Things to do in Lexington in June? Visit a Kentucky Horse Farm
Lexington, Kentucky, is horse country, and visiting a Kentucky horse farm is one of the best things to do in Lexington. When you visit Mill Ridge Farm, you get a tour of living and breathing American history. A visit to Mill Ridge isn’t some boring history lesson though—it’s a real, working horse farm, with real thoroughbred horses you can see, touch, and possibly even feed.
June in Lexington, Kentucky
June is an especially great time of year to visit Lexington, Kentucky, and Mill Ridge Farm.
Situated between the Midwest and Southern states, Kentucky enjoys a temperate climate with lots of sunshine year-round. Its summers are hot and humid, and its winters are cold but beautiful.
June is one of the most comfortable months, with ample sun and warmth without the humidity that makes people want to retreat indoors in July or August.
What to Expect at a Kentucky Horse Farm in June
June is towards the end of foaling season, and when you visit Mill Ridge in late spring you’ll see not just one or two but multiple pairs of mares and foals in designated fields around the 900-acre farm.
All Mill Ridge mares foal (give birth) in one barn, and after a few days the foals (newborn horses) are distributed to other barns. With fourteen stalls per barn, that’s a lot of horse mommas. Stallions (male horses) are located at other barns.
The visiting public is not allowed to view live births or breeding. Part of the reason for this is the random timing of nature, and part of it is the sensitivities of the horses—and their owners. Remember, this is a working farm that breeds competitive racehorses.
Foals are turned out—brought outside—the day after they are born. They’ll often weigh 125 to 150 pounds in their first few months of life.
Our whole philosophy of breeding and raising horses at Mill Ridge is based on nature and what is normal for horses in the wild. In nature, foals stand up to nurse, so that’s exactly what our foals do at Mill Ridge. The more natural, the better.
When they’re turned out you’ll often see the foals playing and chasing one another. They don’t call it horseplay for nothing. One of the things that make Mill Ridge so well-suited to raising champion racehorses is our acres of rolling hills. Hills are harder to climb or walk on than flat land, of course, and they help the foals develop strong bones and muscles.
Foals also need to be socialized with humans. The more friendly interaction they have with people, the better they will behave around their eventual trainers and riders. That’s why, when you visit a Kentucky horse farm like Mill Ridge, you’ll likely get a chance to actually feed carrots to the horses.
The Art and Science of Horse Breeding
Visiting Mill Ridge is one way of connecting more deeply with the sport and industry of horseracing. This is a magical place where the thoroughbreds you see competing and winning at the track are born and raised.
Foaling is not an exact science. As with everything in the flesh-and-blood world, there’s an interplay between knowledge and intuition when it comes to horse breeding. We both trust nature and shape it to create more favorable outcomes. At Mill Ridge, success means a beautiful, winning racehorse.
We take a holistic approach to foaling, using all the resources at hand. That includes the land on which the foals run—the foundation of a horse’s growth. It also includes the people of Mill Ridge who know that foaling is a natural and unpredictable process. Our handlers must be able to recognize when mares are close to foaling, how to assist in birthing, and the conditions for breeding the mare again in the future.
Timing is important. Horse gestation lasts eleven months. But in the thoroughbred industry, all foals turn one year old on the first day of January, regardless of when they were born. So a horse foaled in February and one foaled in May will become yearlings at the same time. However, the one born in February will actually be older, more developed, and therefore more ready to start training—a good thing for the people who buy and sell thoroughbreds for racing.
The other key piece of the foaling puzzle is the pairing of mares of studs. The selection of mates is a decision requiring a rare combination of knowledge and intuition. It’s a specialized skill that takes decades of experience to master. The professionals who help horse owners determine and coordinate the best pairings are known as bloodstock agents.
These folks aren’t necessarily tied to a specific farm, and the average Kentucky horse farm won’t have a bloodstock agent on the premises. Yet Mill Ridge, because of its unique history, is home to the agency Nicoma Bloodstock, led by Headley Bell.
The horses at Mill Ridge Farm are owned by our clients. We offer the land and services that range from boarding and care to consultation on buying, selling, and breeding. So, a thoroughbred horse farm is as important to the sport of racing as an owner, a trainer, or a jockey.
Not only does Nicoma make Mill Ridge a more exciting place to visit, but it also makes us a more attractive farm for horse owners, buyers, and breeders. Mill Ridge competes with agents and farms new to the thoroughbred industry. By keeping it all in one place and applying our six generations of experience in the field, we produce some of the finest horses in the world. People come to Mill Ridge from around the globe for our expertise and unique approach to breeding and raising winning racehorses.
The Stars of Mill Ridge
Even people who pay no attention to horseracing know about the Kentucky Derby. It’s the Superbowl of racing, the one event each year that casual enthusiasts join the die-hard fans and all of the professionals for a day of racing and pageantry.
Many newcomers to the sport are surprised to learn that the Kentucky Derby includes more than one race, and a full day of events. Only the best of the best get to compete. And to win the famous blanket of roses at the Derby means more than big prize money. It earns you a place in horse racing legend.
Mill Ridge and Nicoma Bloodstock have been involved with three Kentucky Derby winners.
GIACOMO overcame a 17th-place start in the 2005 Kentucky Derby, charging from the outside in the final seconds. A son of HOLY BULL, he was foaled and raised at Mill Ridge Farm on behalf of Ann and Jerry Moss.
BARBARO was undefeated as he broke from the pack in the 2006 Kentucky Derby. He gradually turned up the speed, crossing the finish line with room to spare. Bred by Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jackson, clients of Mill Ridge Farm, they were advised by Nicoma’s Headley Bell to breed their mare LA VILLE ROUGE to DYNAFORMER.
STREET SENSE won the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile before cruising from 19th position to win at the 2007 Derby. Owner Jim Tafel consulted Nicoma Bloodstock on the mating of BEDAZZLE to his sire STREET CRY to produce STREET SENSE.
While these legendary thoroughbreds are no longer with us at Mill Ridge, you can catch a glimpse of future winners when you visit—our foals—as well as magnificent breeding stallions.
Mill Ridge and Nicoma Bloodstock are very particular about the stallions we take on to stud. As of this writing in 2023, we are home to two: OSCAR PERFORMANCE and ALOHA WEST.
And then there are the yearlings. There’s so much to see at Mill Ridge Farm in June, so book a Kentucky horse farm tour soon, and catch up on the rest of our blog in the meantime.
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Have you ever fed a carrot to a thoroughbred broodmare or foal? Here’s your chance. We schedule group tours and private showings through Visit Horse Country. We’d love to see you at Mill Ridge Farm.