Facilities

The ranch's 200 acres include open and wooded areas, with the Medina River and the Hicks Creek gently flowing right through. For our equine programs, we have a stable, barn, round pen, outside arena, and riding/hiking trails. When not riding, we have a swimming pool, trampoline, and a multipurpose game area. Accommodations include separate houses for boys (clubhouse) and girls (authentic cypress and cedar ranch house). We have an extensive bilingual library, a beautiful playroom, and a kitchen ready to welcome young cooking enthusiasts.

About Us

Peaceful Valley Ranch was acquired in the 1950s by Art and Grace Kitzman, and operated as a guest ranch until the late 1980s. Their son, Joe Kitzman, his wife, Sylvie, and their 5 children now live on the ranch, and have developed Peaceful Valley Ranch into a place where children's dreams and ponies run free. Joe, a veterinarian and cowboy, enjoys western-style riding and rodeo events. Teaching children how to use a lasso, or take care of an orphan fawn are things he really enjoys.

Sylvie, also a veterinarian, was raised in France, and is bringing a unique European flair to the children's ranch. Her background in eventing, show jumping, and other English riding activities allows her to present a large variety of pony activities for the children, including some fun mounted games. Additionally, she offers a perfectly bilingual program, and insight into European culture including some delicious French recipes children love to try.

Our Cavalry

Our colorful cavalry consists of Classic American Shetlands, miniature horses, POAs, and Welsh cross ponies. We currently have 35 ponies, all of them standing between 8 and 12.2 hands (A size ponies). They were selected for their personalities, abilities, and conformation. They are good show quality ponies, as we like to take our young riders to open and breed shows across Texas and the surrounding states. Our ponies have been trained (or retrained) by us to insure they will be excellent children's mounts, safe and gentle, but with just enough personality to make riding fun! They will walk quietly for beginners, play horse-ball and other mounted games, zoom through jumping courses with the more advanced riders, or just go wherever the trail leads us. We also breed a few mares each year as taking care of and playing with the foals is a favorite among the children. We are members of the American Shetland Pony Club, The Pinto Horse Association and the Arabian Horse Registry.

Our Other Friends

Because we are a real ranch, you may rest assured we have many friends other than ponies! You will see Arabian horses, packing llamas (great to carry picnics or towels for swimming), goats, sheep (fun to round up in the evening), Ruby and Butterscotch the pet calves, and of course our mascot, Bambi, a white-tail deer (orphaned and raised on a bottle by the children).

Additionally, we care for the native wildlife (deer, turkeys, raccoons, etc) through habitat preservation, shelter building (something the kids really like), and feeding.