Tag Archives: Florida Trail Riding

A HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers!

  As we pass into the Fall season, grateful that the Florida summer heat is giving way to cooler evenings and mornings, we want to say a few words of appreciation to those dedicated people that have helped our horses and other animals through the summer. The horses have appreciated their cool baths, being brushed […]

Lacey Jane Taylor at Sun City Stables.

Lacey Jane Taylor is a therapy dog. She visits people in hospitals and nursing homes. She has a special I.D. tag with her picture on it that tells people what she does. She is composed, well mannered and attractive: a very together dog. For appropriate occasions, she will even wear a hat. Here she is with Clyde […]

Sun Rae, our little Palomino Tennessee Walker, is doing just fine…..

Before coming to us, Sun Rae was used to living in a stall in a barn, and working in an arena or a round pen. She competed, and did barrels and poles. Then she came to us and was suddenly expected to mingle with other horses and walk down trails in the woods. It scared her. She […]

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, […]

Horses at the Beach – Beach Buddies

‘Pache and Montana have a great relationship. The big Clydesdale Paint has a soft spot for the young teenage girl, and she can do practically anything she wants with him.   Monday was ‘Pache‘s first time at the beach.    He discovered that salt water is not good to drink…..      ….but he enjoyed splashing around […]

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 […]

Pickles gets mistaken for a horse…

When its time to give the horses their second feeding, Pickles the pig is always right there waiting for her share. All the horses are eating….no horses available….so what do you do when you want to ride?   Wait…there’s Pickles….    Pickles has finished her food. Pickles?  Yes, Pickles!  …not super comfortable….. …..very fussy and noisy…. […]

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, […]

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 […]

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!) […]

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, […]

Orange is the new black…..

We’re now easier to spot when we’re on duty……   When you come to Sun City Stables, just look for the person wearing orange! Our guides, workers and volunteers now all wear orange shirts. So…if you’re new in town, or coming to Sun City Stables for the very first time…look for the person in the […]

Trail Riding in Florida – Fun to do!

Many tourists who visit Florida either plan to head to the beaches, go sight seeing, or choose to enjoy the nature and wildlife. A preferred activity for those who choose to enjoy the nature and wildlife is horseback riding. In Florida, there are a variety of trails designed for horseback riding. Stables such as Sun […]