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SILVER SPRINGS STUD: OLD TRADITIONS, RENEWED.
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Silver Springs Stud is a full-service Thoroughbred Farm located in the heart of Bourbon County, Kentucky. Opening in 2014, our family-owned operation was built on the foundations of experienced management and leadership. Today, our 225 acres is comprised of our Brentsville and Cooper’s Run divisions. We believe that we can offer a more individualized atmosphere for clients and provide the best communication and horsemanship available at an affordable price.
If you are interested in learning more about us or would like to have a personalized individual farm tour, please give us a call or send us an email to schedule an appointment. We look forward to meeting you.
As we discussed in the history of our Bluegrass region, sound horses require strong, healthy bones. However, much like human athletes, a horse is not complete without a sound, competitive mind. It is the pursuit of developing both of these elements in our horses that led Steve Johnson to Paris, Kentucky to transform the original Silver Springs Farm into Silver Springs STUD.
Our mission is to develop bone and condition the mind. Our method is horse first, above all else. With every decision, we ask “Is this in the best interest of the horse?” At the same time, we also ask “Is this in line with this particular owner’s goals?”
For any success to be achieved, we must all be on the same team. Communication is key. Our management team is in constant communication — the managers out in the barns, our general manager, and our office team — information flows in all directions so that owners should never have to ask “How is my horse doing?”
The development of strong bones is two-fold. Nutrition is one aspect, and as mentioned on the history tab, our horses’ bones are strengthened by the 2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio, thanks to the water-soluble limestone. Thanks to the hydrologic cycle, that ideal nutrient profile is found not only in the water but also in the grasses that make up our fields. Our water system is fed by the springs that give a name to our farm, with an abundance of dissolved limestone making our water super-saturated with calcium and phosphorus in that same 2:1 ratio. Therefore, with every sip of water, and every blade of grass our horses consume, they receive the exact nutritional profile they need to build strong bones. Our bluegrass bedding is cut from the very same fields, and our forage is cut and bailed within mere miles.
Equally important in the growth of strong bones is the stress of exercise. With each stride up and down our undulating fields, our horses are strengthening their bones — continually adding density and strength, which ensures that they will be able to withstand the rigours of training and competition. While building that athletic foundation, our graduates are also developing and honing the spirit of competition that makes up the Thoroughbred namesake. Even while in training, our horses spend well over twenty hours a day outside — running, competing with their classmates, and grazing on that nutrient-rich Bluegrass.
We are proud to be at the epicenter of a region that has supplied the Thoroughbred industry with the highest caliber horses throughout history, and we’re excited to continue that tradition with new owners as the industry moves ever onward.
The Bluegrass is often referred to as the “Horse Capital of the World.” Is there something about the land, or is that yet another claim such as “World’s Best Hamburger?” The answer lies in the geologic and geographic history — suffice to say, the Bluegrass region has been at the epicentre of North American farmland since long before the horse industry became what it is today.
A sound horse requires strong, healthy bones in order to have a successful career — and nutritionists will agree that strong bones require calcium and phosphorus in the proper ratio. Thanks to the surrounding geologic conditions, the Bluegrass region has inherited the ideal 2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio. The limestone that can be seen along our highways is a direct result of marine fossil remains (calcium) combining with the eroding mountains (phosphorus). As rain and surface water trickled through that water-soluble lime, the underground reservoirs became saturated with even more calcium and phosphorus. This water then returned to the grass and soil above, and through the hydrologic cycle (the process by which rain forms, and eventually returns to rain once more), the soil of the Bluegrass counties became the high-quality loam soil that nourished generations of Iroquois, Cherokee, and Hopewell Native Americans, the buffalo that used to roam these fields, and all that have followed in their footsteps.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the Bluegrass is a North American epicenter for both horses and agriculture. Farmers have raised tremendous crops of tobacco and grains here for years — not surprising, considering how well known Kentucky’s bourbon industry is! If there are any doubts regarding the claim of “Horse Capital of the World,” one need only peruse the history books. The fields of Silver Springs have produced, over the years, such horses as Elusive Quality, Elusive City, Elusive Miss, Star of Paris, Harlan’s Holiday, Noble’s Promise — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The neighbouring pastures have produced a laundry list of notables: Animal Kingdom, Shackleford, Bernardini, Personal Ensign, Nijana, Princessnesian, Bubbling, Top Round, Dancealot, Endear, Preach, Face the Facts, Lamb Chop, Quick as Lightning, Jilbab, Full of Hope, Turkish Trousers, Region, King Pellinore, Wedding Party, Thatch, Glow, Prod, Proof, Effervescing, Lure, Private Account, Vanlandingham, Gold Fever, Posse, Blue Ensign, Dancing Spree, Sail to Rome, Sham, Swale, Savings, Singh, E Dubai… the list goes on.
Communication is a key ingredient for success. The size of a team has a dramatic effect on the quality of that communication. While large organizations hold power, lengthy chains of command can complicate the spread of information – something the small, efficient teams on family farms are easily able to overcome. With a simple management hierarchy, every member of the team is quickly brought up to speed.
Equally important in the production of a quality racehorse is the ability of the manager to possess an ‘over-the-shoulder view of his managers — the ‘hands-on style of leadership. Thanks to our modest size, our managers have an eye on each and every horse throughout the day, and our farm manager spends the majority of his time walking through the barns and meeting with the vets and farrier. Of our equine management team, 100% live on the farm – and well over three-quarters of our barn crew live within sight of the front gates.
