Myakka River Ranch is full of new life

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. - Spring is in the air, and that means new life is here too, and on the farm, that doesn't just mean flowers and blossoms.

Dasha Cole from Myakka River Ranch knows this all too well as her farm is full of babies right now. 

"We have several babies on the farm," she laughed, "we have an approximately three-week-old baby horse. Her name is Sunrise."

The frisky foal is vibrant and full of energy.

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Cole shared, "The minute the babies are born, I try to get my hands on them and I try to handle them, so they are used to the humans. So growing up they actually know me. She's a very cute girl."

Working the farm isn't for the faint of heart or the timid. It takes deliberate work every day.

"Breeding, especially horses, it's a very expensive hobby," Cole admitted. But for her, it's a labor of love.

Her farm doesn't just have horses though.

"We also have many piggy babies," she said, "Piglets are pretty easy for us."

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Their boar and sow produced a number of healthy piglets young enough to still have their stripes.

Their newest additions to the farm family are the sheep. Those sheep have reproduced as well.

"We currently have three lambs who were born to our sheep," shared Cole," but as with all of the other animals, learning to care for them is a process. We are learning as we go. Running the farm as a family it takes a lot of dedication it's a lot of hard work, I think we're doing well."

If you are interested in visiting the Myakka River Ranch, they are located at 46405 Clay Gully Road in Myakka City. 

Their website can be found by clicking here. 

Dasha Cole does offer horseback riding lessons and trail rides on the farm. You can learn more by clicking here.