Walmac Farm sits on Paris Pike in Lexington, KY. Known for standing famous stallions over the years, including Nureyev, Alleged, and Miswaki, Walmac is a beautiful farm glowing with care, but without unnecessary luxury (like the stained glass windows and chandeliers of Stonewall). It gives off an air of quiet success, tidy, neat, and workmanlike. The farm is aged but incredibly well-maintained with obvious pride. The wood-paneled stalls shine with layers of lacquer, barns, gates and fences always appear freshly painted. It is an impressive place to visit– not because it knocks you over with extravagance, but because all the little important day-to-day details are always met…you won’t find a crooked gate or broken board on any field!
To me, the most interesting feature on the farm is the “swimming pool.” It blends in so well with the scenery that you may not first recognize it for what it is. Based in concrete and trimmed with classic fieldstone, it catches rainwater and washwater piped from nearby barns and nearly always stays full. A gentle ramp leads into the pool, and a handler can lead the horse along the edge as it treads through the water (like a natural aquatred). I’m not sure exactly how deep it is– at the time of my visit it was perhaps chest-deep on an average horse. It seems like a neat way to exercise a horse recovering from injury, or to put a little extra muscle/condition on young horses. A very cool concept, and the way it matches the landscape makes it a fitting addition to the farm.
