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Equestrian interests
The State of Florida has more than 500,000 horses and more than 70% are used
for competition and recreation, ranking #3 in the US (as per 2005 National Horse
Council Study). Florida is home to almost all breeds of horses, led by
Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Quarter Horses and Arabians. EllaVista is ideally located for a range of equestrian interests whether you
would just like to see them in action, to
ride them yourselves or simply
top up your supply of tack with a few western accessories!
There are a number of equestrian-themed shows ands activities only a short
drive away from EllaVista including:
These venues are typically around 15-20minutes drive away from EllaVista and
are described in more detail here.
For those wanting to try our riding themselves while they are visiting our
villa, we have found the following to be worth considering - advance booking is
recommended, it is also worth checking whether they apply weight restrictions to
avoid disappointment.
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 Cross
Rails Riding Academy provides lessons in all aspects of
'English-style' riding including jumping & dressage. With mounts ranging
from Shetlands and Welsh Ponies to Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses a suitable
ride can be found for all. Just 25 minutes from EllaVista Cross Rails is
located at:
19742 County Road 561,
Clermont, FL 34715
And can be contacted on #352-243-RIDE or by
email.
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Grand Cypress Equestrian Centre has a wide
range of equestrian action going for it and has the added benefit for
the golfers amongst us to take in a few holes whilst the equestrians in
the party can enjoy a spot of riding. Predominantly it is a
traditional BHS-approved riding school with jumping & dressage arenas.
If your youngsters want to split their holiday between Disney and
horses, Grand Cypress runs Junior Riding Camps between March & July; an
opportunity for the adults to try out something else without grumpy
youngsters in tow. For the more experienced riders the centre also
boasts access to a cross-country course which is off-site at Lake
Windsong nearby. Finally, the centre provides short (45-50 minute)
western style trail rides at a variety of paces, these trail rides take
you though typical Orlando scrub pine habitat and start from the nearby
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Hotel.
The Grand Cypress equestrian Centre is located just north of the Walt
Disney World resort about a 30-minute drive from EllaVista at One North
Jacaranda, Orlando, FL 32836 and can be contacted on (877) 330-7377.
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Horse World Riding
Stables provides both lessons and a range of trail
rides of up to 90-minutes long over sandy trails undisturbed by much more than
horses and local wildlife.
If you are
celebrating a special event at EllaVista and fancy a horse-themed day then Horse
World might be the right choice for you since they claim to be able to arrange
an event day for your group including such activities as trail rides, hay rides,
horseshoe pitching plus much more.
The ranch, which has more than 750 acres to roam in for the non-riders in
your party, is just 12 miles off the 192 near Kissimmee at 3705 Poinciana Blvd,
Kissimmee, FL 34758 or call (407) 847-4343 and is about a 30-minute drive away.
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  Ace
of Hearts Ranch just minutes away from
Kennedy Space Centre provides an
opportunity for larger groups to exploit different interests without
having to plan totally different days, meeting up later at a restaurant
maybe to share your adventures. For those with a desire to get
back to nature the trail rides offered here are definitely for you,
whilst those wishing to commune with technology can enjoy the Space
Centre and marvel at the Apollo 13 Space Capsule and many other
technical wonders.The ranch invites you to unwind, forget about
traffic and schedules and take in hours of beautiful Florida trails
where you can relax, enjoy wild flowers, unforgettable scenery and
wildlife while travelling through the many different habitats and
terrains the area has to offer.
Just about 50-minutes away from EllaVista, the Ace of Hearts Ranch
can be found at 7400 Bridal Path Lane, Cocoa, FL 32927 and contacted
either by phone on (321) 638-0104 or
email.
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 Fiddler's
Green Ranch is a little further away (around
90-minutes) but affords the opportunity to visit the 400,000 acre
Ocala National Forest Offering a range
of riding activities from guided Forest Trail Rides of up to 5 hours in length
and lessons the ranch also has a wide range of horses to see including those
used for barrel racing and other performance horses - not your run-of-the-mill
hacks!
The ranch, which proudly refers to the existence of cowboys in Florida 100
years before they arrived in Texas, is at Altoona at 42725 W. Altoona Road.
They can be contacted on (352) 669-7111 or 1-800-94RANCH
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Whether it is the western saddle you always dreamed of owning or a numnah you
just can't get round the corner we will find you shopping opportunities near
EllaVista for the equestrian-minded. The first we have found is
- Clermont
Equestrian - just 10 minutes away at 699 US Hwy 27, Clermont, FL 34711,
this store stocks English & Western tack and a wide range of riding wear.
- Grand
Cypress Equestrian Center Tack Shop - less than 30 minutes from
EllaVista (see above) adjoins the Equestrian Center and Golf facilities.
- Whip n Spur
- in Tampa at 14434 North Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33616, stocking a really
wide range of tack and supplies.
As we find more outlets we will post them here for you.
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