Many First Farm Inn guests come to us because they love horses or have kids who want to have a horse-related career when they grow up. While we offer more hands-on riding and individualized horse learning experiences than anywhere else, further south in Kentucky there are many places to see and learn about horses, particularly the Thoroughbreds the Commonwealth is known for.
The Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky Horse Park (open 9-5 daily) is 1.2 hours southeast of us. Opened 40 years ago to channel horse-lovers away from trespassing on private Thoroughbred farms, the KHP is now headquarters for many breed associations, the United States Pony Club, the Dressage Association. The Museum of the Horse shows horse pictures and objects back to Greek and Roman days. Indoor and outdoor show arenas attract horse shows of all varieties year-round. https://kyhorsepark.com/index-2.html
Arrive by 11 or 1 to see the Parade of Breeds when horses are ridden or shown to demonstrate their traditions and heritage. A farrier shed has demonstrations throughout the day. Walk through the draft horse barn and see how little Bode is. Ride the trolley pulled by giant Percherans or Belgians.
Special Events at the Horse Park
Hunter-jumper events, carriage driving, police training, breed association shows, rodeos, reining competitions, Olympic equestrian events, anything you can do with a horse is demonstrated at the Kentucky Horse Park…. See the website for a full schedule: https://kyhorsepark.com/events/calendar/index.html
If you have a pre-teen, come for Breyer-fest, when kids of all ages get a small Breyer horse with the admission fee. Meet horses the models are designed after. Coloring contests, Breyer horse shows, lots of activities. July brings the Mustang MakeOver where trainers who selected a $200 off-the-range mustang demonstrate their gentling and training. January is the U.S. dressage finals in the giant heated and cooled indoor arena.
Equine Medical Centers
Surrounding the Horse Park are amazing equine medical specialists and surgery centers. Just seeing the huge steel I-beams used to move sedated horses onto horse-shaped operating tables is fascinating, as is the waste disposal system and the “pre-op” and recovery stalls. I’ve been lucky enough to observe several surgeries too.
Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, 4250 Iron Works Pike, Lexington, Kentucky 40511-8412 https://www.hagyard.com/about/visitor-information Tours are given by appointment only. They must be booked through the website or by calling (859) 963-1004.
Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, 2150 Georgetown Rd, Lexington, KY 40511, schedules tours through https://visithorsecountry.com/book-your-tour/#id=rood-riddle-equine-hospital-lexington https://www.roodandriddle.com/about/hospital-tour—video
Kesmark Equine Rehabilitation Center
If you have any interest in horses, any connection to medicine or rehab work, you will find Kesmark fascinating. A Texas native, Kirsten knows horses as well as any vet. She uses experience, intuition, common sense and medical knowledge to bring horses of all breeds, ages and sizes back to full function after injury. I am in awe of her, as are her clients.
You will be astounded by the facility and what she does for horses. See the horse swimming pool, aquatred system, hyperbaric oxygen chamber, cold saltwater spa, vibration platform and all kinds of physical therapy exercises for equines. She also offers internships! http://kesmarc.com/ Call 859-873-9955 to schedule a tour.
Keeneland Racetrack
In Kentucky, only one Thoroughbred track is allowed to run at a time. Keeneland’s dates are the months of April (when they have the Bluegrass Stakes, the last Derby prep race) and October. Whether you are interested in horses or not, visiting this beautiful historic track will be a treat! Part of the movie Secretariat (in which Dana has a couple cameos!) was filmed there.
Unlike Turfway, the pole-barn track in Florence that runs Dec.-March and is filled with slot machines, Keeneland is beautiful. Park on the lawn under century-old trees. Admire the hand-laid rock walls and buildings. Watch the horses parade in the shade of mature trees. Use your winnings to try Kentucky Burgoo and Bourbon Barrell Ale. https://www.keeneland.com/
If you walk the shedrows, be VERY aware that these horses are not the snuggle bunnies you found at First Farm https://www.firstfarminn.com/horseback-riding/ Stay at least 4’ away from open stall doors to avoid being bitten! Many of the horses are stallions with energy and anxiety to burn! Some will snake a head out and take a bite out of you in an instant.
Keeneland Thoroughbred Sales
Horses stabled at Keeneland generally work on the track 6-10 a.m. The track kitchen is open to everyone until 2 p.m. Check the schedule for Thoroughbred sales in the spring and fall. Again, give these horses plenty of room. Foals often come straight out of pastures, have not been handled much and are likely to bite and kick. A friend who worked the sales years ago showed me a dent in the wall about 10 feet above the ground kicked by a horse she was leading! They replace the low wood regularly but this spot is so high that it’s still there! https://www.keeneland.com/sales 859-254-3412
Private Horse Farm Tours
Eliminating individual private tour operators, Lexington recently took lessons from Disney and set up a ticketing system to visit horse farms, so you must go to https://visithorsecountry.com/ to buy tickets and schedule tours. https://visithorsecountry.com/itineraries-for-you/ Schedule in advance as some tours have minimums of 10 or other requirements.
If you’d like to enjoy the iconic Lexington view of mares and foals in paddocks grazing among the daffodils, in March or April turn east on Iron Works Pike off I-75 South, then south or right onto Russell Cave Road. If you’re going to Old Friends, take 460 West from I-75, then take Newtown Road to Lexington.
VisitHorseCountry lists some of Lexington’s historic house tours also, Henry Clay, Mary Todd Lincoln, John Hunt-Morgan
Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center
Just west of Georgetown, Kentucky, about a half-hour from the Horse Park, Old Friends is a Thoroughbred retirement farm, started after a Kentucky Derby winner was found at a killer auction in Japan. Celebrities and other have donated money to buy horses. Many are donated at the end of their racing careers. Old Friends allows these aging equines to live out their lives without trauma. Tours are $10 for adults, kids 6-12 are $5. Daily tours start at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. To book within 24 hours, call 502-863-1775. http://www.oldfriendsequine.org/ 1841 Paynes Depot Rd, Georgetown, KY 40324
