The horse: A beautiful creature that always has captured the hearts and imaginations of humans.

It's no wonder that two major museums dedicated solely to the horse are found in Kentucky. But this year, several museums throughout the Commonwealth are also devoting space for exhibits focusing on the horse in honor of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, set to hit Lexington Sept. 25-Oct. 10.

The International Museum of the Horse
Kentucky Horse Park
Lexington, 1-800-678-8813
www.imh.org
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m.-5.p.m.

A Gift of the Desert: The Art, History and Culture of the Arabian Horse is described by Kentucky Horse Park officials as Òthe cultural heart of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian GamesÓ in Lexington. The prestigious exhibit, sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation, explores the influence of the horse on the world of Near Eastern civilizations. The 8,500-square-foot exhibit features roughly 350 artifacts and contributions from museums, colleges, collections and artists from around the world.

While at the International Museum of the Horse, take time to peruse the additional 38,000 square feet of exhibition space that provides a closer look at the horse and its relationship with humans from the earliest connections in history to today's most popular sporting events, including the World Equestrian Games this fall.

American Saddlebred Museum
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington
(859) 259-2746
Hours: Open daily, 9 a.m.-5.p.m.

Don't leave the Kentucky Horse Park right away. The park is home to yet another museum dedicated to the horse, one honoring The Horse America Made, the American Saddlebred. The museum just completed renovations to better educate visitors about the history of Kentucky's oldest native breed of horse. Art exhibits, multimedia displays, movies and a Saddlebred Sidewalk with more than 3,700 engraved bricks await visitors.

Kentucky Derby Museum
Louisville, (502) 637-1111
www.derbymuseum.org
Hours: Mondays-Saturdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

While this is the first time the World Equestrian Games are being held in Kentucky,and in the United States, for that matter,the Commonwealth is also the permanent home of another prestigious equine event: the Kentucky Derby, of course. Although Churchill Downs will be closed during the World Equestrian Games, horse fans who are here for the games can still tour the famous track with its twin spires, thanks to the Kentucky Derby Museum, as the track's exclusive tour provider. Visitors can watch horses and jockeys train and get a closer look at the famous dirt track.

And that's not all the Kentucky Derby Museum has to offer. After suffering massive damage from an August 2009 flood, the museum underwent a $6 million renovation and now offers visitors new exhibits, state-of-the-art interactive displays and, according to museum officials, a fresh mission of sharing the fun of the Kentucky Derby experience.

The Horse in Kentucky Exhibit
at the Kentucky Museum
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, (270) 745-2592
www.horseinky.com
Preview for the exhibit opens
Fall 2010.

This exhibit at Western Kentucky University will focus on three specific themes relating to the horse and its prominence in the state,Form: The Science of the Horse, Function: Horses at Work and Spirit: Finding the Soul.

Visitors will learn about breeding, biology, domestication, work, behavior and the human connection with horses. Along with images and artifacts relating to the themes, the museum will feature stories told by those who have known horses best,those who rode them, raced them, owned them, showed them, worked with them, and loved them.

The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky
Lexington, (859) 257-5717
www.uky.edu/ArtMuseum
Hours: Tuesdays-Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.; Fridays, noon to 8 p.m.

The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky pays tribute to the horse with The Bluegrass Palette of Andre Pater, on display June 27 through Oct. 10. Andre Pater, a native of Poland who now makes Kentucky his home, is best known for his oil paintings and pastels of sporting horses.

Another exhibit, Hoofbeats and Heartbeats: The Horse in American Art, runs Aug. 22 through Nov. 21. More than 50 paintings and sculptures have been selected for the show, which is designed to visually portray the significance of the horse to the history of the United States, from the Revolutionary War to the present. Featured artists include Frederick Remington, Grant Wood, Edward Hopper and Edward Hicks.

Frazier International History Museum
Louisville, 1-866-886-7103
www.fraziermuseum.org
Hours: Mondays-Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, noon-5 p.m.

While these equines didn't win gold medals or a garland of roses, the horses of the Pony Express made a significant contribution to American culture and imagination. The Frazier International History Museum in Louisville is honoring that contribution by presenting Pony Express, Revisited.

Photographers Mary Carothers and Sarah VanOuwerkerk produced this contemporary exhibition of the Pony Express route. The museum presents the exhibit in September to commemorate not only the World Games, but also the 150th anniversary of the first ride of the Pony Express.

Lexington Public Library
Central Library Gallery
Lexington, (859) 231-5520
Hours: Mondays-Thursdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fridays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sundays, 1-5 p.m.

Located on the first level of Lexington's Central Library, the gallery presents the timely exhibit What Are the World Equestrian Games? through July 4. This exhibit provides brief lessons on the various events that make up the FEI Games.

From July 10 through Aug. 29, the gallery, in conjunction with Kentucky Ecuador Partners, presents The Art of the South American Horse. Photographs from Louisville-based Ross Gordon of the chagras (loosely translated as cowboys) of Ecuador will be on display, along with the chagras' hand-tooled leatherwork, horse equipment and handmade costumes. The mountainous area of northern Ecuador is traveled primarily on horseback and has a rich tradition of horsemanship and skillfully-crafted, decorative accessories.

Another upcoming equine-related exhibit at the library's gallery is The Literary Horse, which opens Sept. 4 and runs through Oct. 31. Throughout literature, heroes are often depicted with trusty equine companions, and occasionally the hero of the story or poem is the horse itself. This exhibit features horses of today with quotations from some of the world's greatest novels, stories and poetry.

Lexington History Museum
Lexington, (859) 254-0530
www.lexingtonhistorymuseum.org
Hours: Sundays-Fridays, noon-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Lexington History Museum is honoring the international games with the American Academy of Equine Art's 2010 Spring Invitational Show. Aptly titled A Salute to the World Equestrian Games, 2010, the exhibit will feature more than 80 works from AAEA members, highlighting a mix of styles and techniques.

These artists hail from around the country and use mediums such as blown glass, pen and ink, bronze and clay, oil paintings, pastels and wood burnings. For more information about the exhibit and the AAEA, see www.aaea.net.

Equine Divine
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft
Louisville, (502) 589-0102
www.kentuckyarts.org
Hours: Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

The beauty, elegance and athleticism of the horse have captured the imagination of artists for millennia. Equine Divine will showcase that inspiration at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft in Louisville.

Equine Divine opens Aug. 7 and runs through Oct. 16, just in time for the World Equestrian Games. The centerpiece is a foal-sized sculpture by Deborah Butterfield, a well-known contemporary equine sculptor who uses driftwood for her craft and has cast the pieces in bronze.

— Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley