It’s March! The skies are blue-er and the countdown is on for the “official” first day of spring later this month. In Horse Country, it’s also known as breeding season, foaling season, and the ramp up to the Kentucky Derby.
We don’t want you to miss a thing! Things are hopping in Kentucky, and choosing just three must-do activities was a challenge! But here we offer a cheat sheet as Spring rolls around again…
1. Foals, Foals, Foals
Admittedly, we can get sidelined midday by checking in on Foal Patrol or searching the #foalfriday hashtag on Insta…but can you blame us?!? What is better or cuter than baby horses?? Nothing, we submit…nothing.
Nursery farms raise horses, and this time of year is full of action as new life springs up all around. Breeding season is mid-February through early June, and equine gestation period is 11 months, making January – May foal season. Visit a nursery farm this time of year and you are guaranteed to ooooh and ahhhh over the sweet faces that greet you – you just might be meeting the next great champion!
The gates are open at Horse Country nursery farms – book your tickets now and get up close with some mamas and babies this spring!
Blackwood Stables is open for tours! Blackwood is a premier thoroughbred training, breaking and rehabilitation facility tucked in the rolling hills of Woodford County. This unique stop in Horse Country is a dynamic look at what makes a racehorse. Our favorite thing? Watching the horses breeze and seeing a clocker in action!
Pro tip! Training is an experience of category in Horse Country, so get a Blackwood stamp in your Horse Country Passport and be one stop closer to a free souvenir tee shirt!
3. Horse Country at Home Photo Exhibit
Local photographer Mary J Speer presents Horse Country at Home, a curated gallery of images at various Horse Country location in different seasons.
The exhibit will be available at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center beginning this Friday, March 8th with an opening reception and celebration at 6pm. A silent auction of the photography benefits the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and the Bluegrass Land Conservancy.
Can’t make the party? No problem! The installation is available in the gallery through May 5 & free to visit.
Complete your stay in the Bluegrass with accommodations on a working thoroughbred farm.
Nestled in the heart of Horse Country is family-owned thoroughbred nursery Saxony Farm, operated by the Hundleys for more than 50 years. Tours of Saxony – including a family-friendly experience designed to let the kiddos have some fun – run March through October and can be booked through Horse Country.
But for guests looking for a little more- and possibly some quieter, more intimate accommodations on a farm – Saxony is pleased to introduce its rental house, the Dew Drop In. The Dew Drop is a family-friendly home available for booking weekend stays at Saxony for up to 8 guests at a time. The views are breath-taking and yes, the horses really are this beautiful and up-close. This is the perfect option for a fully Kentucky experience, with easy access to surrounding towns, other farm tours, the KY Bourbon Trail, restaurants, sights, and views all around.
We at Horse Country can help with your Saxony Farm tour, but all inquiries and interest for the booking the farm house should be handled directly through their AirBnBlisting.
The 2019 Pegasus World Cup is this weekend and these 12 horses will be vying for the coveted $9 million purse at Gulfstream Park. The field is rounded out with Breeders’ Cup winners and contenders and even a 2019 Eclipse award winner (congrats by the way to Accelerate and all his connections!). Tune into NBC Sports on Saturday, January 26 to catch all the action.
1. Bravazo: sired by Awesome Again who stands as Adena Springs
2. Something Awesome: sired by Awesome Again who stands at Adena Springs
3. City of Light: sired by Quality Road who stands at Lane’s End Farm
4. Seeking the Soul: sired by Perfect Soul who stands at Darby Dan
Before you head to Kentucky for your Horse Country tour, you’ve been researching everything you can about the industry. One word that keeps popping up is “aftercare” and you can’t figure out exactly what it is. Don’t worry, we’re here to help by answering a few common questions.
Melissa Bauer-Herzog shares some insight into the very important work that is aftercare.
What does “aftercare” mean?
While many horses go on to have breeding careers after their time on the track–including most you’ll see on Horse Country stallion farm tours–not every horse has the racing credentials to land a spot in the breeding shed. With horses retiring from racing at a young age, they have a whole life ahead of them and most of them are talented and sound enough to try a new career. Former racehorses have become pleasure riding horses, competition horses, and loving companions. This part of the industry is called aftercare.
In the aftercare industry, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance works as an umbrella organization to accredit and financially support individual aftercare nonprofits that retrain, rehome, and retire horses once their racing careers are over.
You’ll often see those horses retired from the track and retrained for second careers called off-the-track Thoroughbreds or OTTBs.
When do horses retire from the track?
The retirement age for racehorses isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. Some horses may retire at only 2 or 3 years of age if they don’t show talent for racing while others may race long into their teens. In 2018, the oldest horse racing at U.S. tracks was Leffingwell Lion, a 15-year-old.
Many racing jurisdictions have rules on how long a horse can race if he hasn’t broken his maiden (won a race) but it isn’t unusual to see older horses successfully running in the lower levels of racing. Many horses will also transition to steeplechasing as they get older, finding success racing over the jumps long after their flat racing days. You can find siblings from many successful horses in this type of racing, including a full brother to grade 1 winner Point of Entry.
How are the racehorses retrained?
The great thing about racehorses is that they already come with a good base of training that just needs to be built on for their new career. Most of the time the racehorses will get some time off after the track as their body adjusts to a new routine. The time off depends on the individual horse and their owner, some may take only days while others will be off for months. The horses are often restarted slowly while the rider figures out what they know and what they need to be taught, but it isn’t unusual for them to advance quickly in this training.
You can see the training a racehorse goes through by booking a tour to Keeneland then see the aftercare and training that goes into them after they retire at the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center or Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center. If you want to see the work that goes into a show horse, Horse Country’s tour of Spy Coast Farm will give you a good idea of the training regimens of high-level show horses.
What is the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance?
The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) was formed by the racing industry in 2012 to provide funding to aftercare organizations that meet its strict criteria. Funded by farms and other organizations in the sport, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance has granted more than $13.8 million to accredited aftercare organizations since 2012, with 70 organizations currently accredited by the organization. The Kentucky Equine Adoption Center and Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center are both TAA-accredited organizations that provide Horse Country tours.
Are all retired racehorses in aftercare facilities rescued?
While some aftercare facilities also rescue horses, just because a horse is retired from a racing career doesn’t mean he is a rescued horse. Many owners and trainers play an active part in finding their horses a home for their second career – from finding them a home themselves to placing them with one of many racehorse aftercare facilities around the country.
Will any horses we see on the Horse Country tours end up in second careers?
Most of the horses you’ll see on the Horse Country tours at farms are already in their second careers as breeding horses. However, if you see any foals or yearlings, one day they may find a life after the track in a second career as a riding horse. If you visit the Kentucky Equine Adoption Center or Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center, you will see horses who will be transitioning into their second or even third careers.
How can I help with Thoroughbred aftercare?
If you have a favorite aftercare facility, most will take donations in money or supplies. If you aren’t sure of an aftercare facility you’d like to donate to, you can donate straight to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Donations to the TAA go to their accredited organizations to help Thoroughbreds transition to new careers.
This year, we get to welcome our guests to Fasig-Tipton, North America’s oldest thoroughbred auction company, as they offer their first ever tours starting in 2019!
2.
Top Chef in the Blue Grass!
Bravo’s Top Chef newest season takes place right here in central Kentucky! Denali and Runnymede were even filming locations! That’s right, those running horses in the opening credits are Horse Country residents! We are excited to host all of the Top Chef fans that come to visit as well!
You can catch new episodes every Thursday at 8:00 pm on Bravo! If there is on thing we love just as much as our thoroughbreds, it is good food!
3.
Passport to Horse Country!
Coming this year is our first ever Horse Country Passport! The Horse Country passport is designed for you! Use your free passport to collect stamps of locations you’ve visited, earn prizes, and commemorate your time in Kentucky.
4.
New Crops of Thoroughbreds!
Every year, we get to welcome a new crop of foals in Kentucky! That also means a new group of yearlings that just turned 1 year old and a new class of runners that are now old enough to race! That means we will finally get to see American Pharoah’s first crop on the track this year!
5.
Foal Patrol 2.0!
The National Museum of Racing And Hall Of Fame’s viral sensation, Foal Patrol, will be back for it’s second year! Foal Patrol Season 2 gets you closer to a collection of in-foal mares (and a stallion!) via live cameras where people can view real-time streams.
6.
Hosting our Wonderful Guests!
Our most exciting prospect on the horizon of 2019 is YOU! There is nothing we enjoy more than sharing our Horse Country with locals and travelers alike! Maybe we are biased, but the blue grass is a magical place and it is our pleasure to open our gates every day.
Meet your tour group at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville. That’s where your Mint Julep guide will begin your bourbon and horses adventure. You’ll travel into Horse Country, east of the city, in a luxury bus with up to 23 other guests.
Ashford Stud Farm
The first stop is Ashford Stud Farm, a beautiful and expansive facility owned by Coolmore America. Justify isn’t the only impressive stallion living at Ashford Stud. You may also see Fusaichi Pegasus, Uncle Mo, or Mendelssohn. Fellow Triple Crown winner American Pharoahspends the season in Australia, so he won’t be on site for this tour but likely back in January. You’ll get to walk around a few parts of the stud facility and see a couple top thoroughbreds to take photos.
Note: For the health and safety of the horses, no particular horse viewing is guaranteed.
Woodford Reserve Distillery
Next up, you’ll get back on the bus and venture a few miles down the road to Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles. This historic venue was once the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery in the mid-19th century. Then, it was Labrot and Graham Distillery from the 1870s to 1941. For more than 20 years, Woodford Reserve has created bourbon and whiskey as part of the Brown-Forman spirits family. The current master distiller is Chris Morris.
Your Woodford Reserve tour includes a walk around the property, seeing vasts of mash, the iconic Scottish-style copper pot stills, and a working barrel warehouse. You’ll end with a tasting of Woodford Reserve products. The whiskey tasting usually includes Distillers’ Select, Rye, Double Oaked and/or other limited bourbon expressions.
The tour bus will depart Woodford Reserve and head back to Louisville to drop you off around 6:30 p.m. You’ll have plenty of time to explore Louisville’s best restaurants and bars including stops on the Urban Bourbon Trail® on your own!
Experience Includes
Transportation with an expert guide
Horse farm tour at Coolmore America’s Ashford Stud Farm
The 35th Breeders’ Cup is set for Nov 2 + 3, two days of phenomenal horse racing showcasing some of the finest thoroughbreds from around the world.
The weekend is capped off with the running of the Breeders’ Cup Classic – and this year the field is deep with exceptional runners. If you follow racing, you might recognize some of these names -and even if you don’t, we give you a few reasons to cheer with connections to our Horse Country members.
Catholic Boy: consigned by Taylor Made (their 100th Grade 1 they consigned!); owned by Robert LaPenta, Madaket Stables, Siena Farm, and Twin Creeks Racing Stables; sired by More Than Read who stands at WinStar Farm
Gunnevera: sired by Dialed In who stands at Darby Dan Farm
Visit a TAA-accredited location in Horse Country and win your next tours!
We’re kicking off October celebrating the good work of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) and their accredited locations! Did you know that two Horse Country locations are non-profits doing work every single day to rescue, re-train, and re-home horses? The tours of the Kentucky Equine Humane Center and the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center are full of up-close-and-personal time with equines ready for a new life and in the special care of these facilities. Featured image above by America’s Best Racing.
About the giveaway: For every ticket booked to the Kentucky Equine Humane Center or the Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center through Breeders’ Cup week (ending November 3, 2018), you will be entered to win a VIP tour experience in Horse Country, Horse Country swag, and a TAA gift.
The Kentucky Equine Humane Center is the primary accredited all-breed rescue in Kentucky, caring for and retraining horses on their farm. The goal for every horse is adoption. Located in Nicholasville, KY.
The Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center is an adoption center for retired racehorses, retraining the athletes for other disciplines and preparing them for new life once adopted. Located at the Kentucky Horse Park
About the TAA – The 501 (c) (3) non profit inspects, accredits, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retire, retrain, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding.
The prize redeemed will include an experience for up to four guests in Horse Country at a mutually agreeable time and location. Blackout dates and limited availability at locations may apply.
We are in the final stretch before Breeders’ Cup and we are pleased to share our members’ availability for the week! These few days will be filled with races, tours, Equestricon, and a whole lot of excitement! Where will we see you?
Please note that tickets purchased for the dates of October 28, 2018 through November 4, 2018 are 100% non-refundable.
We do not where Justify will be at this time but we will continue to keep his fans updated as information becomes available.
If you have any questions or would like assistance planning out your perfect week, just give us a call at (859) 963-1004 or email us at info@visithorsecountry.com
The Total Package
Packages to visit Horse Country locations, including transportation and other area attractions, are available as well through the following tour professionals:
Experience the perfect summer night in the Bluegrass celebrating our signature industries – horses and bourbon!
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Last year was so magical, we couldn’t wait to do it again! Saturday, August 25 will be the second edition of our exclusive Kentucky experience with Woodford Reserve and Ashford Stud! This evening will feature tours of the Woodford Reserve distillery, a gourmet concession-style menu and an under-the-stars viewing of the movie “Seabiscuit” (which was partially filmed right here in Horse Country!).
Guests can also add on a tour of Coolmore’s Ashford Stud to compliment their evening. Beyond the historic stone walls live some of the most sought-after stallions in the world. Your guided tour allows you to walk the grounds of this extraordinary operation and meet some of racing’s heroes. This opportunity is available only to those guests attending this special event with Woodford Reserve and spots are limited.
It is our pleasure to bring together Kentucky’s two prime industries for an unforgettable evening. We can’t wait to see you there![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”center” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” z_index=””][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][button target=”_self” hover_type=”default” text=”Make Reservation” link=”https://www.woodfordreserve.com/events/” hover_background_color=”#523528″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Reservations are required and you must be 21 and above to attend. Guests are responsible for providing their own transportation to Coolmore and subsequently to Woodford Reserve. Woodford Reserve will have an open seating environment, so please bring blankets and chairs to enjoy. And don’t forget your ID![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”2958″ img_size=”full” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”2961″ img_size=”full” qode_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”16px”][vc_single_image image=”2962″ img_size=”full” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Please note that tickets purchased for the dates of October 28, 2018 through November 4, 2018 are 100% non-refundable.
We do not where Justify will be at this time but we will continue to keep his fans updated as information becomes available.
If you have any questions or would like assistance planning out your perfect week, just give us a call at (859) 963-1004 or email us at 
