OCALA, Fla. — There is a calm in the early morning before the sun warms up that stables at Kimberden Farms. 

That calm is broken by a familiar sound.

“Yes, my jingle bells," said Kimie Carp. 

Carp jingle and jangle as she walks across the grounds with the gear to suit up  “little” Prince Charming. 

Prepping and brushing this gentle giant, with the ironic name,  for their daily adventure, setting out for an hour and a half long carriage ride and tour of Horse Country in Ocala. 

“Here in Marion County, it's all about the horse farms. We are actually the horse capital of the world," Carp said. 

Marion County is home to the largest number of horses and ponies in the country. It is probably why Carp and her family moved from Philadelphia to Ocala when she was just 7 and never left. 

“I've worked at Kimberden for the last nine years, but for me, it all started when I was about 15, so now we are coming up on 23 years of tours," Carp said. 

She landed her first carriage job at 15 and now she owns her own business, Horse Country Carriage Company & Tours. It has gained some notoriety in these parts. 

“My nickname is Carriage Kimie, so people call me that but you can also call me ‘Kimie,’ and that's fine too," she explains. 

Either way, she is a fixture on these old Florida roads, traveling horse country with a story, but also a mission to help preserve these horse farms. 

“I think in a world where we are constantly building and building on top of everything and losing a lot of our green space, the key factor is that we work to keep our farms here because they are so special," Carp said. 

Horse Country Carriage Company & Tours is by reservation early so if you'd like to book a tour please call ahead.