History: Cows & Horses

History: Cows and Horses. Historic Florida Barge Canal Trail. A Long Way from Home. Explorer Ponce de Leon brought horses on his second journey from Spain to La Florida. The horses were to be used by his officers, scouts and livestock herders. Spanish equines were known for their speed and agility, well-suited for the unique terrain in this area. Today their ancestors are known by many names: Chickasaw Ponies, Seminole Ponies, Prairie Ponies, Florida Cow Ponies, Florida Horses, and Grass Guts., America’s First Cowboys. What we call "cowboys" were known 500 years ago as "cowmen" or "cow hunters." The cattle they tended were free-range, scattered over wooded rangelands and forests. Cowmen needed whips and dogs to round up those cows. Many cows escaped and thrived in Florida's wild rangelands and prairies. Those "Cracker cows" were long-horned Andalusia (also brought to America by the Spanish)., Cattle Rustling. Among the cattle ranchers, Catholic clergy at missions in Florida raised cattle using Native Americans to tend their herds. As all the herds grew, people stole cattle from one another. Those were wild and adventurous times. In 1921, Florida was described as a "vast, untamed wilderness, plentifully stocked with wild cattle.", Horse Capital of the World. It's been more than five centuries since de Leon arrived in La Florida with cows and horses. Today the equine world has another reputation in this region. In 1943, a road building contractor, Carl Rose, came to Ocala from Indiana to oversee the first asphalt road construction in this area. He recognized the limestone being used here for road construction was like what's found in the horse country of Northern Kentucky. Limestone is good for healthy equine development. It's used in their feed and even in stall bedding. Today, there are more than 650 horse farms in the Ocala area., Banana Spider (Naphila Clavipes) is the common name for this little critter with a big web on the Greenway. Officially, it's called Golden Silk Orb-Weaver and is known for the impressive webs it weaves. It's also called Golden Orb-Weaver Spider and Giant Wood Spider., The webs of the Banana Spider are up to more than five feet in diameter. The hub is not usually centrally located, but is placed in the upper portion of the web, leaving sticky strands in the lower section for catching their prey., Orb Weavers expect to capture small flies, beetles, large cicadas and locusts. Small birds and bats might also be caught in their web-traps. The venom of Banana Spiders is not generally harmful to humans, unless there's an allergic reaction. Mostly, these spiders are annoying for bike riders and walkers on Greenway Trails since their webs are often disguised by sunlight., Of the 45 species of spiders in all of Florida, only five are considered poisonous: Brown Recluse Spiders, Black Widow Spiders, False Black Widow Spiders, Funnel Weaver Spiders and Wolf Spiders., Florida Lizards. Generally, we call them all geckos, but there are many varieties of little lizards in Florida. Only one is native. All the rest are imports (invasive). Geckos are non-venomous and not deadly to humans. They might bite if distressed, however their bite is considered comparatively gentle and will not pierce the skin. They prey on insects and spiders, but are themselves a food source for snakes.