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Winter weather poses a serious operational and safety risk for UK racecourses. Ice, snow and freezing conditions can shut down access routes, endanger horses and jockeys, and force expensive race cancellations. To stay open, safe and compliant, racecourses must invest in effective gritting and snow-clearing equipment – and often need flexible finance to do it.
Gable Business Finance is a specialist in equipment finance for the horseracing sector. We work with racecourses across the UK to fund tractor-mounted gritters, snowploughs, salt spreaders, tow-behind winter kits, utility vehicle attachments, grit bins and smaller manual equipment. Our team understands racecourse layouts, the pressures of fixture schedules, and the cost of lost meetings, which means we can structure finance that works with your operations and cash flow.
By spreading the cost of winter equipment over time, racecourses can maintain high safety standards, protect revenue, and build resilience against increasingly unpredictable UK winters – without tying up large amounts of capital.
Unmanaged snow and ice create multiple hazards across a racecourse estate:
Gritting and snow-clearing equipment helps to:
For horse welfare and public liability reasons, keeping surfaces safe in winter isn’t optional – it is a core duty of care.
Even if the racing surface itself is usable, a meeting cannot go ahead if:
With suitable gritting and ploughing equipment, racecourses can:
Race cancellations and partial closures can lead to:
Investing in the right winter kit – and financing it sensibly – helps racecourses:
Racecourses use a mix of large mechanised equipment and smaller manual tools to manage winter conditions efficiently across the entire estate.
Gable Business Finance can fund everything from a single tractor-mounted gritter to a complete winter operations fleet, including ploughs, spreaders, UTV attachments and salt storage solutions.
Racecourses rarely want to tie up large sums of capital in seasonal equipment. Instead, they spread the cost of winter machinery using tailored asset finance and loan solutions. Below is a clear overview of the most common options.
Hire Purchase is ideal for winter equipment you plan to keep long term.
Equipment leasing spreads the cost without immediate ownership.
Operating leases function similarly to long-term rental.
Finance leases sit between HP and operating leases.
If you already own tractors, UTVs or existing winter equipment outright:
For some racecourses, a straightforward commercial loan can be appropriate.
Gable Business Finance helps racecourses choose the most suitable combination of HP, lease, refinance and loan structures to match their winter operations strategy and budget.
Yes. Many racecourses choose to bundle tractor-mounted gritters, snowploughs, tow-behind spreaders and even bulk salt stores into a single finance agreement for simplicity and budgeting ease.
Yes. Gable can finance new or used equipment, with no strict age limitation, provided the machinery is in sound condition and has a verifiable value.
Yes. We regularly fund equipment purchased privately, at auction, or from other racecourses, not just dealer-supplied assets.
If you want to own the equipment over the long term, Hire Purchase is often the better option. If you plan to upgrade regularly or want a lower-cost, off-balance sheet solution, leasing can be more suitable. Gable will help you compare the options.
Yes. Many racecourses prefer seasonal or stepped payments that reflect their fixture calendar and revenue patterns. We can design a repayment schedule aligned to your cash flow.
Approvals are often possible within 24–48 hours, which is especially valuable if sudden weather events expose the need for better winter machinery.
Yes. If you already own gritters, ploughs or salt spreaders, we can refinance them to free up capital for other projects while you continue to use the equipment.
Absolutely. Gable can finance the primary vehicles (tractors, UTVs, ATVs) and the winter attachments (blades, spreaders, gritters) in one structured deal.
Yes. We support everything from small regional tracks to major Group 1 venues, tailoring finance to each course’s needs and scale.
Yes. Our team has extensive experience across the racing and equestrian sector, including turf care, machinery fleets and seasonal operations, allowing us to provide genuinely relevant, practical advice.
A major National Hunt racecourse operating through the winter required two large tractor-mounted gritters to keep access roads, horsebox parks and internal staff routes safe. Gable provided a 5-year Hire Purchase agreement covering both gritters and the initial rock salt supply, with payments aligned to the course’s primary jumps season revenues.
An all-weather racecourse invested in a front-mounted snowplough blade for an existing tractor and a tow-behind salt spreader for perimeter roads. Gable structured a Finance Lease for the combined package, allowing the course to upgrade equipment after five years while keeping monthly outgoings low.
Following a severe cold snap and near-abandonment, a regional course urgently needed a tractor-mounted gritter. Gable arranged rapid approval within 24 hours and set up a 3-year HP with no deposit, enabling the course to protect subsequent fixtures.
A dual-purpose flat and jumps venue upgraded an aging tractor and simultaneously added a snow blade and salt spreader. Gable combined everything in one multi-asset HP agreement, simplifying management and giving the racecourse a single fixed monthly figure to budget for.
A premier course with demanding hospitality expectations invested in a GPS-enabled, high-capacity salt spreader for large car parks and VIP driveways. Gable recommended a Finance Lease, maximising tax efficiency while preserving the option to upgrade to new technology at term end.
A smaller racecourse sourced a used plough, a used tractor-mounted gritter and new hand spreaders from different sellers. Gable provided a single finance solution covering all items, including privately purchased assets, improving winter readiness without a large upfront spend.
A racecourse already owned two tractors outright but lacked modern winter attachments. Gable refinanced the tractors to release capital, which was then used to purchase new ploughs and gritters. The course retained full use of its tractors while strengthening its winter maintenance capability.
A city-based racecourse with limited access routes invested in compact UTV-mounted spreaders for internal paths and narrow service roads. Gable funded the UTVs and the winter attachments via a lease agreement, offering flexibility to renew or upgrade after four years.
One venue focused on spectator safety by financing multiple grit bins, hand spreaders and manual tools as part of a wider H&S upgrade. Gable wrapped these lower-cost items into an existing machinery finance line, avoiding the need for separate loans and admin.
A large racecourse worked with Gable to create a multi-year winter resilience strategy, including funding for gritters, ploughs, additional lighting for winter operations, and improved salt storage facilities. Gable provided a combination of HP, lease and refinance facilities, phased over two seasons to fit budgets and planned works.