Retirement Home for Horses

Just 15 or so miles up the road is a Retirement Home for Horses, founded by an English couple who have since deeded it as a conservation easement forever. It is over 200 acres of paddocks and fields housing horses of all shapes and sizes and ages and physical conditions. There are blind horses, retired circus and police horses, horses retired from living history farms, horses rescued from abusive situations and the like.

Visitors are allowed on Saturdays from 11-3 and we asked Linda and Elaine to join us on our visit this last weekend. It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a visit. First, however, we had to stop at Hitchcocks and stock up on apples and carrots. Marcia and I got 2 5-lb bag of carrots and 1 5-lb bag of apples. Linda and Elaine got one of each.

So off we went, along with a lot of other people who were all waiting on the gate to open at 11. Little kids poured out of the cars and vans all ready to see the horses. They are so funny--they have their carrots and run up to the horses, then when the horse reaches for the carrots, the kids drop them and run back to mommy. Poor horses!

We walked the entire way down and back, feeding as we went.

Some of the horses did not like apples and would spit them out. Everybody seemed to like the carrots though.

After almost two hours at the horse farm we got back in the truck and headed to High Springs for lunch at the diner. I shared my chocolate malt with Elaine and we both agreed that it hit the spot. A wonderful day spent with friends.