V6 Ranch Horses
V6 Ranch Horses aren’t your average dude horses
Here on the V6, we are passionately not a “nose-to-tail” operation. We prioritize good horsemanship and safety, keeping our herd small so we are able to give each horse the attention and training it needs. Each of our horses have ample ranch experience and many are the horses we personally use to gather, sort, brand, rodeo and more.
We have a horse for every skill level so you can have fun and feel safe.
Meet the v6 ranch horses
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Mighty
Bred to be a cutting horse and raised to be a rope horse, Mighty eventually found his job as a jack of all trades on the V6 over 10 years ago.
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Bella
Bella was in training to be a reined cow horse before Barb Varian brought her to the V6. Now she spends her days trail riding, sorting, branding, or bossing the rest of the herd around out at pasture. She spends a lot of time with her daughter, Bee.
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Zuni
Zuni was born and raised on the V6 Ranch. He’s a descendant of Zee Varian’s first horse Pocahontas that she started breeding in the early 1950s. In his younger days Zee trained Zuni to be a reined cow horse, but these days he enjoys leisurely trail rides and sorting cattle with his friends. It’s hard to find more sure-footed horses than the ones raised here on the rugged V6 Ranch.
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Zip
Zip was born and raised on the V6 Ranch and is as trusty a steed as they come. Having grown up on the V6 Ranch, Zip traverses difficult terrain like a walk in the park.
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Maybelline
Barb’s trusty steed Maybelline does it all. This pretty girl ropes, sorts, brands, and loves a nice ride on the trail.
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Chemize
Chemize was born and raised right here on the V6 Ranch. She comes from a long line of horses raised by Zee Varian and is as trusty a ranch horse as they come.
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Alvin
You won’t ride a horse with more personality than Alvin. Often dubbed ‘the most mischievous horse on the ranch’, Alvin is always up to something, but he is one of the smartest and most talented horses on the ranch.
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Daizy
This little girl has been an angel since day one. Daizy was born and raised on the V6 Ranch, her grandmother Ali being one of Zee Varian’s best show horses. Daizy is willing and ready to do anything and go anywhere.
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Zeek
Zeek was born and raised on the V6 Ranch. Despite being a registered Paint Horse, he is often mistaken for a gaited horse because of his speedy walk, perfect for covering country on long gathers.
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Breezy
Breezy was born and raised on the V6 Ranch. After several years as a rope horse for the Varian grandkids, Breezy settled down as a V6 Ranch Horse. Breezy is very responsive and does it all from roping to cruising the trails.
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Mertle
This sweet girl has been on the V6 for over seven years. She has a motor under the hood when you need it, but is also happy to just take it easy. She loves to rope, sort, run barrels, and just about anything else.
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Taxi
Taxi was bred and raised by Zee Varian’s old friend Barbara Cully. Originally raised to be a barrel racing horse, if you need to get from point A to B in a hurry, this Taxi is your ride.
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Fiesta
Fiesta is a party on four legs. Well, a mellow party on four legs. She loves cruising the trails, gathering cattle, and sorting in the round pen.
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Rollie
Rollie was raised and trained in Creston by former V6 Wrangler Matt Allgood. Rollie is brimming with personality and is a dependable mount in the roping or sorting pen, out gathering cattle, or wherever else you need her.
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Millie
Millie is a little pal. This kind hearted mare loves chasing cows and casual strolls on the trail.
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Brownie
Brownie loves a good friend, whether it’s his friends out at pasture, or whoever gets to ride him, he’ll give you his whole heart. He’s the gooey center to your fudge Brownie.
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Bee
Little Bee was born and raised on the V6 Ranch and is pretty sure she’s a lap horse. She’s as smart and willing as they come. Her mom is the wonderful Bella, and her dad is the beautiful Arabian stallion Major Mac V, raised by our cousin Sheila Varian.
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Malibu (Retired)
Malibu grew up in Malibu before making his way to the V6 Ranch. For many years he was a steer wrestling horse and then a trusty trail horse. Now, he is living out his retirement at the beach with a past V6 guest who fell in love with him.
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Zorro (2008-2023)
We go way back with Zorro. His sire was legendary Arabian stallion Maclintock V, who was raised by cousin Sheila Varian. Zorro’s dam Barb was born & raised on the V6. Both of his parents were some of the nicest horses we’ve had in the family, and Zorro was no exception to that. Sadly we lost Zorro in the fall of 2023.
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Pizza (1994-2023)
Our gentle giant, Pizza, was likely the tallest horse on the ranch. He spent just about every day of his life on the V6 and passed away after a long happy life. Pizza loved to take it easy and particularly loved riding with kids.
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Fizz (1998-2022)
Fizz was an all-time favorite at the V6 among guests and family members. Sadly, we lost Fizz on Christmas Day, 2022. Her legacy will live on with her three babies and all the people that adored her.
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Stevo
Stevo is everyone’s favorite rope horse. Steve has carried several members of the Varian family to wins in the roping arena and we have to draw straws to see who gets to ride him in the branding pen. Trail riding is his newfound hobby.
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Ace
Ace was bred and raised by Jessica Varian before joining the V6 Ranch Horse Herd. Ace loves to do anything and go anywhere, and he has a BIG personality.
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The Dude
Yes, this horse is named after The Big Lebowski, because he truly is The Dude. He does it all, has a bundle of personality, and loves to chill. He was raised and trained by a local rancher and spent his younger years ranching.
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Tick Tac
After several years running with the V6 herd, Tick Tac was pulled out of the pasture and was the mount for Olympic Gold Metalist Jonny Moseley when he visited the V6 Ranch. Since then he’s been a gentle mount for many guests on the V6.
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Lucy
Lucy was raised to be a cutting horse, but she decided the show life wasn’t for her. She made her way to the V6 Ranch just over 10 years ago. She’s opinionated, but with several V6 Buckles under her belt, she’s a horse that will do whatever you need done!
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Miss Pep
After a long successful career as a cutting horse (most recently carrying Kathryn Varian to CHSRA State Finals multiple times), Miss Pep has settled into the trail riding life. Always gentle and dependable, but capable of doing anything that’s asked of her.
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Flurry
Flurry is a retired rope horse that now spends his days exploring the V6 Ranch with guests. He is a kind, older gelding that loves both a quiet ride and a light-hearted team sorting match.
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Trigger
Trigger joined the family in 2023 and quickly became everyone’s favorite. Whether he is branding cattle with John on a neighbor’s ranch or carrying guests through the V6 hills, he is the perfect horse for the job.
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Pablo
Pablo has a heart made of gold. When he first arrived on the ranch he wasn’t too into humans. These days he’s basically a lap horse. Pablo loves gathering cattle and leisurely trail rides.
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Rusty
Rusty joined the ranch in 2023 when he was retired from being a rope horse. This stout, gentle gelding is perfect for all levels of riders, he adapts to create a fun experience for all! When he’s not out on the trail, he likes to spend time with his buddy Flurry.
We let our horses be horses.
To thank our horses for their work and to keep their brains happy, our horses spend their time off turned out out on 100+ acres. When they’re not being ridden they’re free to roam, socialize, roll, run, kick, buck, graze, and just do horse things.
Zee Varian & V6 Ranch Horses
Many of our horses were raised right here on the ranch by Zee Varian, identifiable by the letter “Z” in their names. These horses are descendants of Zee’s first brood mare Pocahontas that she owned and bred in the 1950s at the age of 13. For over 70 years Zee Varian has been raising athletic, responsive, sturdy, kind-hearted horses. This paired with Zee’s world-class horsemanship, sets the V6 Ranch Horse herd apart.
The Sunset Stables Days
Zee grew up on her family’s riding stable in Culver City, Sunset Ranch, still in operation today, now under the Hollywood sign.
At Sunset Stables they took out trail rides, hay wagons, and hosted wild west shows in the height of the Hollywood Western Era.
The Reined Cow Horse days
As an adult, Zee began raising, training, and showing Reined Cow Horses. In her 30 year long career Zee won many of the most prestigious shows of the time, including Salinas Rodeo, Santa Barbara Fiesta, Cow Palace, and in 1979, both the NRCHA Non-Pro and Ladies titles. When all was said and done Zee had won 13 saddles, three horse trailers, 60+ buckles, and a fair amount of cash and accolades.