A Peek in the Life of a Kentucky Horse Farm

July and August are wonderful times in the summer for visiting Lexington, Kentucky horse farms. 

Most of this year’s foals/babies are born between February and May, and by mid-summer, these youngsters are growing their independence and playing together.

Why else is this one of the best times of the year to visit a Kentucky horse farm? By July and August, all of the mares/mamas have birthed their foals and you have the opportunity to look through the crystal ball and see what these foals might become with age. The reason is you will also see yearlings on the farm and just this time last year they were foals/babies.

What else might you see along the way?

Broodmares and foals grazing at Mill Ridge Farm.

What you can expect in a Kentucky horse farm tour 

Nursery farm tours are rich with family history. Mill Ridge is replete with both family and Kentucky racing history. These are family-run operations, and you will feel this sense of pride as you are guided around the property. Most nursery farm tours are family-friendly, and the experience will be remembered and cherished by your group. During these tours, you will learn about the breeding process with broodmares and stallions, and meet horses in a variety of life stages. These tours are interactive, and you may even have the opportunity to feed them carrots. 

Turnout

Turnout is the time when horses are let out of their stalls and allowed to roam in a dedicated pasture or in a large field with a group. Turnout time is essential for young thoroughbreds, as it allows them to socialize with other horses and learn how to be a horse. Horses are herd animals and grow best when allowed to socialize with the herd, and this interaction is incredibly important to both the mental and physical growth of the future racehorse. The hills of Mill Ridge cover 900 acres of rolling pasture, and running these hills allows for proper bone and strength development for the young horses. By mid-summer, most foals have been introduced to the group they will grow up with and are turned out daily with them.

Feeding

In the summer, foals and yearlings spend a large portion of their time outside in the pasture. During late summer, the weaning process begins. As their name suggests, weanlings will have weaned, separated from their mothers, and will feed on the rich grasses of Mill Ridge. On a Kentucky horse farm tour, this is a great time to see the young thoroughbreds up close and in their natural environment.   

A mare with her foal at Mill Ridge Farm.

 Can I visit with the horses at a Kentucky horse farm?

 Broodmares and Foals

By the summer, all of the mares have foaled out. Before foaling, mares are grouped by their approximate foaling date and are monitored closely for any signs of labor. After foaling, mama and baby spend a few days together bonding before being introduced to another pair. By this time, mares and foals are let out to pasture in groups. They are grouped by the age of the foals and form herds that will last through the year. While the youngest of the foals are still hesitant of humans, the older groups of foals become more and more curious by the day. You will see foals playing together and they may be curious enough to come over and say “hi.”

 Weanlings 

Weaning usually occurs somewhere between 120 to 180 days into the life of the foal. At this point, they will get about 35% of their diet from grass with the rest being a special mixture of grain for growing horses. Horses thrive while being outside, and weanlings will spend most of their days, weather dependent, turned out with the same herd (less the mares) they were introduced to earlier in their lives. 

Yearlings

Despite the horse’s foaling date, a horse turns a year old on January 1 and is then referred to as a “yearling.” Over the winter, horses are separated by sex and what sale they are pointed to (or non-sale horses, referred to as “keepers”). Yearlings are the teenagers of horses. They play hard, sprint, and learn to use their bodies for their future career as racehorses. In the summer, the yearlings have begun to show their size and athletic potential. At this point in the year, farms have started prepping their yearlings for sales or making plans for their keepers. Yearlings are the most rambunctious group and can put a smile on anyone’s face. At Mill Ridge, our yearlings are always ready to be fed carrots.

Stallions standing stud

Stallions standing at stud—or, used for breeding—are kept in their own barns, normally referred to as “stallion complexes” and have individual pastures for turnout. Getting to see these former champions up close is a real treat. Many of these stallions will have won prestigious races and now live a life of relative leisure. You may be able to get your picture with one of these former champs.

Currently, Oscar Performance stands stud at Mill Ridge Farm for a stud fee of $12,500, a champion racehorse with lifetime earnings of $2,345,697. His offspring have sold for up to nine times their stud fee, like a daughter of Wild Silk, sold in 2020 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga for $180,000. 

What’s next for the Thoroughbreds?

While at Mill Ridge, young thoroughbreds are raised on fresh grass and nurtured with loads of turnout time. During this time, owners will determine a track for its life. Sometimes this track includes the literal racetrack and the horse is kept at the farm until October of their yearling year when they are sent to a training center to become a racehorse. Other horses are raised to be sold and will head to one of the varieties of horse sales across the country, and sometimes, the world. Some horses are deemed to not be fit to be a racehorse due to injuries or temperament and go on to thrive in other vocations. Being raised at Mill Ridge Farm gives thoroughbreds the proper diet and exercise they need as a foundation for their future training. This regimen has proven effective time and time again in the creation of champions. From Alice Chandler and Nicosia to Barbaro and Giacomo, the deep roots of tradition and consistent bloodlines of Mill Ridge’s thoroughbreds keep this winning heritage alive.  

Interested in learning more about broodmares, foals, weanlings, and two-year-olds? Want to see how they are raised for yourself? Summer is the perfect time for a Kentucky horse farm tour. You can schedule a tour of Mill Ridge Farm today through Visit Horse Country.