Even if you missed watching the Preakness Stakes horse race (of the famed Triple Crown), you likely know by now that just a few seconds out of the gate, odds-on favorite, Barbaro, shattered three bones in his right hind leg. The scene was heart breaking and the replays of the race even caught the attention of my toddler daughter, who wanted to know, “What wrong with horsey?” It prompted me to do some research on horses and their training regime. In doing so I stumbled upon what I would consider an ideal vacation spot for horse lovers.
The Kentucky Horse Park, located in Lexington, Kentucky, is a 1,200-acre working horse farm open to the public and “dedicated to man’s relationship with the horse.” Personally, I feel the name is deceiving. I consider a horse park a place where equine aficionados can stroll around and admire horses from a far. The Kentucky Horse Park shattered my preconceived notion. This horse park features two world-class museums and is home to more than two dozen different breeds of horses. The goal of the Kentucky Horse Park is to provide visitors with an enjoyable learning experience.
To help accomplish the goal of teaching visitors about horses, the park’s Education Department offers a variety of classes and programs for both adults and youngsters. Classes cater to both the novice and experienced horse person. Youth programs include the Mustang Troop Program, Youth Riding Classes, and Camp Horse. In addition, visitors can learn more about equines by visiting the park’s International Museum of the Horse, which houses an art gallery, hands-on exhibits, a variety of historical displays.
It sounds like a lot to cover in one day, which is probably why park owners built the Kentucky Horse Park Campground nearby. It boasts 260 campsites, each complete with electrical and water hookups, paved pads, fire rings and picnic tables. The campground also includes a grocery and gift shop, laundromat, and two dump stations. But that’s not all; the campgrounds also have tennis and basketball courts and a junior Olympic-size swimming pool. Other family entertainment options include: a game of horse-shoes or croquet on the campground’s massive lawn, or square dancing in the on-site recreation pavilion.
I have never been to a horse park (frankly, I never knew they existed), but for anyone who admires horses, rides horses, or just has a faint curiosity about horses, the Kentucky Horse Park could be the perfect vacation destination.
For more information on the Kentucky Horse Park, including directions and admission visit: www.kyhorsepark.com.