Lifestyle Top Five Things to do this Spring in Horse Country April 3, 2026 April in Kentucky’s Horse Country is an exciting time to enjoy the best of what the Bluegrass has to offer! Racing at Keeneland has returned, the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event is on the horizon, and young foals are growing up throughout the region. It’s one of our favorite times of year to explore Central Kentucky, and we’ve put together a list of our top things to see and do this month. Enjoy Racing at Keeneland Enjoy horse racing as it was meant to be at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington. Set amongst the stunning scenes of horse farms and home to some of the most exciting races of the year, Keeneland is truly a treasure, and a favorite of locals and travelers alike. The 2026 Spring Meet kicks off on Friday, April 3. Racing will take place daily, excluding Mondays, Tuesdays and Easter Sunday, through Friday, April 24. The Road to the Kentucky Derby passes through Keeneland with two qualifying races – the G1 Blue Grass Stakes and G3 Lexington Stakes. P.S. – Horse Country tour guests in April receive one complimentary racing ticket for each ticketed tour guest as a part of your tour purchase. Racing at Keeneland is held daily from April 3rd – 24th, excluding Mondays, Tuesdays and Easter Sunday. Keeneland is open to the public each morning from 5:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. for morning workouts. Experience world-class equestrian sport at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event There’s truly nothing like this special event. Each year, the world’s top eventing athletes converge on the Kentucky Horse Park to compete for the title. The Defender Kentucky Three Day Event is one of only seven CCI 5* events in the world, which is the highest level of the Olympic sport of eventing. The competition begins on Thursday, April 23 with the dressage phase, followed up by the cross country phase on Saturday, April 25 and the conclusion, stadium jumping on Sunday, April 26. Along with the eventing competition, the Kentucky International CSI5* show jumping competition will take place, Wednesday through Saturday, presented by our friends at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute! Learn more about this event and purchase tickets here. Cross Country Day (Saturday, April 25) at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event is known for thrilling competition. The event concludes on Sunday, April 26 with the excitement of stadium jumping. Tour a farm in the Horse Capital of the World While we’re biased, there’s truly nothing like getting up close with horses. Whether you’re feeding a horse a carrot for the first time or snuggling a horse for the tenth time that day, we firmly believe that horses are good for the soul. Horse Country is lucky to work with touring partners that believe this as well, providing interactive experiences with horses throughout Kentucky’s Bluegrass region. Spring is foaling season, which means that thousands of young horses are growing up on the rolling hills of Central Kentucky. If petting horses sounds like your jam, you’ll love visiting momma mares and baby foals at a nursery farm or seeing adoptable horses at an aftercare or sanctuary farm. These tours allow for guests to get up close and personal with mares and foals or adoptable horses, often in training for second careers after retiring from the racetrack. Family friendly tours are available at many of Horse Country’s touring locations. Pet and feed horses on an interactive tour in Horse Country. Eat and Explore Local While you’re here for the horses, take some time to enjoy the many things that Central Kentucky has to offer. One of our favorite ways to spend a morning in Lexington starts out in Downtown! The Lexington Farmers Market takes place in downtown each Saturday, and is a great spot to grab coffee and breakfast items, along with locally made items, and of course, farm fresh groceries! Once you’re done perusing the market, head into the Old Courthouse and check out the Lexington Visitors Center. Learn about things to do in the area, pick up Lexington-inspired merchandise and more. If a small town is more your vibe, we recommend visiting Midway, Paris or Versailles. These quaint towns each have walkable downtowns with great shopping, places to eat and more. Start planning your trip with our itineraries for each – Day Trip to Paris, Day Trip to Versailles and more. Visit Downtown Lexington to enjoy great eateries, shopping and art. Take a stroll through one of the nearby downtown areas. Take in the beauty of the Bluegrass Let’s face it, we could all use some time to take a break from the hustle and bustle of life and spend some time outdoors. Join us for a tour and enjoy the beauty of Kentucky’s Bluegrass region, the rolling hills and fence lines dotting the horizon make for some scenic views, and we’re always game to get some fresh air! Not sure where to start? We get it, there is a lot to see and do here in Horse Country. We recommend starting out at the Book Your Tour page to check out the different categories and locations of tours that we offer. If you’re still having trouble deciding which tour to book, feel free to reach out to our concierge team at (859) 963-104 or [email protected] and one of our concierge team members will chat about our offerings and find the perfect fit for you and your group.
