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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami Area Tourist and Local ATTRACTIONS Historical Photos Gallery - All Years - click on image to view > 1950's and 1960's - King's Pony Farm at 10500 N. W. 7th Avenue, Miami
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1950's and 1960's Postcard image

1950's and 1960's - King's Pony Farm at 10500 N. W. 7th Avenue, Miami

10500 NW 7th Avenue, Miami, Florida


I found an internet reference that places King's Pony Farm between N. W. 105th and 107th Streets on the west side of N. W. 7th Avenue (US 441). According to one writer it had a background fort with a lookout tower that kids could climb up in. It is believed to have closed in the early 1970's. It is reportedly now a discount Value storage facility.

There is still an active Florida corporation with the name of King's Pony Farm, Inc. See http://www.corporationwiki.com/Unknown/Unknown/kings-pony-farm-inc-2674231.aspx


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Dale 23-Aug-2024 02:35
Hey Jerry, I remember you and Richard. Great times we had even though it was work. Julia, nice to hear from a family member. Sorry to tell you Cricket was not a she but was a gelding. There were no female ponies and only comanche and apache, the brown and black appoloosa's were studs. I remember King or Howard going to Mother's donuts on 7th ave... they were the best donuts. My Mom would sometimes bring Royal Castle burgers for lunch. I learned a lot and grew up pretty fast working there.
Cindy 13-Dec-2022 01:20
I forgot all about this page until I just stumbled across it again. I think I may have an old 8mm video of me riding the ponies when I was very small so it would have been early to mid 1960's. It had been put on vhs tape years ago by my sister, but it needs to be converted again to some modern format to be able to share it. I may have some pictures too. If I can find them, I will come back and share them.

William Butler, that would have been the Rocking-N ponies in the Enchanted Forest by Greynolds Park. They also had a ring over by the 7-11 and Dunkin Donuts that was open on weekends only, but I don't remember the address.
Dawn 16-Apr-2021 18:55
I loved that place so much, my dad would take me every saturday to ride my favorite pony, name was Buttermilk. I'm now 55 years old, dad passed away last year but Kings Pony Farm was a memory we enjoyed laughing about until the end. Such wonderful memories we had of that place, so many lives touched there and so many perfect weekends for a tiny girl named Dawn.
Elvis 05-Apr-2021 01:03
My first job at 12 years old in 1972, worked there for a couple of years, loved it, King and Howard owned and ran the place, Great memories!
George James 03-Mar-2021 02:19
I remember the Pony rinks. I think my dad was related to Alma Ree King. I have seen phots from my 2nd birthday when a had pony rides in my backyard. My dad is George James and my grandmother was Neva Mae Marsh James.
William Butler 30-Dec-2020 21:53
Seeing who else might remember a place in early - mid 60's that had an oval for pony rides on north side of 163rd st heading toward the ocean ?
Julia Robert's Castillo 13-Jul-2019 00:32
I am the granddaughter of James Holton King. My memories are limited because I was very young when he sold the pony farm. I remember the Indians that he kept on display. I have one sitting on my front porch in NC as I type this. I had my 5th birthday there. My favorite pony's name was Cricket. She "belonged" to me. When he sold the pony farm and all the ponies I was heart broken. I remember not talking to him for a long time. Losing Cricket (she wasn't actually mine, but as a young child I claimed her) devastated me. It broke his heart to see me so unhappy. A year after he sold the pony farm he bought me a Welch pony. J don't know a Jerry Young (not a great grandchild) and my grandfather was not a stunt man for Gunsmoke. Sorry. Although that does make for a great story! Lol. He was a great horseman though and knew horses inside and out. I was blessed indeed to call him grandaddy.
Dr. Andrew E Mossberg 15-Mar-2018 19:37
Throughout the 60's and early 70's I went there so many times, including a birthday party party or two there. We lived not far away, next to Twin Lake. When I was older I remember being able to ride one of the horses out to the back section on a few occasions. I think the last time I ever went they said they weren't allowing that anymore. :-(

I believe the exit from the Grand Union/Grand Way was on the other side of 105th, so I'd get to go for a quick ride after grocery shopping with my parents.
Guest 29-Nov-2017 03:01
James Holton King was the name of the owner. He was my Great Grandfather. I have heard many stories about that place and what I read backs it up. It's pretty cool.
jerry young 11-Sep-2017 01:52
dale I intended to type co-herder ,you where as good a rider as we had. Hey remember Flaco and Saphire the spider monkeys that used to snatch food from people and wigs of old ladies what a riot Ha Ha Ha.
jerry young 11-Sep-2017 01:42
hey dale this is your former herder jerry Y. the pony in the fast lane you need is Charlie, and I believe it was Big Boy that pulled the wagon he was the only pony with shoes remember? remember Richard ? He and I used to ride our Minibikes around the dirt train road after closing.Ha! what fun.
Guest 09-Sep-2017 06:57
We went there so many times. I always chose the fast lane for my ride. Pony rides... yay!!! It was my favorite place to go besides the beach. All the kids in my neighborhood lived going there. Who wouldn't. I remember buying Burnt peanuts there for a treat. You know the peanut was covered in a dark red bumpy candy coating. They came in a clear cellophane bag. My best friend had her birthday party there. I went to several birthday parties there. I have some color photos of the place from late 60's and early 70's. I'd share them with this site. I want it to be remembered.
Don Boyd30-Jul-2017 20:23
I received this comment from a gent named Robert in this site's Guestbook section where few people will see it and comment on it. I edited it so more people will underrstand it and I copied it here because his comments are solely about King's Pony Farm and belong here where people interested in King's Pony Farm will see it. If anyone has a photo of themselves posing on a pony with a King's Pony Farm employee please share it with Robert by contacting him at his e-mail address that he has provided near the bottom of his message.
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Guest 30-Jul-2017 13:11

My name is Robert I grew up in Miami and I'm 57 years old now. I worked at King's Pony Farm during the summer and after school. My brother Mike and myself walked with customers around the ring. The ponies were trained to go three rounds and stop,. There were three speeds: the inside ring was for walking, the middle ring was for trotting, and in the outside ring was for full gallop.

I used to carry the keys to all the locks I would come in the morning and attend to the animals. Yes, I even shoveled the manure out of the barn for an extra six dollars a day, LOL. My favorite part of working there was driving the railroad car and the pony on the wagon when people were ready and had a ticket. I was about 13 years old in 1974. There was a billiard hall across the street where I spent most of my money that I earned at the pony farm.

I posed many many times with toddlers on ponies with mom's taking pictures and I wish I could find some of those pictures. I do not have a one.

At the time I work there the owners name were Pierce, Mike Pierce. I sure would like to find him. My e-mail is ruggist420@yahoo.com . Anybody can reach me there. I still live here in South Florida.

Robert
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Don
Rebecca 18-Jan-2017 02:33
My grandfather took me every week to ride the ponies. The monkey pulled my hair.

Cindy, was your pre school at Central Alliance Church? I went to pre school and kindergarten there from 1970 to 1972.
Sherree Brown 11-Mar-2016 21:03
I also worked there. I hung around all the time.I loved and still love horses. My grandmother Maxine Kelly had a bar accross the street called Maxine's at 10605 N.W. th street. I spent so much time there. My favourite pony was comanche.I remember the monkey. I also had a brazillian spider monkey that I wasn't allowed to keep so we gave her to them. Her name was Cheetah. I think I remember a girl named Stacy that worked there. Wow, so long ago...
Don Boyd19-Nov-2014 01:09
Guest who posted on 17-OCt: thank you for posting some of the names of the horses.

Guest who posted on 11-NOV: thank you for posting that sad story and now that thought you shared is stuck in my mind. : (

Dale: thank you for adding a lot of great information on names, attractions and types of animals. I'm sure you are saving some folks some valuable time of wracking their brains trying to remember the names of horses that they liked there. : )

Don
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Dale 18-Nov-2014 01:19
Used to work there. Started hanging around always asking King and Howard for a job. 9 yrs old they finally started me raking you now what. Pony names... Walkers...Topper, apache, silver, bucky, dapples, pepper, crackerjack... trotters... Cricket, ?, camanche, cloud, buddy, skeeter, scout... Runners... ?, buttermilk, freckles, ed, trigger Jr, . Made 4 dollars a day an off course it was spent at the concession stand. Trigger pulled the wagon. Also had a train. Boot hill. A train tunnel. Monkeys goats ducks chickens cotomondaes (spelling?) . I think the Pierce family took over in 75 or 76. Many many fond but 1/2 forgotten memories
Guest 11-Nov-2014 21:06
As a boy, just 10 and a recent arrival from New Yawk, I made a friend of the
Wooly? monkey that lived chained to the tiny house on the post in the background. The scary sign with savage teeth that read "I BITE!" was not enough to deter me from hugging the poor neglected creature tightly. It is a bittersweet memory for me as the one thing that I remember most vividly was the desperate way in which that monkey held on to me and never wanted to let go. This sad thought has never really lessened in my mind.
Guest 17-Oct-2014 19:25
A few of the horses names were Ed, Junior & Scout.
Don Boyd03-Dec-2013 18:02
Cindy, thank you for adding your good detailed memories, which should help other folks remember more about the attraction. : )

Don
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Cindy 03-Dec-2013 17:18
I also remember that the each pony had a tooled leather browband on it's bridle with their name on it and the saddles all had little built in handlebars and seat belts to keep kids from falling off and on the outside 'fast' ring there were metal poles on springs to keep the ponies from rubbing the kid's legs on the rails as they raced around...
Cindy 03-Dec-2013 16:49
I went to a pre-school close to there (early 1960's) and got to ride the ponies at least once a week. I loved the ponies and hated the monkeys because they would grab the peanuts from you with their leathery hands and long sharp nails! Didn't they also have some goats? Growing up in Miami was great!
Don Boyd23-Sep-2013 03:28
J. Young, thank you for contributing that additional information as to the owner.

Don
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J. Young 22-Sep-2013 19:32
James Holy King was the founder of the farm. He was a stunt man in his early days on the hit western Gunsmoke.
Don Boyd07-Oct-2011 20:18
Thank you for posting that information, Margaret. The part about the different lanes and the monkeys should jog some memory cells for folks who have been there long ago.

Don
margaret 06-Oct-2011 19:01
I see from the sunbiz.org site that they went out of business by the end of 1976.

I loved that place and would give anything to go back in time and take a ride. I remember there were three lanes for different ages groups. The outer lane was the fastest and for the grown up kids. The inner lane was for toddlers. I remember monkeys in cages in the back.