GEORGETOWN, Ky. — More than 250 retired racehorses, including two Derby winners, call Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, Kentucky home.
Strutting among the herd, Old Friends' most confident resident has never run in a professional horse race. In fact, he isn't even a thoroughbred.
"This is Little Silver Charm," Old Friends founder Michael Blowen said, petting the brown miniature horse. "He thinks he should be Silver Charm the First because he arrived here before the famous Silver Charm and now he's famous too."
Blowen adopted Little Silver Charm in 1999, later bringing the horse with him when he moved to Kentucky. In the years since, Little Silver Charm, the oldest horse on the farm at around 35, has made Old Friends his domain.
"A lot of people come here, both adults and children, that are afraid of horses. I was terrified when I first got around horses. But they’re not terrified of him at all," Blowen said.
Little Silver Charm's size and undeniable personality made him an easy choice to be the farm's biggest advocate with visitors. He's even taken on a role as "spokeshorse" for Georgetown.
"He's very nice to all the kids and he's cute," Blowen said of what makes Little Silver Charm perfect for the job. "My wife is his ghostwriter, he has his own book now, it's actually in the Library of Congress."
Beyond being cute, Little Silver Charm helps the farm with its mission, educating people about the sport of racing and advocating for the better treatment of retired horses.
"These horses are told what to do their entire lives. When they come here, our job is to figure out what they want for a change," Blowen said. "Every horse should be treated better, and we're very happy to do that."
WHAS11 asked Blowen what he wants visitors to the farm to learn from the experience.
"Racing is a great sport and a lot of times the public perception isn't as positive as it should be," he said. "These horses are treated medically and health wise as if we were getting ready for the Derby again. If they take that away, then we'll be very happy."
The same kind of treatment extends to the farm's other residents, like Little Silver Charm, who happily munched on gingersnaps during our interview.
"I can't get them at the cheap store, I have to go to Whole Foods and get stuff I can't afford for myself," Blowen said with a laugh.
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