The oxen are coming!

November 9-12, several teams of oxen will be at the park showing off their skills.

These impressive animals will conduct demonstrations on how they pull carts, plow, pull weighted sleds, manage an obstacle course, and more. Visitors can watch yoking demonstrations, washing, grooming, and visit with these beautiful, gentle animals and their teamsters.

Mark your calendar for something a little different at the park!  More information to come.

LEXINGTON, KY (September 1, 2011)  Enrollment applications are now available for the Spring 2012 Semester of the Kentucky Horse Park's Professional Horseman’s Course, Jan 17-May 4, 2012.

The Kentucky Horse Park’s Education Department offers a unique and hands-on educational opportunity unequalled by other equine schools.  Students will have the opportunity to study and work with more than 30 breeds of horses residing at the Kentucky Horse Park while acquiring the knowledge and skills to launch a productive career in the equine industry.  This program challenges students with daily hands-on practical interaction with horses in a variety of different environments, health issues and training levels, as well as broadens their overall level of equine understanding.

Classes and practicum work in stable management, anatomy and physiology, reproduction, marketing and career development, all compliment the hands-on side of the program to ensure a well-rounded education.  Students will also receive an introduction to - and be able to interact with - breeding practices, and disciplines of carriage driving, racing, and World Equestrian Games disciplines.  Former student Heidi Bruner from Indiana commented, “My expectations for this course exceeded everything I could ever imagine” and former student Amelia Clyatt from California stated, “The opportunities that have arisen and the knowledge that I’ve gained has literally changed my life.”

Through a comprehensive curriculum and small class size, which ensures adequate hands-on and individualized learning experiences, students will be prepared to seek entry level work or advance their current position in the industry upon graduation. Eighty-percent of the Spring, 2011 Semester graduates achieved full time employment in the equine industry within two weeks of completing the course.

Applications must be received by the Kentucky Horse Park no later than December 1, 2011, for spring enrollment consideration.  To apply please contact Sheila Forbes at 859-233-4305 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information or to receive an application by email or mail.

Photo top (c) www.jennifermunson.com.  Photo bottom by James Shambhu. 

                                                                 -30 -

The Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm/theme park and equine competition facility dedicated to man's relationship with the horse.  The park is an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet that hosted more than one million visitors and campers, as well as 15,000 competition horses in more than 100 special events and horse shows in 2010.  The park is home to the National Horse Center which comprises more than 30 national and regional equine organizations.   Located at Exit 120, Interstate 75, just north of Lexington, the Kentucky Horse Park is The place to get close to horses.   

WHO: Clinicians from the Mounted Police in Lexington, Philadelphia, the U.S. Park Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

WHAT:  Sensory training clinic open to the public, for horses of all breeds and disciplines. Improve your horse's self-confidence and obedience to your aids.  Training is done in-hand and under saddle. Riders are encouraged to work at their own pace/comfort level. Safety and building the horse’s trust is our first priority. Your riding skills will also get a boost during the equitation session with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

WHEN:  Sunday & Monday October 16 & 17, 2011

WHERE:  Kentucky Horse Park

WHY:  This clinic will help horses remain composed and obedient when confronting unfamiliar stimuli and objects. 

HOW:  For information contact: Anne Anderson 859/299-5744 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  For registration, go to http://www.friendslexingtonmountedpolice.org/assets/pdf_files/2011%20Fall_Sensory_Clinic_cover_page_registration_forms_map.pdf  Auditors are welcome but must also register.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (August 29, 2011)—The Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse (IMH), in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History, announced today that it will host the exhibition, The Horse, from October 22, 2011, through April 6, 2012. The IMH is a major lender to the exhibition.

"We are thrilled to be able to bring this world-class exhibition to Kentucky," said Bill Cooke, director of the Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse. "The American Museum of Natural History is truly one of the world’s great natural history museums, and they did a masterful job in developing an exhibition that not only illuminates the timeless union between humans and horses, but does so in an amazingly entertaining way. We are excited that this will be our first blockbuster-level exhibition while schools are in session. I have no doubt that both teachers and their students will love The Horse."

From the horse’s earliest ancestors grazing on the plains of what is now Nebraska, to a magnificent contemporary Deborah Butterfield horse sculpture, the eternal bond between horses and humans is explored in the largest equestrian traveling exhibition ever assembled. The Horse graphically portrays the horse’s impact on trade, transportation, labor, warfare, culture, and sports.  It showcases spectacular fossils, models, dioramas, and cultural objects from around the world, including many from the American Museum of Natural History’s world famous collections.

The New York Times called this exhibition "charming and illuminating" and "an uplifting example of how horses enrich our lives."  The New York Post said, "You absolutely must see it."

The Horse is divided into six major sections: The Evolution of Horses; Horses and Hunters; Domesticating Horses; The Nature of Horses; How We Shaped Horses and Horses Shaped Us; and, An Enduring Bond. These themes are illuminated by more than 140 artifacts and cultural objects from around the world including a complete Samurai saddle from Japan, a full suit of 15th-century German horse armor, and Native American horse accoutrements. Bringing the exhibit to life are a stunning 220-square foot diorama that depicts the horse’s ancestors, a high-definition video that captures in slow motion the rippling muscles of a Thoroughbred race horse, and an interactive video of a life-size horse where visitors can investigate a horse’s pulmonary and digestive systems and other biological traits.

"This extraordinary, entertaining and informative exhibition is a perfect fit for the Kentucky Horse Park, which exists to celebrate man’s relationship with the horse; a relationship that has endured through the millennia," said Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director John Nicholson.  "This amazing and most beautiful of creatures has never lost its ability to look for the good – and bring out the best – in mankind as a partner, teammate and friend.  That’s why we never lose our fascination with them, and why we are so excited to have this exhibition coming to our park."
 
The Horse is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, United Arab Emirates; the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau-Ottawa; The Field Museum, Chicago; and the San Diego Natural History Museum. Curator of the exhibition is Ross MacPhee.

"The human-horse relationship was almost predestined," MacPhee said. "Puny but clever, enterprising humans needed an animate energy source that was both mobile and controllable — hence the domestic horse. What no one could have foreseen was that, over the millennia, while we molded the horse to our ends, the horse also molded us by changing the scale and scope of what could be carried, traded, fought over, or used to make life better — in short, civilization as we know it."

For more information on The Horse, go to www.amnh.org/exhibitions/horse/, www.imh.org, or www.kyhorsepark.com.

Admission to The Horse is included with park admission, or a "museums only" ticket may be purchased for $8 for adults or $4 for children ages 7-12, which also includes admission to the entire International Museum of the Horse, the Al Marah Arabian Horse Galleries and the American Saddlebred Museum.

Park Hours and Rates: Through November 6, the park is open seven days a week.  Admission is $16 for adults, $8 for children 7-12. From November 7 to March 14, the park is open Wednesdays through Sundays.  Winter admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 7-12. Children age 6 and under are always admitted free of charge.  Admission includes the International Museum of the Horse – a Smithsonian Affiliate, and the American Saddlebred Museum.

Editor's Note:  High resolution images from the exhibition are available for use with this release by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  

Watch a video walk-through of the exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jill Thompson
Administrative Assistant, Rocky Mountain Horse Association
859-243-0260
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On Tuesday, September 13 at 9 am, the Rocky Mountain Horse Association will be celebrating their 25th Anniversary at the Kentucky Horse Park with the organization’s annual International Horse Show.  The RMHA’s 25th Anniversary International Horse Show will run until September 17th and culminate with Grand Championship classes in the Saturday evening performance. 

Admission to this event is included with park admission.  Several local vendors will be set up around the show ring concourse daily.  Events for the whole family are planned throughout the week.  Please join us anytime during the week of September 13-17th for family fun and entertainment at the Kentucky Horse Park to celebrate the Rocky Mountain Horse Association’s 25th anniversary.  More information available on RMHA website: www.rmhorse.com.

In 1986, the Rocky Mountain Horse Association was founded as a non-profit organization in Kentucky.  The Association is dedicated to the preservation, promotion and breeding of the Rocky Mountain Horse.  Even though the Rocky Mountain Horse as a recognized breed is relatively new, the horses go back more than 70 years to a small farm owned by Sam Tuttle, in Estill County Kentucky.  Mr. Tuttle developed these horses which had a natural single foot (4-beat gait) for riding at the Natural Bridge State Park.  The name “Rocky Mountain Horse” is derived from the fact that Mr. Tuttle’s line of horse is descendant from a stallion originally from the Rocky Mountains.  This stallion bred to Kentucky mares and was the beginnings of the Rocky Mountain Horse.  There are over 19,000 registered Rocky Mountain Horses in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia, and are also found in several countries throughout Europe. 

***This brief history of the Rocky Mountain Horse® is an excerpt from the book “Rocky Mountain Horses”,
courtesy of the author, Bonnie Hodge.  For more information contact Bonnie at www.wildfireenterprises.iceryder.net .

About the Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse Association ®
An Authentic Kentucky Tradition

For over 200 years, the saddle horse has lived in the hills and valleys of many parts of Kentucky. Bred primarily by the mountain people for the demanding needs of farm life, the horse which had been secluded for many years became noticed and domesticated in the late 1980s. Originally known in the 1800’s in many parts of Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee as the “Kentucky Saddlin’ Horse”, for its smooth and quick ride around the plantations and settlements.

Adoptable Horses from the Kentucky Horse Park
We’re looking for good homes for two of our former Parade of Breeds stars.  If you are interested in either of the horses below, please contact Ashlea Gullett-Beeson in our Equine Department for more information, 859-259-4256 or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  

ORIGINAL ZIN, “Legend”
16.2 h. Thoroughbred, 2001

Legend is quite a character. He retired from the racetrack and spent two years in our Breeds Barn representing the Thoroughbred and the sport of racing. He enjoys entertaining the staff with his inquisitive, sometimes goofy personality.

Legend is suitable for an intermediate-advanced adult rider doing low-level dressage and trail riding. He also wouldn’t object to being a pasture ornament. He’s quite the looker – chestnut with chrome and a big blaze. He plays well with others, trailers, stands for the vet and farrier, clips, bathes and ties. He is currently barefoot.

BHF Wind Dancer, “Dancer” (Winds of Warr x Khemos Love Song)
15.1 h. Arabian, foaled 1992

If you’re looking for a sweet, cuddly horse, Dancer is your man. He retired from a show career and spent a year in our Breeds Barn representing the Arabian breed. He loves people and attention, and would be the perfect back-yard pony for a family.

Dancer is suitable for very light riding or as a pasture companion. He is bay with a black mane and tail. He gets along great with other horses, and is happy to live in the pasture 24/7. He trailers, stands for vet and farrier, clips, bathes and ties. He is currently barefoot. Easy keeper.

This is Lovey, the official Barn Cat, official Greeter and Official Mouser of the Hall of Champions. Watch this exciting video of her performing her duties this morning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsa0ebPWmLE then come out to meet her and her equine companions Funny Cide, Go for Gin, Cigar, Da Hoss, Be a Bono, Staying Together, Western Dreamer and Mr. Muscleman. Photo by Steve Faust.

KENTUCKY (August 17, 2011) Do you remember where you were on 9/11/2001 when the twin towers came down?  Now you can make a great, new 10th year memory by helping honor the fallen and our Wounded Warriors.  

Join The Corporal Bill McMillan-Bluegrass Chapter of the Association of the United States Army as we honor and give back. Come to the Kentucky Horse Park on Sunday morning, 9/11 by 7:45 and participate in a 5K Run or Walk or a One Mile Walk, preceded by a short, patriotic ceremony. Be cheered on by our local Wounded Warriors.

Meet the Kentucky Equine Humane Center's adoptable horse of the week: Christy.

She was surrendered to KyEHC when her owner passed away. She is a very quick learner, trailer loads, lunges and has learned the seven games of natural horsemanship.

Christy has excellent ground manners and stands well for the farrier.  She is well suited to many disciplines. Her mother is 16 hands so they anticipate that she will grow quite a bit before maturity.

For more information on Christy or any of the other adoptable horses at KyEHC, please contact them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or go to www.kyehc.org.