The Kentucky Horse Council will host the Kentucky Round-Up, a new family event featuring horse fun, learning and interaction on February 2, 2013 at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park.  Kentucky Round-Up also includes an evening concert by country music star John Michael Montgomery.

The event has been designed to provide families with no horse involvement to be around horses, learn about their personalities, grooming, safety, and horse sports that kids can be involved with.  In addition, those who already ride horses will find advanced speakers, clinicians, vendors and demonstrations for their interest. Also taking place at the Kentucky Round-Upis the 4th Annual International Safety Symposium, sponsored by riders4helmets.com, attracting attendees and speakers from around the world.

In the evening, well-known Kentucky country music artist John Michael Montgomery will be in concert in the arena, with the Danny Frazier Band as the opening act.

Between the daytime activities and the concert, the Kentucky Horse Council will hold its annual Members' Awards Banquet to recognize outstanding industry contributors and volunteers.

"Kentucky Round-Up is a way for the Horse Council to address an issue which all of agriculture faces," commented Anna Zinkhon, President of the Kentucky Horse Council board.  "Less young people today are comfortable around horses and other livestock because the family farms are disappearing.  Getting the kids 'off the couch and into the barn' not only introduces them to the wonder of horses, but also has tremendous character and health benefits."

"We also hope to take these same families out to horse activities and farms throughout the year," said Ginny Grulke, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Council.  "This is not just a one-day experience, but a continuing pathway to the horse."

For more information about Kentucky Round-Up, visit www.kentuckyroundup.com.

Admission:     Adults - $10.00 in advance, $15.00 day of show

                        Kids 12 and under - Free

                        (Complimentary tickets for youth and community groups is available by contacting the Kentucky Horse Council office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Concert:          Adults/Kids - $25.00 in advance, $30.00 at the door

Location and Parking:           Alltech Arena

Dates:              Saturday, February 2, 2013

Times:            Demos, Clinics and Speakers – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

                        Concert – 7:00 pm

Lexington, KY, March 5, 2012 - The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) is providing coordination for the U.S. Equine Disaster Relief Fund to support horse owners affected by this past week's tornadoes. KHC has experience responding to equine crises through this fund and the Save Our Horses (SoHo) Fund.
 
"In the past, we have supported many victims of flooding and disasters in other states, and now it is Kentucky which needs this support. Our hearts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by this tragedy. The U.S. Equine Disaster Relief Fund will help Kentucky horse owners with temporary feed and fencing as they work to recover from this disaster," remarked Anna Zinkhon, President of the Kentucky Horse Council.
 
"We are also in touch with the Indiana Horse Council to determine the extent of the need there," she continued.
 
The Kentucky Horse Council has been contacting officials in those areas most affected by the tornadoes, to assess the impact of the extensive tornado damage on horse owners.
 
"We are relieved that over the weekend, horse organizations such as the Northern Kentucky Horse Network have already relayed important information among horse owners regarding temporary shelter and how to assist those victims who have horses. Buffalo Mounted Patrol has traveled to West Liberty, where the devastation was incredible, to patrol damaged areas until rescue efforts could be fully mobilized," commented Ginny Grulke, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Council.

When any state needs assistance due to a natural disaster, KHC notifies its members and the Kentucky horse community and begins the process of responding to the needs of the affected horses, typically by purchasing feed which the local response agencies then distributes to affected horses. For the tornadoes that hit this past weekend, it is Kentucky who needs the help.
 
Donations to the U.S. Disaster Relief Fund can be made at www.kentuckyhorse.org/disaster-relief/.  
 
ABOUT THE KENTUCKY HORSE COUNCIL - The Kentucky Horse Council is a non-profit organization dedicated, through education and leadership, to the protection and development of the Kentucky equine community. The Kentucky Horse Council provides educational programs and information, scholarships, personal liability insurance, trail riding advocacy, horse show support, and an annual statewide equine industry directory. The specialty Kentucky Horse Council license plate, featuring a foal lying in the grass, provides the primary source of revenue for KHC programs.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 14, 2012) The Kentucky Horse Park will open something akin to a school in a barn, to engage school-age children in discovering the wonder of horses. The new attraction is a joint project between the public and private sectors and it will be the first attraction at the park that is dedicated solely to children. The Kids’ Barn will feature interactive exhibits, while the park’s education department staff will host daily hands-on activities with the park’s resident horses.

“Children have a tremendous curiosity and natural affinity for horses, and since one of the most important missions of the Kentucky Horse Park is to raise awareness of - and interest in – horses, our new Kids’ Barn will be a wonderful expression of our dedication to that goal,” said John Nicholson, executive director of the park. “It will expand their knowledge and appreciation of horses and the horse industry in a fun and memorable way, through lots of hands-on interactions and other learning experiences.”

For the benefit of Kentucky's horses,

free gelding surgeries will be offered at the Kentucky Horse Park on Saturday, March 10, 2012.

This free clinic is being provided by the Kentucky Horse Park in partnership with the Kentucky Horse Council's Save Our Horses fund and the American Horse Council's Unwanted Horse Coalition.

The free gelding surgeries are open to any equine owner who is financially unable to afford the surgeries.  Castrations will be performed by a veterinarian or a veterinary student under close supervision by a licensed veterinarian.  Stallions must be halter broke, in good health, with two descended testicles and be at least four months of age, with current Coggins and health certificate. 

Applications are now being accepted.  A $20 registration fee will be charged per horse. Surgeries by appointment only.

Information and registration forms: Gelding_Clinic_2012_forms.pdf

  If you need additional information please contact Sheila Forbes, 859-233-4305 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Illustration (c) Chris Ware.