Those in the horse world have probably heard of Hanover Shoe Farms, a world-class breeding establishment for standardbred horses used in harness racing. But even if you have never heard of the farm before and don’t have an interest in racing, the farm is still worth a visit.
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Hanover Shoe Farms consists of 3,600 acres in Hanover, PA. This large farm houses approximately 900 horses, including stallions, broodmares, and foals. The broodmares range in age from about 3 to mid-20’s and once they retire, they live out the rest of their life on the farm. About 200 foals a year are born on the farm, then they are sold as yearlings (between 1 and 2 years of age).
There are eight barns on the main farm for broodmares. As the time for a broodmare to give birth approaches, they are moved to the main farm to be monitored. Once their baby is born, they are turned out into individual paddocks with their baby. As the babies grow, several mom and babies will be placed in a paddock, then finally mom and baby will join a larger group of horses at one of the satellite barns.
Four of the barns on the main farm are open to the public for self-guided tours on Tuesdays from 12-3. Your 1st stop should be the main office, to let them know you are on the premises. Then you are free to wander around. Barns M1 and M2 house broodmares while barns M3 and M4 house stallions. In addition to being able to tour these barns, you can view the horses (pregnant broodmares, newborn foals with their moms, and stallions) in the paddocks surrounding the barns. You may NOT pet or feed the horses, or enter the stalls or paddocks. Even so, this is still a fun way to spend an hour or two, both admiring the stallions, some of whom have literally made millions of dollars, and watching the foals frolic in the fields. On the Hanover Shoe Farms website you can even enter your suggestions for what the foals should be named.
As the farm just reopened for visitors following a long hiatus that began with covid, I would highly recommend confirming that they are open for visitors before planning a trip to the farm.
My Takeaway
If you are interested in harness racing, the quality of the horses at Hanover Shoe Farms is impressive. The colts and fillies bred here earn millions of dollars each year. If you love horses, the ones at Hanover Shoe Farms are well-taken care of and are a joy to watch, from the new foals hiding behind their moms, to the slightly older and more adventurous ones frolicking in the paddocks. A trip to Hanover Shoe Farms is an enjoyable way to spend a Tuesday afternoon.