables requires many different ingredients. Top quality facilities and equipment are paramount, as is putting together a team with the right blend of skills, knowledge and experience in equine care and management.

It isn’t just the well-being of your horses that counts. The safety of grooms, trainers and stable hands across a busy organisation requires careful coordination and, crucially, communication; that is where two way radio comes in.

Brentwood Communications has supplied two way radio solutions for more than 40 years. In that time, we have helped numerous equestrian businesses raise health and safety standards for all their staff with robust, reliable communications systems.

Championship stables

One of the big names we have worked with is Derby-winning trainer Roger Charlton. We were asked to upgrade the two way radio network at his Beckhampton Stables in Wiltshire, the base where he and his team have trained winners of the Prix du Jockey Club, the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot, and of course the Epsom Derby.

Beckhampton Stables is typical of many large equestrian operations. Comprising two separate yards, two all-weather gallops, two covered horse walkers, a trotting ring and a variety of grass gallops, the site is spread out over a large area deep in the Wiltshire countryside.

The key requirements for a communications system on a site of this scale are mobility, coverage and reliability. If a rider is unseated out on one of the far gallops, it is crucial that help can be contacted immediately.

With mobile phone coverage patchy at best out in rural areas, a closed two way radio network offers a much more trustworthy solution.

Digital upgrade

Our main focus at Beckhampton Stables was to upgrade the existing analogue two way radios to modern digital handsets. Because it does not operate using an existing infrastructure of masts and antennas, as mobile phones and broadcast TV and radio do, two way radio always has a limited network range. The coverage area is restricted by the power of the individual handsets.

Modern digital two way radios provide a better output than older analogue models, which brings big advantages for outdoor operations such as stables as it means coverage is obtained over a wide distance over a wider distance. There are other things you can do to boost range, such as use radios that operate on VHF frequencies, which work well in wide open spaces where there are few obstacles.

Another advantage of digital handsets is that they tend to be smaller and lighter than legacy analogue models. For jockeys and trainers, carrying a large, chunky communications device around with you is an inconvenience. Digital technology has allowed manufacturers to develop more slimline designs that are unobtrusive to carry and can easily be worn all day clipped to a belt.

Finally, digital two way radios also provide a range of in-built safety features. For convenient hands-free use, voice activation technology (widely known as VOX in the industry) means that radios can be operated and calls responded to without having to take your hands off the reins or break concentration on what you are doing.

If an accident does occur, digital models commonly include features such as an emergency button, which sends out an alarm signal to other users with a single touch. There are also automated alert protocols such as Man Down, which uses a motion detector to trigger an alarm in the event of a fall.

Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.