Young's Paso Fino Ranch, Ocala

Just beyond the wrought iron gates and cobbled stone walls that stand at the entrance to Young’s Paso Fino Ranch, Paso Fino horses from some of the breed’s most esteemed bloodlines gallop across green fields and rustic meadows. Renowned for their naturally smooth gait and personable dispositions, the steeds whinny their greetings to visitors who arrive at the ranch for farm tours, riding lessons, and leisurely trail rides. To further endear themselves to the horses before saddling up alongside the ranch’s experienced guides and instructors, new riders are encouraged to bring along carrots and wear their finest hay-scented perfumes. When the afternoon sun beats down on the farm’s open pastures, riders can seek shade in the on-site tack and gift shop, where saddles, reins, and souvenirs swing from wooden walls. Aside from daily rides and lessons, the ranch offers full-service boarding in a barn with clay flooring and a covered viewing pavilion.