Thoroughbred Tour: Morning Workouts & Trainer Q&A

Stand rail-side during morning workouts, then step into a barn to meet the horses and ask a trainer anything.

The Thoroughbred Center's Behind the Scenes Tour is a ninety-minute guided tour of a 230-acre Kentucky horse farm where you watch morning training workouts from the rail, walk through barns where horses are stabled, and spend time with a trainer in Barn 28 answering questions about the animals and the sport. Transport by air-conditioned minibus is included. Groups stay under twenty-four people. Minimum passenger numbers apply and the tour operates in all weather.

The experience

The tour starts at the main office on Paris Pike and departs by minibus at 9:00am. Your guide drives past the two largest original barns on the property (each one housing up to three hundred horses), where you'll see the daily work of hot-walking, grooming and bathing. Then you stop rail-side at one of the training tracks for twenty to thirty minutes to watch horses work out, and exercise riders often approach the group if you have questions about what you're seeing.

After the track, the minibus takes you to the backside to see the training gate where horses learn to break, the paddocks, hay and feed stores, and more barns. The centerpiece is usually Barn 28, where trainer Mike Cameron talks through the horses you see: how they're identified, what makes central Kentucky the Horse Capital of the World, and racing topics the group brings up. He may pull a horse out of its stall so you can stand next to a thousand-pound animal up close. This barn stop runs about thirty minutes and is where most visitors say the Q&A with a working trainer becomes the favorite part of the day.

Depending on the season and group size, the route may include a short walk to Mill Iron Farm, a neighboring facility with a swimming pool for horses that trainers sometimes use as an alternative to track work. On the drive back to the main office, you'll notice the iconic plank wood fencing that lines the property: more of it than you'll see anywhere else in central Kentucky. Dress for the weather. Umbrellas are not permitted.

What’s included

• Transport by air-conditioned minibus.
• a live English-speaking guide.
• access to the barns and training tracks.
• time rail-side during morning workouts.
• a Q&A session with a trainer in the barn.

Before you book

Days and timesThursday to SaturdayDeparts at 09:00Last departure this season: 31 Oct

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by The Thoroughbred Center

Is this one for you?The tour is led in English by a live guide, so you'll hear explanations and can ask questions throughout. All fitness levels are welcome, though you'll be on your feet walking through barns and standing at the rail, so wear comfortable shoes.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What time does the Behind the Scenes Thoroughbred Tour depart?

The minibus departs at 9:00am from the main office at the corner of Paris Pike and Johnston Road. Check in at the front desk and your guide will bring the minibus around to pick you up.

Will I get to see horses actually training?

Yes. You'll stand rail-side at one of the training tracks for twenty to thirty minutes during morning workouts and watch horses exercise. Exercise riders often come over to answer questions about what the horses are doing.

Do I get to talk to someone who works with the horses?

Trainer Mike Cameron usually meets the group in Barn 28 for about thirty minutes to discuss the horses, how they're identified, and racing topics. He may pull a horse out of its stall for you to see up close.

How many people go on each tour?

Groups stay under twenty-four people, which keeps the experience small and lets everyone see and hear the guide and trainer clearly.

What if the weather is bad?

The tour operates in all weather, so dress appropriately for rain, cold or heat. Umbrellas are not permitted, but the minibus provides shelter between stops.