Horses And Jobs

Ocala, Florida

Weather: low 76 degrees, high 100 degrees, mostly cloudy skies with light showers in the late afternoon

This was not a good day for me, as it appears that something in my lunch yesterday made me sick. We think it was the collards that I noticed as being a little salty. Anyway, I spent a good part of the day keeping company with the porcelain throne. I don't get sick like that very often, and don't care to repeat today.

The sick stomach didn't strike me until after I finished my morning walk. As hot as it was this morning, I almost wish that I had gotten up sick so I wouldn't have been out in the hot, humid morning. When I wasn't in the restroom, I was zoned out in my easy chair trying to feel better. Finally, about mid-afternoon, I started feeling better, but we decided that it would be best to stay at home the rest of the day so I could finish getting over my stomach problems.

We've noticed that the horse industry is important to this area. There are hundreds of horse farms, and many of them have training facilities, including race tracks. I think that it would be fair to say that thousands of people are employed by the horse industry, both directly and indirectly. Each farm employs people as trainers, exercise riders, grooms, and laborers. There are people here who transport horses, and others who provide veterinary services. Farriers are used, as well as people to maintain the fences. The farms are usually very scenic, and one reason they are so beautiful is the pastures that look like city parks. Every farm seems to always have people running mowers to keep the pastures looking good.

Some of the more prominent farms have beautiful entrances to their property, with many of those putting up a representation of horses. Here's a statue of a horse and a jockey that one of the farms uses.



Among the horses bred and raised here are thoroughbreds, quarter horses, paso finos, apaloosas, and Morgan horses. I'm not sure what this statue represents as far as a breed, but it was impressive to me.



The reason so many horses are here is because the soil is high in calcium content, allowing horses with stronger bones to be raised. Here's a typical picture of the countryside that is part of a horse farm.



If I continue to feel better tomorrow, we'll be out and about to see what we can find.

More later, be safe.

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