Visiting Kentucky’s Horses
There’s a good reason that Kentucky is often associated with horses.
For generations, Thoroughbred horses have been raised and raced in the state, and the world takes notice when the Kentucky Derby is run the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs. The American Saddlebred, which was utilized during the American Revolution, even has its own museum at Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park, and Shelbyville is the Saddlebred Capital of the World.
A visitor to Kentucky will find many opportunities to interact with horses, to learn about the different horse breeds and history, and even saddle up and take a horseback ride.
Making New Friends
Old Friends is a retirement facility for Thoroughbred horses in Georgetown. Founded in 2003 by former Boston Globe film critic Michael Blowen, it has become a haven for retired racehorses to enjoy the rest of their lives on a 236-acre farm.
Blowen and his team have provided homes for over 240 rescued and retired horses. Old Friends has grown from a modest leased paddock space to the impressive farm that welcomes 20,000 annual visitors. Among the horses to live out their golden years here have been Breeder’s Cup Champions Alphabet Soup and Amazombie, Belmont Stakes winners Touch Gold and Sarava, and the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Silver Charm, who was repatriated from overseas stud duties.
A tour guide leads you around rolling paddocks lined with miles of weathered wooden fencing dotted with name plaques. Look closer and you’ll notice horses names on the bridles, as well. You can learn their stories and embrace the opportunity to come close to these beautiful animals, some of whom have mastered the art of begging for carrots.
The mission of this nonprofit is to keep Thoroughbreds safe and loved during their golden years. The farm refers to itself as the “living-history museum” of horse racing. Visitors get an up-close and personal opportunity to meet some of racing superstars, as well as some who never made it inside a winner’s circle.
Visitors may also meet some of the friendly farm cats and other animals who keep the retirees’ company, including a miniature horse called Little Silver Charm.
Every horse here has a story, and some will be sure to tug at your heart strings. You may have arrived a stranger, but after meeting these horses, you’ll feel like old friends.
Kentucky’s Horse Heritage
Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park was opened in 1978. More than 500,000 people make the trek here annually to visit all manner of horses and explore the grounds and museums.
The history of the park dates to 1777, when Patrick Henry, then governor of Virginia, granted 9,000 acres of land in the Kentucky territory to his brother-in-law, William Christian, as a reward for his service in the French and Indian War. Several owners came later, including Daniel Boone’s niece, Anne, and the property was eventually sold to the State of Kentucky in 1972. Lovely remnants of past owners remain including the Big Barn, which was constructed in 1897. With 52 stalls, it now houses Draft Horses. Elsewhere on the property is a house built in 1866, now used as offices, and a still-in-use training track from 1897.
Visitors will spy foals frolicking in the fields as the mist rises in the morning, and seasoned equine residents strut their stuff and mug for the cameras.
Dotting the grounds are statues and memorials—including the impressive statue of Man-O-War. There are opportunities to visit numerous horses in the barns, and to explore the Hall of Champions, the International Museum of the Horse, the American Saddlebred Museum, the Wheeler Museum, the Al-Marah Arabian Horse Gallery, or just to sit back and enjoy the spectacle of the Parade of Breeds. The parade is a longtime guest favorite typically featuring Arabians, mustangs, and Lipizzan, all of which have been donated or loaned to the park. The park also houses retired racehorses such as Preakness winners Funny Cide (2003) and Point Given (2001).
This equine theme park, the only one dedicated to man’s relationship with the horse, also offers trolley tours, a kids’ barn, special events, exhibits, restaurants, films and more.
It’s not just a home for horses, but a home to celebrate them.
Horses in the Wild
Breathitt County, in the eastern region of Kentucky, is home to the Appalachian Horse Project Inc. In partnership with local officials, landowners and horse lovers, this non-profit works to keep track of free-range horses that live in several Kentucky counties.
The horse populations, made up of domesticated horses, abandoned horses and feral offspring, are managed and often fed. Oversight includes population control, since abandoned stallions have frequently been introduced, which has threatened to create unsustainable herds.
Shauneese Brandenburg, a volunteer, said the herds came about after horse owners were allowed to use the grassy level sites in the steep mountains that had been created by decades of strip mining. But then, people who couldn’t care for their horses began abandoning them, and the population started to grow.
In 2015, the Appalachian Horse Project started after residents realized the growth of the semi-wild herds could be an issue.
“The goal is to support the horses, the horse owners, make sure the horses can stay safe, stay healthy and can stay in the mountains,” Brandenburg said.
She said there are nine counties in Eastern Kentucky with free-roaming horses. The herd in Breathitt County contains about 400 horses, but across the nine counties, there are about 1,000 horses.
“We have named probably 95 percent of the horses; they are documented in a database, so we know who the mother is … and who their siblings are.”
Tours to visit the herds offer visitors a unique experience. “These horses can be friendly, and the difference with other roaming horse tours is that you can pet and feed these horses,” she said.
“We always need local volunteers and donations, anything to support their welfare.”
Kentucky on Horseback
Cumberland Falls in Corbin has long been a popular attraction for visitors. It is the second largest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains, and the largest waterfall by volume south of Niagara.
Along the Cumberland River, the area is also known for the rare phenomenon of moonbows, or lunar rainbows.
Moonbows appear during the night and are visible only during (or very close to) a full moon. The Kentucky Department of Tourism says the Cumberland is the only location in the Western Hemisphere where you can view a moonbow.
The falls are free to visit, and there are opportunities for walking and hiking in Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, which offers a lodge, camping, and outdoor activities.
Cumberland Falls Horse Riding Stables has been taking riders through these hills and forests for more than 20 years. Riders aged 6 and up can take a 45-minute guided trail ride. You cannot bring your own horse to the Cumberland Falls, but there are several horse camps located nearby in the Daniel Boone National Forest and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation area.
Other places to ride include The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, offering horse and pony rides for visitors, and Whispering Woods Riding Stables in Georgetown, which has trail rides for ages 8 and up on a 250 acre property. Riders often spot fox, deer and turkey along the way.
The Kentucky Department of Tourism says the Bluegrass State turns regular people into horse people. “Even if you don’t come to Kentucky a horse lover, you’ll almost certainly leave as one.”