With the exception of the horse-drawn delivery vehicles at the Thrasher Carriage Museum in Maryland and the sculpted wooden horses on display at the Museum of Fairground Art in Paris, the blog has not really paid much attention to the mammal known as the horse. Did you know there is a theme park and museum dedicated to them, you know, the actual living breathing thing? The Kentucky Horse Park calls itself an educational equine theme park, and ‘the world’s only park dedicated to man’s relationship with the horse.’ In 1972, the park’s land was sold to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and six years later became a public horse park. In every season except winter, you can take horseback rides through the park. In the historical ‘Big Barn’, which was originally built in 1897 and is one of the largest barns in the world, you can see the draft horse teams that pull the carriage tours of the park. The ‘Hall of Champions’ is where the race-winners reside, and visitors can see daily presentations of these retired champions. Some of them are buried along the ‘Memorial Walk of Champions’, while others are buried throughout the park with graves marked by memorial plaques and statues. Man o’War is one of the most famous to be buried in the park, along with several of his descendants. Another major attraction within the park is the Smithsonian-affiliated International Museum of the Horse, the largest and most comprehensive museum in the world of its kind. The exhibits highlight the role and history of horses in many cultures, including equine art from many world-renowned artists. So if you are horse-crazy, this is the place for you!
Kentucky Horse Park
