New center in Perry County will be a refuge for EKY’s free-roaming horses
The problem of Eastern Kentucky’s free-roaming horses just eased a little bit, thanks to the creation of a new refuge in Perry County.
The Appalachian Horse Center is a new farm that will try to save Kentucky’s wild horses, as it celebrates their cultural, historical and economic significance in the region.
“Our horses are part of our identity here in Eastern Kentucky,” said Shauneece Wade, Executive Director of the Appalachian Horse Project. “For years, we’ve dreamed of a place where people can come to learn about them, care for them, and connect with the land and stories that shaped our community. The Appalachian Horse Center makes that dream a reality.”
The Appalachian Horse Project, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky and the KEEP Foundation have been working on this problem for years, but it came to a crisis point this summer, when Breathitt County ‘s fiscal court voted to remove the horses living on abandoned strip mines outside Jackson.
The horses, possibly as many as 1,000, were causing problems with humans and their cars, as the horses descended the mountain in winter to look for food. Many of them are also beset by malnutrition and health problems. There are similar bands in Perry, Pike and other Eastern Kentucky areas, where owners allowed horses to roam for forage. However, sometimes they didn’t pick them back up, allowing them to breed and become wilder.
In Breathitt County, they have become a tourist destination, with tour guides taking folks up to the mines sites to see the bands of horses.
But Kentucky’s stray hold laws allow anyone to pick up horses, even if they are destined to go to kill lots, which happened to some of the Breathitt horses.
This new site can ease some of those problems. The farm, on 80 acres in the Leatherwood community, will be a place to bring the wild horses to be evaluated before they are fostered or adopted. The farm can probably house 20 to 25 animals, said Elisabeth Jensen, of the Kentucky Equine Education Project. It will be open to the public in May 2026.
”It is vital that we celebrate the Appalachian horses and ensure communities in Eastern Kentucky have the opportunity to share in their economic and social value,” Jensen said. “Through education, tourism, and equine programs, the Appalachian Horse Center will help preserve the heritage of Kentucky’s free-roaming horses while creating new opportunities for the next generation.”
In the future, the Center will house horses and educate students, becoming an educational provider for year-round programs such as equine therapy, agriculture and tourism programs.
“This Center is a symbol of pride and progress for Perry County,” said Perry County Judge Executive Scott Alexander: “It brings together our history, our people, and our future in a way that will attract visitors, inspire learning, and strengthen our economy.”
For more information go to: https://www.appalachianhorsecenter.org/. To donate, go to https://appalachianky.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4795
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 2:35 PM.
