How would you like to spend time with a mare and foal, an up-and-coming champion or a Derby racer retired to stud? You can visit them all at Kentucky’s famed horse farms. Centered around Lexington but found all around the state, these farms are responsible for breeding, raising and training the magnificent horses that dominate the racetrack. Many farms offer set hours for visitors, and several companies lead guided tours.
While thoroughbreds are arguably Kentucky's best-known horses, saddlebreds – the “Horse America Made” – are the bluebloods of the show ring. Several farms in Shelby County welcome visitors to their barns to get an up-close look at these high-stepping champions. To see them in the show ring, plan to attend the World Championship Horse Show (held annually in Louisville), or check our calendar for more equestrian events held throughout the year.