When it comes to the Thoroughbred industry, few places are as iconic as Lane’s End Farm. Nestled in the heart of Kentucky’s bluegrass country, champions have been born and raised here for centuries (yes, over 100 years!). To kick off Triple Crown season, we are investigating the care and team behind every horse in the winner’s circle. Join us for this interview with Hailey Holland, Assistant Broodmare Manager at Lane’s End, to get an inside look at a typical day on the farm.
From early morning rounds during foaling season to the delicate balance of equine management, Hailey shares the rhythms of her daily life, offers invaluable advice for every horse owner, and reflects on what it takes to work in one of the greatest industries in the world.
Q: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at Lane's End?
A: Absolutely, I'm the Assistant Broodmare Manager here at Lane's End Farm. I grew up in a non-horsey family, although my grandfather was the state veterinarian of Virginia, and my other grandfather did a bit of rodeoing. It was through him that I became interested in horses. His biggest wish was that one of his granddaughters stuck with riding, and I was the only one out of nine of us who did. I started taking lessons as a kid, learning in the hunter jumpers, and it all snowballed.
Growing up, you hear that the only way to make money working with horses is to become a veterinarian. So when I went to college at the University of Missouri, that is what I thought I would study. That dream quickly died, and I pivoted to studying Animal Science, concentrating on Equine Science and Management. In this program, I received a lot of training in breeding, and young horse development. I started as a student, became a teaching assistant, and then worked my way up to becoming the Assistant Manager of the equine facility.
When I graduated, I knew that I wanted to work with horses, but I was not sure in what aspect. I grew up watching horse racing and watching the Triple Crown races with my family, but I had never been to a race in person. I ended up applying to the Kentucky Equine Management Internship, and was fortunate enough to be placed at Lane’s End.
I attended my first horse race and worked my first horse sale during my internship, and after finishing, I was lucky again to stay on at Lane’s End. I knew by this point that mares and foals were my passion, so I moved to the broodmare division of the farm, and fell into the foreman role of the foaling barn.
I ran the foaling barn for two years and stepped into the Assistant Broodmare Manager role this past September.
What is it about mares and foals that you love so much?
I am a big supporter of mares. We talk about stallions so much, and rightfully so, but these Thoroughbred mares are amazing.
If you think about performance horses, no matter the discipline, you typically have the option of using reproductive technologies like artificial insemination or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), but in the Thoroughbred industry we do not have that option. Stallions breed many mares every season - they have that many opportunities to produce a great progeny. But for the mare, she just has one shot every year. To me, this is something really special. I don’t have family in this industry, and I did not grow up a part of it, so it is a big honor for me to get to take care of these mares and to be here for them in this stage of their life and career.
And, of course, it is always so cool to watch genetics at play. I walk around the barn joking now with foals, saying, “I raised you. I know you. I birthed you.” There’s something very fulfilling about being involved in the production aspect of the industry.
The romanticism of the Thoroughbred industry continues to grow, in my opinion. The way that the top barrel horses and cutters and any Western performance horse is treated, is the exact same way that these Thoroughbreds are treated. Just like the West is romanticized, the Thoroughbred industry is romanticized. It's the same dream, just in a different font.
What does a typical ‘day-in-the-life’ look like for you at Lane’s End?
Well, there is no typical day, per say, but, at the moment, we are at the end of breeding season (our busiest time of year) with our final 15 mares to foal out. We will have foaled out 96 mares this year. Every morning, we start down in the foaling barn. We check every mare that has not foaled yet, we check every foal that has been born, and we make a game plan for the day.
Every morning, we build a vet list based on what is going on, horses going to the breeding shed, and what not. At 6:30 am every morning, veterinary work begins, when we go from barn to barn with our veterinarian. This is also a great time for us to check in with our staff and our horses.
From there, any specialty vets, such as fetal sexing experts or our neonatal vet, will come later in the morning.
The rest of the day, we play catch up! This includes anything from getting vaccines done to conformation exams two to three times per week on our young horses, bandages, checking in, and doing whatever needs to get done. It is always go, go, go.
There is never a slow season for the mare. We just have half as many horses compared to our busy season, which is what we are in right now.
What is most striking to you about the legacy and history of Lane's End Farm?
On a personal note, my mom just reminded me that when I was a little girl watching Zenyatta race, I told my mom that I was going to be with her one day. That’s a very special full circle memory for me. I have taken care of Zenyatta and even foaled out her last foal. Lane's End is a very special farm in the sense that they understand the horses. We never ask the horses to do anything that we know they are not capable of doing.
Throughout the years, Lane’s End has become genius at letting the horses be horses, and intervening when necessary. We know that it is an absolute privilege to take care of them. We do everything right by the horse, while also remembering that at the end of the day, this is a young animal. It’s like raising a kid. You can do everything perfect, but stuff can still happen.
What do you think has contributed to the success of Lane’s End over the decades?
Again, I think it all comes back to balance.
Lane’s End does an incredible job of advocating for all of the horses - mares, foals, stallions - while also not being afraid of change.
The forces above me have really mastered the art of accepting new ideas, new research, new practices, while also holding on to some traditions, such as, “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
We have an amazing staff and group of veterinarians around us that all care about the horse, and understand the opportunity we have to be here and care for them. Nobody works in this business for the money; it is a passion.
How do you work with your veterinarians and do you have any tips for horse owners?
My biggest philosophy in working with our vets is asking questions. I always say, “This might be a dumb question, but I'm going to ask it anyway because I would rather you tell me a million times over than me not to ask again, and have that negatively impact a horse.”
Whether it's something I've seen a million times, this might be the one case that it is not the same, so I am always asking questions. That is the only way, as a manager, that I know how to better manage that horse’s case.
Secondly, build a relationship with your vet. We spend 3 hours every morning with our vet, so of course, natural conversations about life outside of the farm come up. We have a special dynamic since we spend so much time together, but I really encourage this in whatever capacity is doable for you. Only positive things can come from asking questions and forming a relationship. Vets are just people, after all.
How do you use FullBucket supplements on the farm?
FullBucket is our ‘go-to’ probiotic. It is always the first probiotic we reach for, for both mares and foals.
We use it throughout all the seasons during any kind of digestive health problem, and when foals need an extra boost of support. The same goes for mares, whether that is a maiden mare or an experienced mare. Any time our veterinarians suspect that probiotics are needed, we pull out FullBucket Probiotic Paste.
I love the Paste because I know how much each horse is receiving. Especially when mares have foals on their side, it is a lot easier to ensure that the correct amount of probiotic is getting into the horse who needs it most.
What does Triple Crown season mean to you and Lane’s End?
Busy, busy, busy! We have a lot of clients and agents in town, so we're constantly doing shows and things like that. And of course, it is exciting to watch the horses that are in the running and see what breeding crosses are getting us to the races.
Could you give us your perspective on what a race means to these horses?
I would say that these horses have the same outlook as any high performance horse. You are never going to be able to force those horses to do something that they don't want to do. These racehorses know their job and they love their job.
It has been really interesting for me, from a production standpoint, to watch the foals and pick out the ones that need a job. You can tell when they are ready for their next step, and it is exciting to watch these horses progress.
What's it like to raise a horse from foal to competition age, and have you had a foal end up in the Triple Crown?
I have not yet, but it will be one of my top moments when a horse I foaled out makes it to the Triple Crown.
In the meantime, it is exciting to follow the horses that have been raised here. When those horses win races, I always go back to the mare and give her an extra cookie that day. I like to tell her things like, “Congrats to your son. Your son did something special today.”
It’s very satisfying to watch the horses from Lane's End flourish in their careers, and hopefully eventually stand at stud. It all comes full circle.
What do you wish people knew about Thoroughbreds or the racing industry in general?
Thoroughbred racing is no different than any other discipline. The way that you treat your high dollar cutting horse is the same exact way we treat our Thoroughbreds, before they have ever earned any money, or have had the opportunity to earn any money.
Second, while there have been so many positive PR movements for the industry that highlight the trainers and owners, such as the Race for the Crown documentary, I think it is really important that we also remember our grooms and the people who are showing up at 6 in the morning, and staying after hours.
Those are the people that get the horses to the trainers. Those are the people that get the horses to the Triple Crown.
For example, literally just last week, we had someone who was an exercise rider come and revisit their horse. These are the behind-the-scenes people who don’t always get highlighted, but play a huge role in the making of the horses.
Are there any horses or jockeys that you're watching closely in this year’s races?
We have to root for the home team, which in this case, means rooting for Burnham Square. He is by Liam’s Map, who stands at Lane’s End, so he is definitely the one we are all watching.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
My biggest ask and encouragement, especially for anyone who has not been involved in Thoroughbred racing, is to come to Kentucky and see it happen. Drive around, go to a race, come do a tour at Lane’s End. Go to a horse sale! It will blow your mind that a horse who has done nothing but walk and eat and live his life, is selling for over a million dollars.
Visiting any of these events is a great reminder of how much people care about this industry and the lengths that they are willing to go to to ensure these horses’ careers, health, and legacy. The romance of the Thoroughbred is alive and well, and this is the heart that keeps us all going.
