RACEHORSE trainer Ann Duffield has splashed out on the latest equine technology as her North Yorkshire yard goes from strength to strength.

The string at Sun Hill stables, at Constable Burton, in Wensleydale, has doubled in size to around 70 horses for 2016.

And Duffield, married to former classic winning jockey George Duffield, has invested in a state of the art Aqua Equine Treadmill to enhance the facilities at Sun Hill.

She is one of only two English trainers - the other being Sprinter Sacre's handler Nicky Henderson - to have this latest model and there are only five in the UK.

Duffield said: "It's an important addition to the facilities at Sun Hill because it doesn't just help with rehabilitation, it's great for core fitness. It helps the horses' build extra muscle and strength, improves posture, movement, cardiovascular fitness, and is very good for joints.

"It will help us get them fitter, avoid injury and, when injury does occur, it will rehabilitate them much faster, ensuring fewer days racing are lost."

For every 250 gallons of water, 200 kilos of Epsom salts are added . The benefits of Epsom salts, for horses and humans, are well documented and they include the calming effect the magnesium in the salts have on the horse when the salts are absorbed through the skin into the horses' bloodstream. Inhaling the vapours also helps with sinus and lung problems.

The water treadmill was designed in Ireland by equine chiropractor Rory Deane and the Duffields are convinced it is a sound investment as they look to build on a successful 2015.

The year saw 31 winners trained at Sun Hill but it is the number of two-year-old winners - 21 - which is seen as a particularly significant benchmark in the training ranks.

The aqua treadmill is part of a significant investment, which also features a new fibre-sand round canter and a new-look website is due to be launched early in the new year (www.annduffield.co.uk) The increased number of horses also means a bigger workforce, and Duffield has been busily recruiting six new full-time stable staff for 2016.

Meanwhile, the Duffields' secondary business also continues to grow (www.sunhill-lodges.co.uk). Six luxury log cabins have now been built on the hill overlooking the stables, with two more planned.