Riding and training at Barbara and Darrell Gerken’s Ocala horse farm again this week allowed me another opportunity to take pictures and videos of the horses and riders who came out to enjoy the beautiful weather and facilities. Barbara, a lifetime member of the AQHA, FQHA, and NRHA, (and winner of many trophies and championships), and I showed horses together back in the 70′s and 80′s when we both lived in Sarasota.
Stephanie Jones, Denny Wallace, Pam Corson, and Robert Westcott are the trainers and riders you will see in the video.
Horse farms, mares and foals, and an imposter in the mix made for a great morning drive through more beautiful horse country in Ocala yesterday… this time in West Ocala. The pastures were lush and green (and wet). One of the pleasures of taking pictures early in the morning!
Enjoy this short West Ocala horse farm country video and see the ‘imposter!’ (Here are pictures of the imposter.)
There are many different types of Ranch and Lodge vacations. We have created this page to help you understand the key differences between each type. Select from the list below or scroll down this page to learn more about each category. For a complete list of ranches in all ranch categories, visit Ranchweb’s Travel Categories page.
In the true western tradition many cattle ranchers continue to open their spreads to travelers. Depending on the ranch you choose, you may participate in the day to day chores and ranch life. These experiences usually open ones eyes to the rugged landscape and life that helped to shape America.
Just like the name implies these are ranches that specialize in hosting guests from around the world. In most cases, you will enter a stranger and leave a friend. Many are hosted by the owners themselves. There are a number that are run by General Managers.
A number of properties have elected to develop resort facilities and programs. This offers guests the opportunity to enjoy a variety of activities including swimming, golf, tennis, massage, along with traditional guest ranch activities. While few and far between, resort ranches have lots of opportunities for families as well as corporations.
Surrounded by sweeping views and dramatic peaks, The Preserve at Little Pine is an 1,800-acre mountain community, with a staffed Equestrian Center, perched high atop the Blue Ridge Mountains. Explore the hills of The Preserve at Little Pine, as well as old-growth forests, on horseback, or take private or group lessons with the Equestrian Center staff.
This is a video of part of the beautiful trail ride I enjoyed with ‘Cowboy Scott’ Sunday, May 31, at Western North Carolina’s beautiful, private club community, Balsam Mountain Preserve.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_a.png?x-id=d06960be-501b-47c6-b1f4-d59655fe583b)
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_a.png?x-id=19996cde-f700-44b8-99b8-ef3ee778667b)
