Laying the Ground Work: Pasture Maintenance

Each year from January to June, Kentucky’s Bluegrass region serves as the birthplace for thousands of Thoroughbreds. While our mares and foals will receive a breakfast and lunch daily, the lion’s share of their nutrients will come from the grass they eat in their pastures. In this blog, we’ll get to the ‘root’ of how… Read more »

Snap Conformation Photos like the Pros in Eight Easy Steps!

What are conformation photos? Conformation photos are designed to display a horse’s shape and structure and are often used to exhibit a horse’s physicality to interested parties. For example, stud farms use conformation photos to advertise their stallions to potential breeders. At Stonestreet, we use conformation photos in many areas of our operation in order… Read more »

What’s in a Name? Racehorse Naming Rules

In our foal registration blog, we discussed how we register our new foals with the Jockey Club. While the foal is now officially registered, it is not necessarily named. Naming is a critical step for racehorses as they must be named in order to race or breed. Owners have eighteen characters, the limit for racehorse… Read more »

Leading the Way: Lead ponies

Track or lead ponies are horses that offer support and comfort for racehorses as they travel to and from the racetrack. Often older than their charges, a track pony or lead pony offers guidance and support, allowing the racehorse to focus on their job rather than the sights and sounds of the racetrack. Horses are… Read more »

Past the Post: Irbywood

  Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Michael and Sharon Kvistad of Prospect Farm are strong supporters of New Vocations with a passion for seeing their Thoroughbreds shine in second careers. One star on the rise in their stable is Stonestreet Stables graduate Irbywood, who now goes by the name of ‘Bear’. Irbywood is a 2009 gelding… Read more »

University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Foundation developing Equine Biological Passport Program

The Gluck Equine Research Foundation at the University of Kentucky is developing an Equine Biological Passport (EBP) which aims to identify specific biomarkers that will detect drug use by monitoring changes to peptides and protein abundance, and monitor those biomarkers over time.  The goals of this program are to elevate equine research at the University of… Read more »

Girls in Gold: The Golden Years

Dotting the rolling hills of Stonestreet Farm is a group of mares enjoying their twilight years. These are the 11 mares that have retired from our broodmare band and now spend their days relaxing in their paddocks. Come meet our retired herd and learn how we keep them happy and healthy! Mares will be retired… Read more »

The Colorful History of Racing Silks

In ancient Rome, charioteers wore brightly colored capes and headbands to identify themselves in races. On the battlefield, knights carried banners and bore their coat of arms with honor. In the world of sports, the uniform is the symbol of pride for the players and fans. But what about the Sport of Kings? Enter racing silks. The word “silks”… Read more »

So, You Want to Be a Trainer?

Thoroughbred trainers wear many hats: they care for their horses like teachers, they manage their stables like CEOs, and they are often thrown into the media spotlight like celebrities. It takes a lot of hard work and determination just to become a trainer and even more to compete at the highest level of racing. The first… Read more »

The Importance of Barn Cats

Aside from greeting guests and serving as barn mascots, the cats of Stonestreet Farm have a very important job to do. The abundance of grain and warm hiding places make the barns a rather cozy spot for mice to settle. If left unchecked, they can consume or contaminate food intended for the horses and cause… Read more »