Horse Country is a network of working farms, stud yards, museums and training yards across Kildare and Tipperary that opens its gates to visitors every summer. A family can spend a morning cattle herding on horseback, a couple can while away an afternoon over lunch in a 17th-century Tipperary town, and a racing die-hard can walk the same yard as a Group 1 winner, all without leaving Horse Country's two counties. Every experience below runs through summer, books directly on the Horse Country website, and sits within two hours of Dublin. Here are 15 ways to spend a summer day here, whoever you're travelling with.
15 Summer Things to Do in Horse Country
1. Ride, Herd or Shoot at Abbeyfield Farm
Best for: families, couples, anyone up for something active
Abbeyfield Farm in County Kildare runs three separate experiences on its 220-acre working farm: a guided horseback ride through rolling countryside and quiet lanes, traditional cattle herding on horseback with the O'Neill family, and a Saddle and Shoot outing pairing a scenic ride with clay pigeon shooting, rifle shooting or archery. Pick one or stack a few together for a full active day.
2. Walk the Grounds at the Irish National Stud & Gardens
Best for: everyone, honestly, the easiest first stop
The Irish National Stud pairs a working stallion yard with some of the most beautiful gardens in Ireland. It's genuinely built for every kind of visitor, from a relaxed family stroll to a behind-the-scenes glimpse for equine enthusiasts, right up to a full VIP experience for racing fanatics. If you only book one thing on this list, this is the safest bet for a mixed group.
3. Meet the Working Horse Heroes of Lullymore
Best for: families, heritage lovers, a quieter afternoon
Set in the Bog of Allen, this guided visit at Lullymore explores rare horse breeds and Ireland's living horse heritage away from the racetrack entirely. A gentle, story-led experience and a good pick if the group includes younger children or anyone who'd rather not be on horseback.
4. Have Lunch in the Middle of Fethard Folklore & Food
Best for: couples, food lovers, a relaxed half-day
This one starts inside Fethard's restored 17th-century Tholsel building, where interactive exhibits trace the town's journey from medieval settlement to global thoroughbred hub, and ends with a two-course lunch at Sadler's Restaurant using produce from the surrounding Tipperary countryside. Runs about four and a half hours, from €40 per adult.
5. Meet a Farrier at the Tipperary Museum of Hidden History and Forge Experience
Best for: couples, families with older kids, a good wet-weather option
Beyond the racing story, this Clonmel museum covers castles, conquests and centuries of Tipperary history, and pairs it with a genuinely hands-on forge experience with third-generation farrier Joe Channon. Indoor and wheelchair-accessible, with an outdoor forge element. Around two hours, priced from €50 per person for groups of ten or more.
6. Enter the Gates of Coolmore on Stories & Stallions
Best for: racing enthusiasts, breeding fans
Stories & Stallions begins at the Fethard Horse Country Experience and, with a dedicated Equine Concierge, takes you through the gates of Coolmore Stud itself, one of the largest and most successful thoroughbred breeding operations on earth. This is the one to book if breeding and bloodlines are the reason you're here.
7. Try the Art of Horse Logging at Corderry Farm
Best for: countryside lovers, families, a slower rural day
Over in Tipperary, Corderry Farm shows working horses hauling timber through woodland trails the traditional way, no engines involved. Run by the same family for seven generations, it's a slower, rural side of Horse Country with real mountain views and warm hospitality.
8. Go Behind the Scenes at The Curragh
Best for: racing enthusiasts, and a good primer before September
The Curragh is Ireland's premier racecourse and home to over 1,000 racehorses in training, just 30 minutes from central Dublin. Our Behind the Scenes visit is a proper look at how it all runs, and a smart one to book ahead of the Irish Champions Festival here in September.
9. Step Inside the Irish Equine Science Laboratory
Best for: curious minds, science-loving teens and adults
Run by the Irish Equine Centre, this 90-minute experience puts you in a lab coat alongside elite specialists for a live experiment, covering the forensics and medicine that keep the Irish equine industry world-class. Genuinely different from anything else on this list.
10. Book an Evening at Champions Table, Keadeen Hotel
Best for: racing enthusiasts
Hosted at the Keadeen Hotel, once home to legendary trainer Paddy "Darkie" Prendergast, Champions Table is an intimate insider's evening shaped by the stories and people who define Irish racing at the top level. It's a dinner-table experience built for adults with a genuine interest in the sport, not a family activity.
11. Go Behind the Scenes at Ballydoyle
Best for: racing enthusiasts
Ballydoyle in County Tipperary is Aidan O'Brien's training base, and this visit takes you behind its gates to walk the same paths as some of the most successful racehorses in modern history. A proper look behind the curtain for the racing fan in your group, rather than a general family day.
12. Meet the Stallions at Kildangan Stud
Best for: racing and breeding enthusiasts, couples with a shared interest
Kildangan is part of Sheikh Mohammed's Darley and Godolphin operation. The Foal to Fame walking tour gets you close to world-class stallions and, season dependent, new-born foals, plus a private museum. Best suited to visitors who already know their bloodstock from their broodmares.
13. Visit Ross O'Sullivan Racing's Yard
Best for: racing enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike
This one is explicitly built for both: watch thoroughbreds train on private gallops, see the morning rituals of a working yard, and finish with a relaxed brunch in trainer Ross O'Sullivan's own family home. A good middle-ground pick if your group has one serious racing fan and one total newcomer.
14. Find Your Starting Point With Richard Brabazon
Best for: racing enthusiasts, small groups
At Rangers Lodge, a Curragh training yard with over a century of history, Richard Brabazon walks you through how a young thoroughbred is actually started and trained, with a look at his private gallops. Intimate and conversation-led rather than a big-group day out.
15. Plan a Full Day Trip From Dublin
Best for: anyone without a car of their own, or short on time
Most of what's on this list sits under two hours from Dublin, and Kildare picks like the Irish National Stud and Abbeyfield Farm are under an hour away. Pair a Kildare morning with a Tipperary afternoon, or stay in one county and combine two or three experiences, and you've got a full day that never needs a hotel booking.
How Far Is Horse Country From Dublin?
Kildare experiences, including Abbeyfield Farm, the Irish National Stud and The Curragh, sit under an hour from Dublin, easy enough for a single-day trip even without your own car if you book transport in advance. Tipperary experiences, including Ballydoyle, Fethard Folklore & Food and Corderry Farm, run closer to two hours, so they work best paired with each other on the same day, or as the anchor for a longer summer weekend.
Ready to Book Your Summer in Horse Country?
Fifteen ways to spend a summer day across Kildare and Tipperary, whether you're travelling as a family, a couple, or a die-hard racing fan. Browse the full list and book directly at the Horse Country experiences hub, or start with the Irish National Stud & Gardens, Abbeyfield Farm, or Stories & Stallions if breeding and bloodlines are more your thing.
