Photo Courtesy Arabhorse.com/photo by Holly McDonald
Toward the end of the year, you might have had it up to HERE with holiday cheer. So, if you’re avoiding the malls and the “after-sale” chaos and going to be in the US Southwest after Christmas …
Arabian horse farms in Scottsdale, Arizona, will open their doors to visitors during that last week of the year.
Open barns, wine-tasting, door prizes
Sponsored by Arabhorse.com, an online network for breeders and enthusiasts of Arabian horses, the 2008 tour starts on the day after Christmas and wraps up on the following weekend, Sunday, Jan. 4.
Visitors will see breeding farms, training centers and other businesses supporting the Arabian horse. FWIW, the schedule is subject to change. A printable schedule will reportedly be up at that website soon.
Each farm will offer different sights and experiences. Each farm has a different specialty — like training for certain disciplines — so you’ll see different presentations at each.
Also, if the Scottsdale Arabian farms have something in common with Kentucky’s Bluegrass farms, besides a love of horses, you’ll likely see differences in the architecture of the barns, the layout, etc.
A horse breeder friend of mine loves barn tours because she gets set-up and decorating ideas for her barn. Imagine a historic home tour – but horses live there.
Photo courtesy Arabhorse.com/Photo by Holly McDonald
For the convenience of visitors, organizers have schedule events so that visitors can drive to a couple of farms for tours in one day.
BTW, there’s no charge for the tours, which may include barn parties and wine tastings. And don’t forget to register for the door prizes.
It sounds like enough fun to make a special trip.
If you go – Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Scottsdale is a feast for the eyes with its red-orange sunsets, sculptural architecture and the serenity of the Sonoran desert.
If you have time between farm visits, check out Taliesin West, the western headquarters for Frank Lloyd Wright.
For a change of pace, from the sublime to the sublimely delicious, mosey on up to Pinnacle Peak’s Patio. Just remember to take off your tie first — unless you want them to cut it off and staple the end to the rafters. Folks there take “cowboy casual” seriously there.
And, if you’re planning on visiting downtown, look into Ollie the Trolley for a fun circuit through downtown Scottsdale. (That link also includes a link to Ollie’s route map.)
FWIW, Ollie’s route is more a downtown shopper’s shuttle, so I wouldn’t plan to ride Ollie out to the farms.
Tags: Arabians, farm tours, Ollie the Trolley, Pinnacle Peak's Patio, Scottsdale, Taliesin West
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