Tag Archives: Florida Barn

Manatee County Equestrian Trails: Go Bit-less!

July is National Park and Recreation Month. We took another road trip  to one of the Bay Area’s many beautiful parks. As we were tacking up the horses, we decided to leave the bridles in the trailer…and go bit-less.    We clipped their reins to their halters, and away we went!     ‘Pache, our Clydesdale Paint, […]

Bath Day…..

The rain we’ve been having lately is very, very needed. All the moisture, however, may cause horses to get skin conditions in the hot Florida weather, if you’re not vigilant. Our personal solution is inexpensive and it works as well as any of the other remedies we’ve tried over the decade and a half we’ve had horses here […]

Barns? No way! We like the modular system:”Tent City!”

Our horses roam around free on our property much of the time, but during business hours, when we could have customers coming for trail rides, they stay in tents!  We’re pretty proud of our modular housing for horses. It fits the Florida climate perfectly. The horses’ pens are made of horse fencing panels. They are expensive, […]

Paso Fino Valentino don’t rear no mo’…..

When we first got Valentino, he was still a stallion, and one of the fun things about him was ability to stand on his hind legs in an beautiful controlled fashion. …Perfectly balanced, like a pro…..….Paso Fino horses are just the coolest…! ……..it was a really fun thing to do with him……… But now that […]

Dairy Queen Commercial…

Relish, our little pet sow,  likes Dairy Queen Malts. If she happens to catch you drinking one…   …….She will make sure you share………….ALL of it!…… ……….every last drop………………..all gone……   …………YUM!….. …..How can you resist that face?…… I bet all pigs like Dairy Queen Malts….

Green Anoles – Florida’s little chameleons

I know that they are not true chameleons, but the green anole is the only native lizard in the southeastern United States that changes color. It is only from bright green to brown or gray, but it’s still really cool. The native green anole is slowly being displaced by its more aggressive cousin from Cuba, but […]

It’s hard work having a harem….

We have Nigerian Dwarf goats and Barbados black belly sheep. After trying our numerous varieties for our Petting Zoo, we settled on these two breeds. Barbados Black Belly sheep are perfect for warm climates like ours here in Florida, because they have no wool. We do have to shear some of our animals sometimes, but I […]

Special effects photography…Danielle and Diamond….

It’s so much fun to play with a picture that’s already very pretty…. Like this picture of Danielle and Diamond…… Here it is in sepia…. Grainy….. With accented edges….. Watercolor….. And Embossed…. But maybe the original is still the prettiest of all….…….right?    

Dillenger, our Missouri Foxtrotter, and Mark….

Dillenger, our Missouri Foxtrotter, really took to off-site trail riding. He loaded easily and was relaxed and happy to be in a new environment. He even went saddle free. Bringing him along was a lot of fun. Here he is with Mark, taking  a break…. On the way back, Mark just rode him with a halter and a […]

Resurrection fern….

Resurrection Fern, or Pleopeltis polypodioides, is one of the pretty sights you might see on a trail ride now at Sun City Stables. You only get to see it when it has rained and there is moisture in the air. It is an epiphyte, which means it lives on top of other plants (think trees!) […]

Nelson loves Gatorade

Nelson, our palomino paint pony, loves Gatorade. He’s a treat hound anyway…. ….. and will wander around begging for snacks when he’s loose… ….but Gatorade is particularly yummy! Especially when some nice person… ….. like Montana….. ……. pours it into her hand and lets him drink it! And how can you refuse him? He’s SOOOOO cute! Just […]

Mani Pedi Day at Sun City Stables

Friday was farrier day at Sun City Stables. All the horses, including the miniature horses, get their feet trimmed…. …this is Drummer….    …and Casanova….     The hooves are clipped with a nipper….  …and then filed with a file….  ….a rather big file…  Our horses generally are good about getting their feet done. They will often just stand quietly by […]

What’s better than riding bareback….?

Riding bareback is great. It’s nice not to have to bother with a saddle and just hop on a horse….. What’s better than riding bareback?     Riding double bareback…. ….on a goofy Tennessee Walker. Riding with REALLY dirty feet and a soda in your hand…. ….like Montana and Mark…. (and, yes, Delight, our Walker, […]