Moving to Houston Area- Know a Place for My Horses?

[MovingToTexas]

Hello everyone

I am planning to move to the great state of Texas in the Houston area and would love some suggestions on where I could board one or two horses.

I am open to a variety of situations.

I do both the hunters and dressage and would be willing to put my horses with a trainer of either discipline or with an eventing place.

I am also ok with a "no trainer" facility as I am an independent rider who is confident to manage my own horse care and training and would be happy in a nice, private facility where owners do their own thing. Ideally such a place would allow trainers to come on site and teach.

My absolute ideal situation would be a situation where I could live on site and keep a horse or two in exchange for taking care of the barn (and some additional rent/board if necessary). Again such a place, if there is not a trainer on site already, would ideally be ok with someone coming on site to teach. I have excellent references from both disciplines and have held barn-care positions before.

I am also willing to give up my ammy card for a working student position in either the hunters or dressage.

I am ok with pasture board, although it would be nice to have at least one horse in a stall in case of an stall-requiring convalescence (sp?).

Additionally if anyone wants to PM me places to stay AWAY from I would also appreciate it since I am coming from across the country blind to the area.

Also, any thoughts on the hunter/dressage scene in the area would be great. How far do you have to drive for horseshows? Are there lots of schooling shows? Clinics? Many trainers? I'd love to know!

I apologize for the crosspost in advance but since I am talking toward two different disciplines I hope the mods will humor me briefly before, I am guessing, merging the threads into the one that gets the most responses.

Thank you very much for any suggestions; if you don't want to post publicly please feel free to PM. No need to post "You have a pm"- believe me, I am hot to trot on moving to Houston and will check!

Thanks again!!

[narcisco]

Yep, it is indeed hot to trot in Houston :) Have fun!

[jcotton]

Where in Houston are you planning to locate to? Texas, much less Houston is large, and your opening post is vague.
Need more details.

[MovingToTexas]

I am willing to get the horses housed first and move to suit.

Ideally within an hour radius of the city.

[jcotton]

Still vague,
....north, south, east, west,....
hard to be helpful, if you don't give more information.........
There are lots of places-trainers....options....

[MovingToTexas]

Still vague,
....north, south, east, west,....
hard to be helpful, if you don't give more information.........
There are lots of places-trainers....options....

I am really willing to go anywhere.
I am happy to find a good place for me and the horses and just move near it.
My plan is to gather together some options and then travel down for a week doing the tour (N, S, E and W) to make the final decision.

I don't have specific requirements as to where to live so if you have suggestions of one area over another I would appreciate it.

[Bethe Mounce]

Houston and surrounding area is rather large. Plus there are many outlying little towns that are within an hour or more distance of Houston proper. Houston traffic sucks! I thought the traffic here in San Francisco was horrible. It cannot hold a candle to Houston. Perhaps deciding on how far you would like to travel from your barn to your home would the first thought. Google Greater Houston Hunter Jumper Association. There is a listing of trainers and boarding facilities I believe. Get on google maps, type in something like equestrian boarding facilities, Houston, Texas and see what you get. Just some thoughts. Good luck.

[Bethe Mounce]

One more question, more out of curiosity, why the Houston area?

[MovingToTexas]

Perhaps deciding on how far you would like to travel from your barn to your home would the first thought.

Since I have not moved there yet, I don't have a home.

My plan is actually to place the horses first and THEN myself.


ETA:
I would like to move there because I went to a wedding there shortly after getting laid off, and I said, "Heh, I like it here and am laid off anyway, may as well move here and try something different."

[Bethe Mounce]

Not to make any negative comments about Houston, but it gets hotter than Hades in the summer. Two seasons...hot summer and cool summer. I like Houston for its culture etc...but living in Houston proper, not a chance. Finding a barn, as you said, is the priority. Check the GHHJA website. I am pretty sure they have a listing of facilities. That should at least get you started.

[CaffeineAddict]

houstondressagesociety.com should have a listing of trainers and boarding options. Like other posters have pointed out Houston is huge and there are many trainers. I don't think there are very many options as far as leasing a place of your own, but you might get lucky. Generally speaking the North, Northwest, and West side of town have a larger dressage/hunter horse population. The Region 9 Championships is in 2 weeks, most of the dressage trainers from the Houston area will be there.

[HappyVagrant]

Agree with what everyone is saying: pick an area first. Use the links already provided to find out where a lot of barns are clustered, than start looking in those areas for barns you'd like.

When I moved down here, I picked out a barn I thought I'd like, moved down, and discovered the barn wasn't really what I wanted.

I was spending up to an hour and a half in traffic to get out to the barn I switched to. On bad days, I was spending four+ hours in the car between work/home/the barn. All because I originally picked a barn in a location that didn't have enough other options locally and I had to switch to a different area.

Don't do what I did and get set on a particular barn. Find a likely area, first, and then look for the best barn in that area. Unless, of course, you prefer driving your car to riding your horse.

[MovingToTexas]

Agree with what everyone is saying: pick an area first. Use the links already provided to find out where a lot of barns are clustered, than start looking in those areas for barns you'd like.

When I moved down here, I picked out a barn I thought I'd like, moved down, and discovered the barn wasn't really what I wanted.

I was spending up to an hour and a half in traffic to get out to the barn I switched to. On bad days, I was spending four+ hours in the car between work/home/the barn. All because I originally picked a barn in a location that didn't have enough other options locally and I had to switch to a different area.

Don't do what I did and get set on a particular barn. Find a likely area, first, and then look for the best barn in that area. Unless, of course, you prefer driving your car to riding your horse.

My horses currently live an hour and a half away from where I live (with no traffic). It is 180 miles round trip. I go 5 or 6 days a week and keep 3 horses in work. Before getting laid off I had a 7 hour day before I even arrived at work in between the alarm going off and commuting to get the horses ridden in the (wee hours of the) morning.

I have done the googling and have a list of places to visit on my upcoming tour, but if people could share their personal experiences that will give me more information.

I would really appreciate it if people would simply give the names of some trainers and barns that I can investigate further, and relay some of their personal experiences with those establishments.

Then I can do the tour and take it from there.

[Velvet]

Since you haven't lived there, I think you really need to read the replies you've received out here first and put together a game plan. I'm not sure where you're from, but it is very obvious you are not from Texas, nor have you lived there before. It's VERY different from anywhere else.

While there are a LOT of horses and facilities, what you're looking for is very hard to help you find unless you really do know where you want to live. Texas is HUGE. Houston is HUGE. It's actually a city that has two centers--so which one do you need to be near? Traffic is a nightmare, so it's not just the drive on a highway to the stable. Also, most horse places are not really off major highways and are a bit of a pain to get to. (And lets not even get into hurricanes and why it's so hard to leave the city in time to escape on your own, let alone with your horse. Or how much flooding there is with just the tropical rain bands even if you don't get the hurricane. Not to turn you off, just to make sure you know what you're getting into.)

Based on all the replies I would have thought you would have picked up on the fact that this is not a simple question. In MANY other parts of the country it would be, but due to the nature of things in Texas (location, distance, and abilities of the trainers in the different areas) it's not as simple as giving you a list.

Why don't you go back to Houston and look around, THEN ask questions out here about more specific places and trainers? It sounds like you know people in Houston, they should also be able to tell you what it's like there and help to explain that it's not as simple as asking where you should live near Houston.

You might also want to check Cypress or Katy. And I'm sure people out here will give you a lot of other areas near Houston, but near in Texas is a relative term. You're covering too broad an area in your last posts. Go look at the Houston Dressage Association site and see if their classifieds can help you come up with more specific questions to help other Houstonites out here narrow down their information to something useful.

[MovingToTexas]

Since you haven't lived there, I think you really need to read the replies you've received out here first and put together a game plan. I'm not sure where you're from, but it is very obvious you are not from Texas, nor have you lived there before. It's VERY different from anywhere else.

While there are a LOT of horses and facilities, what you're looking for is very hard to help you find unless you really do know where you want to live. Texas is HUGE. Houston is HUGE. It's actually a city that has two centers--so which one do you need to be near? Traffic is a nightmare, so it's not just the drive on a highway to the stable. Also, most horse places are not really off major highways and are a bit of a pain to get to. (And lets not even get into hurricanes and why it's so hard to leave the city in time to escape on your own, let alone with your horse. Or how much flooding there is with just the tropical rain bands even if you don't get the hurricane. Not to turn you off, just to make sure you know what you're getting into.)

Based on all the replies I would have thought you would have picked up on the fact that this is not a simple question. In MANY other parts of the country it would be, but due to the nature of things in Texas (location, distance, and abilities of the trainers in the different areas) it's not as simple as giving you a list.

Why don't you go back to Houston and look around, THEN ask questions out here about more specific places and trainers? It sounds like you know people in Houston, they should also be able to tell you what it's like there and help to explain that it's not as simple as asking where you should live near Houston.

You might also want to check Cypress or Katy. And I'm sure people out here will give you a lot of other areas near Houston, but near in Texas is a relative term. You're covering too broad an area in your last posts. Go look at the Houston Dressage Association site and see if their classifieds can help you come up with more specific questions to help other Houstonites out here narrow down their information to something useful.

OK, since you mentioned two locations, let's start with "Have you/has anyone had experiences, good or bad, with barns in Cypress or Katy?"

[Bethe Mounce]

Information about trainers in the Houston area I am reluctant to post publicly....having lived in Tx for 30 or so years and having been in the dressage community there for 10+ years, there are certain folks I trust not only with training but with the care of my horse (I kept mine at home in College Station). There are other trainers I wouldn't let near anything I have. So...feel free to email me privately, remember, I can only give my opinion based on what I observed. I did not train with anyone in Texas....merely observations of their teaching, their students and performance records.

[CaffeineAddict]

Well as far as Cypress/Katy goes you are still going to need to be more specific (there are probably a hundred barns of varying sizes in this area). In general your options are a boarding barn with no trainer or a trainer's barn. Most trainers don't travel, so if you aren't at their barn, you will need a trailer. If you board at a trainer's barn, most will expect you to be in some sort of training with them. I also wouldn't expect to come in as a working student to work off board or lessons, that situation does exist in Houston but not to the extent it does on the West or East coast.

[jcotton]

Cypress can be as elusive as Tomball, Waller, Hockley.
Katy can also include Brookshire, Fulshear, Richmond, Rosenburg.
Further away to the west, you have Bellville, Sealy.

[MovingToTexas]

Does anyone remember this thread (http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=216341), where somebody posted asking where in the ENTIRE COUNTRY would be a good place for her to take her dressage horses and train as a serious FEI amateur?

People were able to give her suggestions and her request was a lot broader than "within about an hour of Houston". I am kind of unsure how I can be expected to know what subdivision of what subburb I plan on moving to from half way across the country, before anyone will give me the name of even one trainer to consider, or even something like, "There are a couple of good trainers close together in [this] area."

Even I, from all the way over here and from having read whatever Practical Horseman he was on the cover of a few years ago, know that Peter Pletcher is based in Magnolia, for example.


Thank you again to those who DID help via PM.
I muchly, muchly appreciate the leads, and I will be in Houston at the end of the month scoping those leads out.
Drinks on me at Sambuca's if you'd like to come out!

[Sunsets]

Well, I'm guessing some of the issue is that Houston is not a place one generally picks to move to do the horse thing. As a friend of mine once told me, "No one PLANS to end up in Houston".

Most of us got here due to jobs, our jobs, spouse jobs, and because of that we usually picked the location of the house, then figured out the barn situation.

To have someone ask "where is the best horse situation?" is so totally foreign a concept that it is unanswerable for most of us. The thought of not even considering a work commute just doesn't enter into it.

And I'm sorry I can't help you - I ride at a place outside of Cypress, but it's full up at the moment, and I'm not competitive enough to know about the rest of the horse scene. I do know that to ride in the recognized dressage shows will result in trailer times of anything from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

And finally, I would urge you to carefully consider your choice of suburb. You may have been to Houston (Sambuca is downtown, correct?) but I'm guessing you really don't get that many people spend all of their time in the suburbs and never, ever get inside the loop. It can be a soul-killing, lonely existence in the outer ring suburbs if you're a young single female not raising kids without a built-in social support network. Seriously, I have friends from grad school that live in the area, and I see them maybe 2 times a year because we all settled in different parts of the city and the drive times are insane.

If you want to interact with the young and single, you can live close in (I do), but you're looking at at least 30 minutes - 1 hour drive time out to a barn.

[MovingToTexas]

Well, I'm guessing some of the issue is that Houston is not a place one generally picks to move to do the horse thing. As a friend of mine once told me, "No one PLANS to end up in Houston".

Most of us got here due to jobs, our jobs, spouse jobs, and because of that we usually picked the location of the house, then figured out the barn situation.

To have someone ask "where is the best horse situation?" is so totally foreign a concept that it is unanswerable for most of us. The thought of not even considering a work commute just doesn't enter into it.

And I'm sorry I can't help you - I ride at a place outside of Cypress, but it's full up at the moment, and I'm not competitive enough to know about the rest of the horse scene. I do know that to ride in the recognized dressage shows will result in trailer times of anything from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

And finally, I would urge you to carefully consider your choice of suburb. You may have been to Houston (Sambuca is downtown, correct?) but I'm guessing you really don't get that many people spend all of their time in the suburbs and never, ever get inside the loop. It can be a soul-killing, lonely existence in the outer ring suburbs if you're a young single female not raising kids without a built-in social support network. Seriously, I have friends from grad school that live in the area, and I see them maybe 2 times a year because we all settled in different parts of the city and the drive times are insane.

If you want to interact with the young and single, you can live close in (I do), but you're looking at at least 30 minutes - 1 hour drive time out to a barn.

Thank you for being helpful.

Sambuca is in the theatre district right by the Lancaster hotel/Ballet/Aquarium and I highly recommend it.

Friends of mine live in the museum district.

Since I am currently driving an hour and a half to my barn, one way, five to six days a week, 30 minutes to an hour sounds just delightful! I think I would die and go to heaven for a 45 minute commute to the barn.

[jcotton]

If you are going to be Houston at the end of the month. Go to GSWEC, where Region 9/SWDC Championships are being held and interview all the local trainers by where they are located.

[HappyVagrant]

Edit: Ditto what jcotton said.

[tinah]

Try for The Woodlands, Conroe, Cypress, Magnolia . . . . The East Side isn't the best, and if you go south I would recommend you go out as far as NASA Road One, possibly the Lake Jackson area; but that would presume you like salt air. And go in late August, before you EVER think about moving there. I lived there for years, and got out as fast as I could.

[altjaeger]

How's this for specific: John Deleyer at North Fork Farms. He's just outside of Tomball.

Phone him at 281-351-1361. I have no idea if he has a spot for you, but he'd be a great guy to work for. I notice his new place has a couple of houses on it.

[MovingToTexas]

Try for The Woodlands, Conroe, Cypress, Magnolia . . . . The East Side isn't the best, and if you go south I would recommend you go out as far as NASA Road One, possibly the Lake Jackson area; but that would presume you like salt air. And go in late August, before you EVER think about moving there. I lived there for years, and got out as fast as I could.

I have to make a decision on whether or not to sign up for the Texas bar by Oct 30. The bar is in Feb, and my plan is to apply for legal employ once I am admitted. (And before, too, but probably futilely.)

However, I am ok with heat and humidity (mom has a house in Florida) and will happily ride four horses back to back in full chaps and a helmet in 100 degrees, I am SICK AND TIRED of nineteen degrees though (!!), I am aware that the Texas state bird is the mosquito (horses already vaccinated for West Nile), I helped clean up the 9th ward after Katrina so I know that Gulf states have hurricanes ....etc.

From what people have said so far I am starting to think the best plan would probably be to live down town and then drive out, since the biggest drive length anyone has quoted so far is an hour and a half and I am already doing that. I am also totally cool with riding at 4am, which ought to cut the commute considerably.

So again, any BARNS within about an hour of downtown?
Anyone?
Please?


If you keep your horses at home and want help with the chores, here's your chance!!

[MovingToTexas]

How's this for specific: John Deleyer at North Fork Farms. He's just outside of Tomball.

Phone him at 281-351-1361. I have no idea if he has a spot for you, but he'd be a great guy to work for. I notice his new place has a couple of houses on it.

OMG, halleluia.
I will pm you when I have my travel dates set and for this most excellent post I will buy you THREE drinks at Sambuca's and have the band play a song in your honor.

YOU.
ROCK.
:):):)

[jcotton]

I live two hours North East of Houston. Every summer I run away to Chicago to escape the heat and train up where the summer is much more bearable. And they start whining when it gets to 85 degrees, while I pull on a jacket. Now I wouldn't want to do winters there. Which is why my trainer goes to the left coast in the winter.

For example, the HDS Laborious isn't huge because who wants ride in the high humidity as well as high temps! The horses much be conditioned for showing in the heat and the riders are gluttons for punishment--I have shown at that show. As for that matter any show after Mid June to Mid Sept/Oct can be miserable!!!
For championships--could be 90 degrees than crash to 40 degress! With rain, too!!! Pack all kinds of clothing for you and your horse.

[Sunsets]

No kidding, last winter a front came through, the wind picked up, and the temp dropped from 80's and humid to the 40's in 3 hours. The horses (delicate Houston flowers that they are) went RUNNING to the barn help the second he set foot in the pasture with their blankets.

Most horses seem to do fine once they acclimate, though. I remember two Dutch geldings who were imported a couple of years ago, I think they thought they were shipped from the Netherlands to Hades. In about a week, they were happy as clams.

[MovingToTexas]

I live two hours North East of Houston. Every summer I run away to Chicago to escape the heat and train up where the summer is much more bearable. And they start whining when it gets to 85 degrees, while I pull on a jacket. Now I wouldn't want to do winters there. Which is why my trainer goes to the left coast in the winter.

For example, the HDS Laborious isn't huge because who wants ride in the high humidity as well as high temps! The horses much be conditioned for showing in the heat and the riders are gluttons for punishment--I have shown at that show. As for that matter any show after Mid June to Mid Sept/Oct can be miserable!!!
For championships--could be 90 degrees than crash to 40 degress! With rain, too!!! Pack all kinds of clothing for you and your horse.

One of my horses asks me every day when is the truck coming to go someplace warm.

His idea of "growing a coat" is to increase production in three hair follicles, resulting in the fact that his Indian name in the winter (under a sheet, a baker blanket, a sleezy hood, and a stable blanket with insulated hood) is Stands There And Shakes.

He is already getting turned out in a baker blanket plus a turnout sheet and I am considering adding a windproof hood at 40 degrees. Since the end of September he has been doing his long lining under a heavy wool Whitney quarter sheet, since we don't work that hard on long lining days and he might catch a chill in the wind.

He owns every blanket known to man (and enjoys wearing them all at once) so we are all set in that department.

As for me, I would just be thrilled to still have a use for my all time favorite Land's End windproof fleece. That durned jacket is with me everywhere from 45 windy degrees to negative 17.

[cyriz's mom]

Sonesta on the board has a place in Cypress. you might PM her to see if she has room or could point you.

Stephanie and Paolo Tropia have Clear Round Showjumpers south of downtown.

I'll be at the Championships with Sea Accounts. Stop by and say "hi".

As for shows, there are a number of recognized dressage and h/j shows at the facility where the Championships are being held. Within 5 or 6 hours, there are a lot of dressage and h/j shows...San Antonio, Austin, Waco, DFW, and Louisiana. I would imagine there are a lot of schooling shows for both disciplines in Houston. Show season runs Feb. to end of Nov.

[Velvet]

Canaan Ranch is in Fulshear. Don't ask me for details on what it's like to be a boarder, but I do know that they have very nice facilities. Ask around for more information from others out here who have first hand experience.

[J-Lu]

Already sent a PM, Velvet.

[carovet]

maybe it would be helpful if you provide more specific preferences -- i.e. my ideal would be turn out availalbe with grass (as opposed to pipe corral), or individual turn out, or 24 hour private, or group, I ride at level X and need a coach with Y type of experience. My budget will probably be Z. I want somewhere with a covered, somewhere that won't limit what time i am allowed to ride/have lights on during the winter, etc...somewhere that is x minutes during the commute from sambucas, etc, i do or do not have my own trailer to trailer out, i need a place that will haul me to shows, i prefer all adults vs. kids, i prefer big or small barns, i care about footing, etc

just a suggestion since everyone seems to think there are too many choices to narrow it down to good advice

[Velvet]

Absolutely the type of items that would help people provide the right information, carovet!