Florida Equestrian Guide

Every horse moving within Florida needs an official negative equine infectious anemia test, the Coggins test, dated within 12 months of the blood draw (FDACS equine movement requirements).

The same 12-month Coggins rule covers horses gathered at any public or private assembly in Florida. FDACS lists boarding stables and pastures, shows, exhibitions, fairs, rodeos, racetracks and trail rides, and it makes the stable owner or event sponsor responsible for checking the test and keeping the records for two years (FDACS). A horse changing owners in Florida must go to the buyer with the original or laboratory-certified negative test.

Horses coming into Florida from another state need two documents: a negative EIA test dated within 12 months and an Official Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that rides with the driver to the final destination (FDACS equine movement requirements). Foals under 6 months traveling with a dam that has a negative test are exempt. FDACS issues prior permission numbers, needed for cases such as horses from countries where contagious equine metritis is endemic, through [email protected] or (850) 410-0900, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For trail riders, FDACS offers a laminated Negative EIA Verification Card as wallet-sized proof of the test for trail riding and travel within Florida. FDACS stopped issuing Equine Event Extensions and Equine Passport documents as of June 30, 2019, and horse owners traveling out of state may still apply for an Extended Equine Certificate of Veterinary Inspection through their private veterinarian in conjunction with Global Vet Link (FDACS).

As of October 15, 2026, the FDACS equine page also carries a New World screwworm notice: the pest is not currently in Florida, but an NWS Certificate of Animal Movement with a prior permission number is required for all warm-blooded animals originating from Infested Zones (FDACS).

The Florida Forest Service opens horse trails in state forests across the Panhandle, Northeast, Central and South Florida, with equestrian campgrounds and stables at select forests (Florida Forest Service horseback riding).

Proof of a current negative Coggins test is required for all horses in all Florida State Forests. Riders place ribbons on horses' tails, yellow for stallions, blue for biters and red for kickers, and watch out for hikers, bicyclists and hunters in the forest (Florida Forest Service). A Day-Use Pass is bought online or by calling 877-879-3859. As of October 15, 2026, Florida Forest Service pages carry a Hurricane Isaias banner linking to State Forest closures, worth checking before hauling to a trail.

In Central Florida, Tiger Bay State Forest just west of Daytona Beach has nearly 11 miles of multi-use trails with trailer parking and designated horseback campsites (Florida Forest Service, Central Florida). The Florida Forest Service also lists Charles H. Bronson, Lake Wales Ridge, Little Big Econ, Matanzas, Seminole and Withlacoochee state forests as horse-friendly in that region, and its riding rules note that, per Nicole's Law, children under 16 must wear a helmet.

Florida riders who collect trails can join the Trailtrotter program. Riding a total of eight trails across at least four State Forests earns a patch and a certificate signed by the Director of the Florida Forest Service, with rides logged through QR codes at each trailhead; the Trailsaddler level takes 16 trails and Trailwrangler 24 (Florida Forest Service Trailtrotter).

The Ocala One Hundred Mile Horse Trail in the Ocala National Forest is the main horse route the National Forests in Florida list, made of a 40-mile Flatwoods Trail, a 40-mile Prairie Trail and a 20-mile Baptist section (National Forests in Florida).

The National Forests in Florida list horseback riding in the Apalachicola, Ocala and Osceola national forests. In the Osceola National Forest, the West Tower equestrian trails near Lake City form four interconnected loops over 50 miles, but the Forest Service lists them as temporarily closed, and it notes that several Ocala National Forest campsites, day-use areas and trails remain closed for hurricane damage assessment (USDA Forest Service). The National Forests in Florida Supervisor's Office in Tallahassee lists 850-523-8500.

The Cross Florida Greenway is a 110-mile linear park on more than 75,000 acres of land formerly known as the Cross Florida Barge Canal, and in a May 2024 event listing the FDEP Office of Greenways and Trails said it hosts more than 300 miles of trails of all types, including equestrian trails (FDEP Office of Greenways and Trails). That 300-mile figure counts paddling, hiking, mountain biking and paved multi-use trails too, so it is not a horse-trail total.

Yes: Southwest Florida Water Management District lands with enough trail miles for a half-day ride or longer are generally open to horses, and rule 40D-9.150 of the Florida Administrative Code allows riding where posted signs identify trails, areas, roads or equestrian campgrounds (SWFWMD equestrian).

Riders on Southwest Florida Water Management District land must carry proof of a negative Coggins test at all times, stay on trails marked for horses, and keep out of wetlands except where the District allows riding (SWFWMD). Equestrian and group camping areas reachable with a horse trailer have nonpotable water and portable restrooms and need a free camping reservation.

The District says over 98 percent of its lands are open to the public. It has changed how it handles equestrian day use at Cypress Creek Preserve, Conner Preserve, the Lower Hillsborough Jefferson Equestrian Area, Upper Hillsborough Preserve, Chito Branch Reserve, the Green Swamp East Hampton Tract and the Upper Hillsborough Alston Tract, where a day use permit opens the larger trailer parking areas (SWFWMD equestrian). The Land Use and Protection Section in Brooksville lists 1-800-423-1476 (toll-free, Florida only) or (352) 796-7211, ext. 4470.

Ocala and Marion County are officially named the Horse Capital of the World, and the county says it has more horses and ponies than any other county in the United States, with 35 percent of Florida's horses and 46 percent of its thoroughbreds (Marion County).

Marion County government says more than 15,000 thoroughbreds train annually in Florida thanks to the mild winters, grasses rich with limestone and spring-fed aquifers, and that equines cover more than 195,000 acres of prime land in Marion County. It says the thoroughbred breeding and training industry around Ocala is supported by a network of veterinarians, feed and tack retailers, blacksmiths, equine dentists and horse transportation companies (Marion County).

Florida law requires every equine activity sponsor and equine professional to post a warning sign, in black letters at least 1 inch tall near where the activity begins, or give each participant a signed written notice (Florida Statutes, section 773.04).

The required text in section 773.04, Florida Statutes, reads: WARNING Under Florida law, an equine activity sponsor or equine professional is not liable for an injury to, or the death of, a participant in equine activities resulting from the inherent risks of equine activities. The written document can replace the posted sign at a facility and must be given for events away from it (Florida Statutes).

Last verified: October 15, 2026, against FDACS, Florida Forest Service, USDA Forest Service, Southwest Florida Water Management District, FDEP, Marion County and Florida Statutes pages.