Six-star stables: Jockey Club Olympic Stables Manager Tony Shea briefs the media on measures to ensure the safety and security of Olympic horses at the Sha Tin venue.

The air-conditioned stables at the Hong Kong Olympic Venue in Sha Tin are ready to greet the Olympic horses, with the first to arrive in the city on July 27.

The Olympic stable complex comprises four blocks of air-conditioned stables, offering 224 stalls for accommodating 200 Olympic horses. Separate reserve stables, also air-conditioned, are available for 25 horses. For details, click here.

Jockey Club Olympic Stables Manager Tony Shea said every effort has been made to ensure the safety and security of these valuable animals.

Horse welfare is a top priority, so the horses - and their grooms - have been provided with every possible amenity to ensure a spacious and comfortable living environment. The larger than Olympic standard stalls measure in at 3.6m x 3.6m.

To tie in with the green theme of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, the stalls are constructed from engineered wood made of sustainable bamboo and the rubber flooring is made from recycled tyres. The air-conditioning and lighting systems use 30% less energy than conventional installations.

Mr Shea said all Olympic stable waste will be sent to a vermicomposting plant where millions of earthworms will transform the stable waste into environmentally friendly, organic fertiliser.

The security features in the stabling complex include closed circuit television cameras in every barn. Special sensors fitted on the main doors add another layer of security to this restricted access zone.

Mr Shea, who has worked in both Beas River and Sha Tin and will be taking over as Quarantine Stables Manager after the Games, said the Olympic and Paralympic horses will be living in the lap of luxury.

"These stables are not just five-star accommodation, they are six-star," he added.