Magnolia Farm a Home for Horses, Family

Sandra Roser wakes up at 4 a.m. every day to feed and water Magnolia Farm's 18 horses before  heading to work.

The Forest Hills Elementary teacher returns at 4 p.m. to give horseback lessons, then feeds and waters once more before she crosses the bridge that connects Magnolia Farm to her home's backyard.

She starts dinner, and finally gets off her feet.

Roser is in her 40th year of teaching, and hopes its her last, she said. She also has operated Magnolia Farm for 20 years now.

And she's likely to spend the next 20 years on the farm, sharing the same work ethic that her father, Jimmy Haya, 89, embraces.

Haya served in the military until December 31, 1946, and with what money he had saved from the military, he purchased a dairy farm, where Tampa International Airport sits on this day, on January 1, 1947.

Then, just like the old western movies, Haya put the bull in the front and herded the rest of the cattle to another farm on Waters Avenue in 1949.

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He moved once more to the Magnolia Farm property, but time had caught up to him by then and herding wasn’t an option, so the cattle were transported by trailer in 1957. Though the dairy farm portion of the business is no longer in operation, Haya still wakes up early every morning to help out on the farm.

The family's foray into horses started with just one pony, Pepper. Horses were added one by one until the farm grew into the world-class horse farm it is today. And it's the thrill of showing the farm's champion horses keeps Sandra Roser motivated, she said.

Roser’s son, Randy, recently showed “IB Approved To Cruise" —AKA “Bucky”— at the 2012 Pinto World Show in Tulsa, OK, where they took home the world championship.

“That’s the best and most exciting feeling, when our efforts are rewarded and recognized,” Sandra Roser said.

The Rosers show about once a month year-round, with few exceptions. The amount of work, repetition  and time put into preparing a horse for show is similar to that of any professional athlete, she said. 

A show horse performs a particular workout regimen six times a week to stay in shape. The horse may be having an off day, but the workout doesn't cease until ended on a perfect note, much like the workout of any world class athlete.

“(Horses) are creatures of habit, so a routine is definitely something they strive on,” Randy Roser said. “Perfect practice, makes perfect.”

The farm offers boarding for horses, lessons for riders, and holiday camps for kids.  For information, contact Sandra Roser at (813) 948-61711.