if you retired now where would it be for perfect riding life?

[howardh]

ok so i am sitting here approaching mid life crisis...

want to relocate to the perfect riding place! Sick of snow and bitter cold and not being able to ride all year except in an indoor arena>i know nothing of Tenesee, Alabama???

I need to be within an hour or two of an international airport. other than that where is the dream place to trail ride, really ride! Where there are tons of people who love to ride, where there are open minds and not annoying rules and stuffy types

Bring it on!

[wsmoak]

Does it have to be *one* place? :) I'm south of Phoenix now, which is great for winter. My barn owner eventually wants to have a place in Prescott for the summer months. She plans to take the horses up there and have a guest cottage so boarders can come visit and trail ride. Obviously, it's not a show barn.

[Bank of Dad]

When yu find it , let me know. I'm ready too.

[Painted Horse]

I suspect any place will have some draw backs. While I have a couple months of snowy weather. People in Florida have several months of extreme heat and humidity. Same goes for Phoenix. They have a wonderful winter, But I can't stand their 100 days of 100+ degree heat. It's kinda of trade off. Some places have earthquakes, some tornados, other hurricanes or ice storms.

Not sure what you consider annoying rules and stuffy types. You may want to elaborate on those descriptions.

I think you choose a place that offers the best compromise. I personally don't think there is anyplace that offers moer beautiful rides than the west. We have the mountain to ride in warmer weather and the deserts to ride during the colder months. Public access is abundant. I wouldn't know what to do if I had to pull into a private campground and pay to camp or ride.

Good luck on your search

[MunchkinsMom]

Ocala Florida.

No winter, no mud, lots of horse people here.

Yes, we sweat in the summer, but heck, I used to sweat in CT too in the summer.

We get 10-20 nights with freeze warnings during the winter, but daytime temps go back into the 60's on the "cold" days.

I don't think anyplace is perfect, but this is pretty darned close in my opinion.

[lindasp62]

Ocala Florida.

No winter, no mud, lots of horse people here.

Yes, we sweat in the summer, but heck, I used to sweat in CT too in the summer.

We get 10-20 nights with freeze warnings during the winter, but daytime temps go back into the 60's on the "cold" days.

I don't think anyplace is perfect, but this is pretty darned close in my opinion.


What area of Ocala do you recommend? Some more "desirable" neighborhoods than others? I was there in January to poke around...still curious! Is there anywhere to ride off one's own farm (like trails, etc) for a change of scenery?

[Eddy's Mom]

Arizona, 100%

[tkhawk]

CA is great. You have mountains and some as high as 14,000+ ft, ocean, desert, the lowest point in the US, rainforests, pretty much everything. S cal is real nice especially close to the coast. Now you do have fires -but many stables have a rescue plan and people are used to it. It is still scary to watch a wall of fire coming down at you, but you get used to it. N cal can get cold in the winter(well cold is relative:lol:) and very windy. Now you go away from the coast there and you can easily hit 4-8000 ft and there it gets in the minus F -but beautiful terrain.(The Tevis cup runs through there). Then further north you have rainforests and east there mtns and the high desert, as well as volcanic mountains and caves. But you can hit some extremes in temps in the NE CA-just lovely country to explore though.

You can ride through so much different terrain. I have ridden as high as 9000 ft-which is not much -I am sure the folks in CO ride much higher. But here the next day you can be back at the coast and riding on the ocean or to a desert or just about anything you wan't !:D

Me personally I love southern california-mostly beacuse you can go to the beach in shorts and tees and can actually get in the water for at least half the year. Take the fires and traffic away and it is close to perfect. If you are not looking for stuffy folks-well southern ca is just perfect. People may be oddballs-but the culture is very vibrant. I moved even south, but that was too small for me and so now I think I am ready to settle down in L.A. -Just so many things to do and experience. 30-50 mi out of L.A and you can hit real remote trails-well you will have mtn bikers, but my horse does not care. The mountains along the 101 corridor just north of LA are beautiful with beautiful ocean views from 1000+ ft . It is just beautiful on a clear day to see the whole coastline, ships going by all from your horse. Full moon rides are even better!:yes:

N. cal is great too- anyplace from mountain peaks to rain forests to the high desert to beach rides is only a couple of hour trailer rides and the fire danger is much less than down south. It is there, but not like down south. I just love that if you wan't snow and cold, just drive a few hours to the mtns and you are there. I love the weather and the culture. I guess through my explorations, I find I love the big city and the country too, so I found my place(traffic, smog and all-but hey every place has its warts!:winkgrin:) Both places have real major airports(SFO and LAX) and you have many other smaller international airports nearby.

Boarding prices are really not that high-if you are not looking for major amenities. I only trail ride, so I only look for safety, care provided and trail access and pasture and since I don't have to work in the office, it does not have to be close-so I get very reasonable prices.

Good luck and enjoy the journey!:)

[AlfalfaGirl]

Jasper, Texas! Jasper is a small town right on Lake Sam Rayburn. There is a beautiful lake where world class bass tournaments are held. Gorgeous forests - hilly and sandy so even when it has rained buckets you can still ride.

Southeast Texas has mild winters - summers are hot! You are within an hour or so of Houston IAH and of course, all that Houston has to offer. Jasper is probably 3.5 to 4 hours away from Dallas/Fort Worth and there is lots of riding there. About 4 hours from Austin and the Hill Country - riding is fabulous.

To the east is the forests and state parks in Louisiana. The beach is only about 120 miles at the most. The casino's of Louisiana are just across the state line and Jasper is probably no more than 25 miles or less from the state line!

Jasper is full of gorgeous retirement homes on the lake and more modest accommodations. Cute little restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfasts, not too far from Livingston which is also on a huge lake and riding. Toledo Bend Reservoir is just to the east and is also a huge lake with all kinds of possibilities.

It is about 60 miles for Beaumont, Texas and about 30 miles from Lufkin which are much larger cities. Tyler is just up the road and that is serious horse country.

LOL I love going to Jasper with my horses to ride. They used to run an endurance run up there.

[tabula rashah]

Vermont or Missouri- I'd be totally happy with either one :) Either way I would love to live somewhere other than MD as long as it still had mountains

[ChocoMare]

Vermont or Missouri- I'd be totally happy with either one :) Either way I would love to live somewhere other than MD as long as it still had mountains

Come to Georgia. You still get a full four seasons but in much milder form (rare for snow..occasional ice)

Lovely mountains to ride in. TONS of local, county and state parks to trailer out to:

--The Silver Comet Trail
--Kennesaw Mtn National Park
--Hard Labor Creek State Park
--Boundary Waters

More here: http://www.horsetraildirectory.com/Nov05_selector_results.asp?State=GA&desc=Georgia&unit=state


Good, honest horse folks and no stuffiness. Sure a few rednecks chucked in just to keep things interesting, but overall it's great here.

Plus you'd be coming to instant COTH family:

me
SpotnNotFarm
Jeano
LMH
Freebird!
Snkstacres
Bird4416
Just My Style
SBT (she moved here from NY)
JSalem
Dakotawyatt
RelocatedTXJumpr

:D

[Guilherme]

Are you looking for the best place for the horses or the best place for the people who own the horses?!?!?! :)

For the horses you want something that is cooler than warmer, flatter than hillier, and grows decent grass for most of the year (and what doesn't grow "cures on the stem"). You want enough rain to nourish the grass and keep the water holes filled, but not so much that hooves rot in really wet ground.

Now you pick applying the above criteria! :lol:

As for the people, I would never want to live where a shack costs $650,000. Or where the seasons never change.

Most assuredly I wouldn't want to live where the toads kill dogs, the fish walk, the trees explode, the cockroaches fly, and the termites eat metal. ;)

G.

[jeano]

Jeano chimes in that although GA IS great, true horsie heaven is Aiken, S.C.
You have to love a town that has equestrian traffic light switches conveniently mounted about 7 feet off the ground so you can trip the light while mounted, stop traffic on the busiest street in town, and demurely cross so you can ride in the Hitchcock Woods. Or drive your carriage ditto. Or hack your polo pony home after a game. Or ride to the hounds. Or race your harness horse. Or your flat horse. Or your steeplechase horse. Or....well, you get the idea.

[CosMonster]

Guilherme, why do you say flatter rather than hilly for the horses? Maybe it's just because I've always lived in mountainous regions, but I've always been taught horses do better on hills and varied terrain--keeps them stronger, fitter, and healthier.

As far as my perfect place goes, I have to say NM. You can get pretty much any terrain you want here, from high mountain forests to flat-out desert. Okay, so we're kind of lacking in the grass department, unless you're in a river valley and have some nice irrigated fields. :) Hay is fairly reasonable--not as cheap as some places, but cheaper than what I was paying in CO.

Where I am personally located I can saddle up and ride into the mountains, into the bosque, on rolling plains, into canyons...all within an hour or so's ride from my farm. We have 4 seasons but our winters are mild unless you're in the mountains, and our summers don't get that hot--rarely over 100 and no humidity, and not many bugs either! Plus we have some of the prettiest views you'll ever see.

Downsides are that a lot of people who grew up back east don't like the desert. We have quite a few rattlesnakes and prickly plants, too. Trails in the Rockies can be a bit frightening if you're not used to them. It's a very poor state and standards of horsekeeping can be a bit of a shock to some people--there are a lot of very good barns, though.

Albuquerque has an international airport (although it's small compared to most), and there are a lot of beautiful places to live within a couple of hours of it.

[MunchkinsMom]

What area of Ocala do you recommend? Some more "desirable" neighborhoods than others? I was there in January to poke around...still curious! Is there anywhere to ride off one's own farm (like trails, etc) for a change of scenery?

I'm up in the NW part of the county, that is the #1 section for horse people, although there are nice areas in the SW part of the county. Oh heck, there are good parts in all 4 sections, depends on what you are looking for in the way of terrain, neighbors, etc. If you are looking, get a good agent that knows the area. My farm has nice rolling hills, good live oak trees, drains great (no mud or standing water), and good grass. Some areas are flood prone, or more sandy, and a good agent can tell just by what trees are growing in that area.

As to trail riding, oh yes, we have the National forest, complete with a land bridge that goes over the I-75 interstate, there is Paynes Praire, Goethe, Florida Horse Park. . . .just to name a few.

Here is a link to a trail guide that might be helpful:

http://www.flahorse.com/trailguide/index.html

Prices on farms are pretty reasonable right now, for those of you that are considering the area, if you shop right. Some folks still have unreasonably high prices, but I have seen some good bargains too.

CosMonster, I lived in Albuquerque when I was young, that is where we had my very first horse (jug headed, roman-nosed barrel racer that I loved), and I agree that NM is a good place to live with horses also. My only drawback there were the rattlers and other venomous creatures that we learned to keep an eye out for. But you are correct that dessert living is not for everyone.

[Cold Spring Farm]

Hey Gothedistance....just went to your website....are you going to be at the Purcellville Parade again this year?

Also -- who is the grey in your top photo? I have his/her twin!

Okay -- back to the OP. Virginia is a great horsey state...but I have my farm on the market because I REALLY want to go back to Ca.

I LOVE Ojai and points north up through the Central Coast -- and then Wine Country! I guess we need to narrow it down in case the place actually sells!!

[MunchkinsMom]

In case anyone wants a peek at what equestrian living is like in the NW part of Marion County (Ocala) Florida is like, here is a photo album of my farm (best to view in slideshow mode).

http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid22594692

The pictures were taken in winter (early and late), so the grass is not as green and lush as it is all summer.

[texang73]

Try this website:
www.findyourspot.com (http://www.findyourspot.com)

I loved it when I live in NoVA... but I also love the TX Hill Country (wish I lived there right now instead of Houston!)... just my suggestions!

[lindasp62]

Try this website:
www.findyourspot.com (http://www.findyourspot.com) !

Well, it looks like I am moving to Arkansas, Louisiana or Maryland!
Somebody ought to come up with this quiz with a horsey slant! Something like;
-Cowboy hat or riding helmet?
-Riding all day on the range herding cattle, or riding through forests and fields chasing a fox?

:D

[siseley]

I like it here in S. Calif cause I can ride out of my home, go 22 miles east to the nearest paved road, go 20 minutes by trailer to the Angeles Nat. Forest, or 1 1/2 hours to the beach. Yeah, we have only two real seasons where I am at,
( Palmdale CA. No. of L.A. ), they are blazin hot,:eek: and freezin cold:lol:. BUT, we are also at almost 3000 ft altitude, and can see every star and satellite that passes overhead. The shuttles land 25 miles away, the folks are really laid back, and no snooty prim riders in funny archaic costumes and funny hats from England. We DO all wear helmets when riding, but that is only common sense with the lava flow buttes and steep trails in the mtns. We have LOTS of roads and trails to drive your buggies and carts, and lots of folks who drive:yes:. We grow 11,000 acres of alfalfa and grain hays here as that is what we feed mostly. Someone mentioned Ojai as the place they would like to live, I can say that is a fine place and only 20 minutes to the beach, and 15 minutes to some very beautiful mtn trails in Rose Valley or Wheeler Gorge. Yep, no mud, no bugs, and lots of room to explore.

Steve

[shalomypony]

In case anyone wants a peek at what equestrian living is like in the NW part of Marion County (Ocala) Florida is like, here is a photo album of my farm (best to view in slideshow mode).

http://www.PictureTrail.com/gid22594692

The pictures were taken in winter (early and late), so the grass is not as green and lush as it is all summer.
"I'm so busy I don't know if I found a rope or lost my horse"
I love your quote at the end....I'm still laughing....I totally can relate.:lol:

[AlfalfaGirl]

Try this website:
but I also love the TX Hill Country (wish I lived there right now instead of Houston!)... just my suggestions!


Isn't the Hill Country heaven on earth? I just love going there. I am hoping with all of the rain we have been having that next year's bluebonnets are going to be amazing!!!

[Simbalism]

I live in central Va and it too is a great place for keeping a horse. A little over an hour drive west gets you to the mountains(ok, large hills...hehe) with lots of trails or if you head east you can get to the beach in about 1.5 hours. We have a good size airport in Richmond or Washington is about 2 hours north. There are lots of state forests and parks as well as battlefields that allow riding. Most horse disciplines are found here from dressage, hunter/jumpers, eventing,hunting to anything western and many types of gaited horses. The winters are not bad ( we had 60 degree temps last week) rare snow, occasional ice. Summers are hot and humid from about the beginning of July to end of August, but the rest of the time is very pleasant.

[Zwarte]

This is a very interesting discussion.

I find the idea of travelling and staying for a while very appealing. I have Aiken, South Carolina bookmarked. I happened upon it by accident when I met a family with friesians there. I loved it. I could see renting a place for my horse and for me for a season.

Also bookmarked:
Black Prong Equestrian Center in Ocala http://blackprong.com/#

Vermont
http://leavenotracecabin.com/

And Ocala again.
http://www.canterburytailfarm.com/

I own a farm adjacent to a National Park (http://www.nps.gov/buff/index.htm) with hundreds of miles of horse trails, old wagon roads etc. I wonder if it would work to swap with others so we could experience different places.

[LCR]

I am almost retired and staying the winter in the Warm Springs, Ga. area.
Since I am from the mid west, I certainly am glad to miss the minus 5 below zero
they had there this morning.
I would like to find a small farm, somewhere in this region, but frankly this
economy scares me, so may just lease until all the Senate & congress nonsense
resolves itself!
If you are in this region, would love to meet you. I breed Shagya and Shagya/sport horse crosses.

[howardh]

what town in Georgia would be best? How about Tennessee, any info on this state?

If I was going to search real estate in any of these wonderful spots you have all suggested, what specific town should I concentrate on? I like a smaller town with some character!

4 below today! Just got done jogging in my down parka and waving at my horses as they cluster around the round bale..(they are enjoying their 5 month vacation)


...I got to MOVE

[katarine]

Do you prefer more hot weather or more cool weather? If you're choosing in TN or GA...

More hilly or more flat land?

[lindasp62]

what town in Georgia would be best? How about Tennessee, any info on this state?

If I was going to search real estate in any of these wonderful spots you have all suggested, what specific town should I concentrate on? I like a smaller town with some character!

4 below today! Just got done jogging in my down parka and waving at my horses as they cluster around the round bale..(they are enjoying their 5 month vacation)


...I got to MOVE

What state are you in now? Or, somewhere in Antarctica? It sounds brutal....

[crosscreeksh]

Texas folks...what specific area are you calling "Hill Country"?? We are looking to relocate in a southerly direction from Oklahoma and have been looking east/south east of Dallas between Sulphur Springs and Tyler. (Basically between Rts. 20 and 30). I want to be fairly close to the Cloudline Hunt in Celeste, but mainly want SANDY loam - NOT clay and less wind than OK. I LOVE to trail ride, too. Any advice??

[howardh]

I am in Minnesota now. Our parks close from Nov.1 to June 1 so it is indoor arena riding or around my pasture for a big part of the year. I can ride down the road, but after 10,000 times it loses its charm. There are forests and areas to ride that don't officially close so we do that when we can, but many years there is snow and ice on the ground and it is still very cold in April and even May, and it is pretty rare that it is warm after November.

I would like hill country. I do like snow, but if it snowed and melted and I could still trail ride I would be happy too!

[jeano]

What I appreciate most about where I am now (Middle GA, on the fall line/sandhills border, so there is some topography) is that there is NO prolonged interval through the year when I cannot ride. Even in our hottest summer weather early mornings are generally comfortable. There are a few times during the winter where it might be genuinely too icky to ride--cold rain, high wind for a day or so, but never weeks of bitter cold. Today I am not riding--temp is in the mid thirties, and rain is coming. But in a few days it'll be highs in the upper 50s or low 60s and sunny.

I never have to pull shoes and give horses a couple months off. (For one thing, they dont seem to NEED shoes here.)

My recollection of horsekeeping in Ohio was you really couldnt ride outdoors from late November until maybe April or even May, because either your horse had had his shoes pulled due to ice, and he'd break out at the old nailholes, or because of mud up to your eyebrows.

Where I am there is no mud because the local soils are a very, very light sandy loam. Horses can be on pasture all year without ruining the pasture. I have around 70 square bales to feed this winter and dont see how I will go thru all of it---at the current rate of grass consumption and level of fatness for my two, I may not have to start feeding hay for weeks and weeks, although if we have prolonged cold rain I will give them some to help them stay warm. They have coats that would do them proud much further north, and even though we've had some temps below freezing the grass is still very much alive at the roots--plenty of green stuff for them.

[kookicat]

I'd stay exactly where I am now. :D

[candyappy]

I am from Northern Ca. Where I boarded we would ride year round. You would get days or rain, but heck there are tons of places to trailer to. It is extremely expensive to live and board there though. I live in Missouri now for 18 years. Summer - not so much heat as humidity, but I ride in the mornings usually. there are lots of places in this state to ride. The winters are another story. I can usually ride thru Dec, but the last 3 years we have had so much ice and freezing rain that it isn't safe. It is affordable to live here though.
I want to go to AZ or New Mexico myself !!!!!!!

[JollyBadger]

Hmmm. . .after riding Shawnee National Forest in southern IL earlier this year, I think I would want to be in an area similar to that.

Though my boyfriend and I both own TWHs, he's much more into opening them up and gaiting on trail (places like East Fork Stables in Jamestown, TN, Brown County, IN and Land Between the Lakes in KY are perfect for him).

I prefer more "technical" riding with a variety of scenery, elevation changes, cliffs, caves, waterfalls, etc. Shawnee National Forest was like a little slice of heaven for me, and I know the riding we did there barely scratched the surface of what's available.

Then again, I haven't been able to ride anywhere west of the Mississippi and would prefer a climate that was a little more warm and dry.

[lindasp62]

[QUOTE=jeano;4552514]My recollection of horsekeeping in Ohio was you really couldnt ride outdoors from late November until maybe April or even May, because either your horse had had his shoes pulled due to ice, and he'd break out at the old nailholes, or because of mud up to your eyebrows. /QUOTE]

Yup! Living it as I write!

But, how sandy is your soil? Do you know the type? Is it loamy enough that you get grass growing all year long? Do you have enough sand that you have to use a psyllium or be worried about sand colic?

[JollyBadger]

[QUOTE=jeano;4552514]My recollection of horsekeeping in Ohio was you really couldnt ride outdoors from late November until maybe April or even May, because either your horse had had his shoes pulled due to ice, and he'd break out at the old nailholes, or because of mud up to your eyebrows. /QUOTE]

Yup! Living it as I write!

But, how sandy is your soil? Do you know the type? Is it loamy enough that you get grass growing all year long? Do you have enough sand that you have to use a psyllium or be worried about sand colic?

LOL, same here!

The park where I ride is nothing but mud year-round, thanks to a LOT of clay in the soil. Drainage is okay in some of the hilly areas, but non-existant in other places.

The one benefit is that the horses are so used to mud here because they can't get away from it. So, when we ride in other areas and everyone else's horses are skirting around puddles or completely overreacting to them, ours just plod right through.:D

[SharonA]

There is an equestrian/resort community in the mountains in North Carolina (called the Preserve at Little Pine) that I have my eye on.... miles of trails, I think I would like the climate, it also has things like an observatory and other interesting non-horsey activities. Haven't been there yet, but it looks like it would be nice. Not sure how close it is to an international airport.

I'm also watching an equestrian community in Tennessee called Big South Fork Airpark, which is designed as an equestrian/aviation community (that's for the horses who really can fly, as opposed to just galloping really fast). I would like someplace with alittle intellectual stimulation and culture, as well as a great environment for the horse.

The Aiken and Southern Pines communities sound great, but somewhere I heard that it could be hard to get a vet/farrier out if your horse wasn't boarded at one of the big barns (don't know if that's true or not).

[mtk9122]

We retired from the Midwest to the Pinehurst/So. Pines area 3 yrs ago. I would highly recommend it. The Walthour-Moss foundation is great riding - www.walthour-moss.com. I have never had a problem either with a vet or farrier coming out for any reason. Carolina Horse Park isn't far away either www.carolinahorsepark.com.

[jeano]

[QUOTE=jeano;4552514]My recollection of horsekeeping in Ohio was you really couldnt ride outdoors from late November until maybe April or even May, because either your horse had had his shoes pulled due to ice, and he'd break out at the old nailholes, or because of mud up to your eyebrows. /QUOTE]

Yup! Living it as I write!

But, how sandy is your soil? Do you know the type? Is it loamy enough that you get grass growing all year long? Do you have enough sand that you have to use a psyllium or be worried about sand colic?

I do know the soil type, "Lakeland series" from the Ag Dept survey for GA--iirc. I should say its a loamy sand rather than a sandy loam. Warm season grasses thrive on it even though its very droughty. Our pasture is roughly 10 acres and there is SOMETHING for them to eat year round. Since its been a very wet year and continues to be wet, they were never able to graze any of the paddocks down significantly. The grasses do grow whenever the weather warms up a little, but most winters they get grazed flat by the time the weather gets cold and stays cold. In a normal year I plan to feed somewhere between 75 to 100 square bales. Total. Two horses=75-100 bales of hay. When I lived in OH I basically had only an acre for "grazing" --meaning I could leave them out on it only at night except for an occasional weekend if I went away--and then only in summer. And I fed hay every day of the year.

I know people wring their hands about Bahia and Bermuda and sand and sand colic. I have not had any problems yet in three and a half years of horsekeeping on this property. I dont give them anything except pasture, a couple flakes of hay twice a day in the coldest part of the year, and a half pound apiece of pellets or sweet feed once a day as a treat more than for any other reason. And they are fat and sleek. If anything, I should be limiting how much access to the pasture they have.

I would be thrilled if they LOST some weight this winter but they didnt last year. I may have to cut back hay feeding to once a day if I give them any at all....

There is a downside to Paradise, of course. Think about bugs and parasites. But we have chemicals for that!

[katarine]

I'm also watching an equestrian community in Tennessee called Big South Fork Airpark, which is designed as an equestrian/aviation community (that's for the horses who really can fly, as opposed to just galloping really fast). I would like someplace with a little intellectual stimulation and culture, as well as a great environment for the horse.




The area about BSF may not be the 'culture' you are looking for. While I love love love the area and the riding, you are going to get some measure of winter and spring mud, and the culture for the area is perhaps more local than you may be looking for. More moonshine than merlot. Would I buy there? Absolutely, don't read me wrong. But it IS TN/KY mountain country, take from that what you will.

http://www.bigsouthforkpark.com/


Looking outside of ATL, in NW GA is beautiful but the commute INTO ATL, hideous. The Chattanooga area has something to offer culture wise, ample riding...

[JollyBadger]

The area about BSF may not be the 'culture' you are looking for. While I love love love the area and the riding, you are going to get some measure of winter and spring mud, and the culture for the area is perhaps more local than you may be looking for. More moonshine than merlot. Would I buy there? Absolutely, don't read me wrong. But it IS TN/KY mountain country, take from that what you will.


LOL about the moonshine comment!

There's a ton of good trail riding in that area, but during my stay at EFS in Jamestown, TN earlier this year I noticed that there really isn't much else to do.

[texang73]

Texas folks...what specific area are you calling "Hill Country"?? We are looking to relocate in a southerly direction from Oklahoma and have been looking east/south east of Dallas between Sulphur Springs and Tyler. (Basically between Rts. 20 and 30). I want to be fairly close to the Cloudline Hunt in Celeste, but mainly want SANDY loam - NOT clay and less wind than OK. I LOVE to trail ride, too. Any advice??

Hill Country: Sorta in the middle of the state - Austin, Bandera, Fredericksburg etc. Try www.texashillcountry.com (http://www.texashillcountry.com)

[jazzrider]

I keep a list of possible locations that we someday might want to investigate retiring to in my dayplanner -- though I'm not sure we could find a place better than right were we are right now. Anyone have anything to say about Rose Hill Plantation, SC? Is there actually any good trail riding around there (the develop supposedly has 10 miles of trails) other than at Rose Hill?

Edited to add this fun web site, which I have book marked. Dream away!
http://www.privatecommunities.com/private-communities-with-equestrian-facilities.htm

[NC Trail Girl]

I live IN the mtns. of Western NC. I love it here!

We have 4 distinct seasons, but none too extreme. I ride all year long without any issues..

If it's rainy, I hit the mountains. If it's cold or snowy.. I will stick with the lower levels to ride at.

We have lots of riding avail. too.

Bilmore Estate
Tryon (lots of Hunts)
Pisgah NF
Dupont SF
Great Smoky Mtn. NP

We also have a pretty decent Ag. Center for lots of horse venue's.

Asheville is our closest 'big' city. It does have an airport, but it will shuttle you to Atlanta or Charlotte to get on the big boys.

[Kachina]

The Aiken and Southern Pines communities sound great, but somewhere I heard that it could be hard to get a vet/farrier out if your horse wasn't boarded at one of the big barns (don't know if that's true or not).[/QUOTE]

Not true in Aiken at least. We're with Drs. Linda Hickey and John Haddon (Aiken Equine). Available 24/7. Lots of other vet practices in the area that are very responsive to their clients.

Have had no trouble getting farriers to come out.

And we sure don't board at a big barn!

[MunchkinsMom]

I know people wring their hands about Bahia and Bermuda and sand and sand colic. I have not had any problems yet in three and a half years of horsekeeping on this property.

Yup, I've been here for 5 1/2 years in Ocala, and I have not had any sand colic, and in the past year my horses have not been fed any hay either.

If equine services and venues are important to your relocation search, Ocala is another "place to be", we get our pick of vets, shoers, feed stores, hay dealers and places to show and play and ride. At least 5 trailer dealers that I can think of, 3 equine hospitals in town, and the UF in Gainesville close by.

[crosscreeksh]

OK - I have friends in Hunt, Tx. I guess that is in the Hill Country area according to the web site posted by TexanG73. So what is the area around Tyler and North (East/Southeast of Dallas) called?? I'm liking the sandy loam there and not such oppressive heat/humidity as they get in Hunt. What about trail riding??? State Parks that allow horses?? I know Cooper Lake State Park has an equestrian trail system. Anyone know about that area??

[Foxtrot's]

Has anybody mentioned Oregon. Being a little furthere south I'd think the climate would be more mild than ours, warmer winters and nice summers. No extremes. BC is a marvellous horse place, but winters are a bit grey and wet.
Lovely places on the coast.

[redhorse5]

OK, I'll just have to vote for Lexington, KY since that's where we landed for retirement. It is colder here but just for a few months.

I have an outdoor arena and can ride most of the year. Hay is less expensive, pastures just never get worn out and the horse activities are great.

The Horse Park is just heaven and hunt country is the best. Great vets, farriers and horse supplies. The TB folks drive down the prices of everything. We do have some occasional ice but it's not for long and the snow is always just a few inches. I lived in Cincinnati for years and here, just 1.5 hours south it's about 10-15 degrees warmer all winter.

[MunchkinsMom]

Should I tell you all that I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt today to do barn chores?

[lindasp62]

Should I tell you all that I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt today to do barn chores?

Only if you want a bunch of us COTH'ers showing up at your farm, trailers full, to come and make ourselves at home for the winter or moving in alltogether!!! :lol::lol:

[judybigredpony]

Ireland, rain, fog who cares...........perfect hacking out any place anytime...

[MunchkinsMom]

Only if you want a bunch of us COTH'ers showing up at your farm, trailers full, to come and make ourselves at home for the winter or moving in alltogether!!! :lol::lol:


Hahaha - come on down! HITS is right around the corner, so all the horse folks are heading down here soon anyway, what's a few more?

[Calamber]

No thank you to areas in the south where the mosquitoes are the size of horseflies, crocodiles or aligators are the "locals", and it gets above 90 degrees for more than two or three months. I did love N. Virginia until those pretty graveled roads became BMW thruways, along with the yocals who drove them out of their McMansion driveways. Too many clueless folks who are on edge to pay their $2500 + monthly mortgages, there is not a gravel road there that I would ride on and feel safe anymore. Just before I left I knew of at least 2 carriages with horses and vehicle collisions and had myself plastered with gravel spun by cars going too fast.

At this point I think that to have the intellectual stimulation that I crave and what the horses need, I would have to live in two different places, one in Central Virginia, as close to the coast as I could get and the other in the rain shadow of the Cascades. Then I could go to Washington, DC and/or Seattle. I can dream can't I?

I think I am safe from my dream though since we spent everything on a degree for my husband in civil engineering and after graduating magna cum laude, six months later, he is still unemployed. Guess we don't need clean water, safe bridges or buildings more than we need bailed out corrupt banks! But I digress.

[jeano]

well, now, in the rain shadow of the Cascades could well be paradise. I lived (albeit horseless) in Eastern WA in the Columbia River basin for a couple years. Beautiful climate, lovely people, wine country, fairly horsey (mostly Western but other equestrian stuff also). Hood River, the Dalles, the Tri-Cities where we were (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland WA) Pendleton, Yakima--all nice small cities with reasonable access to big city amenities in Seattle or Portland.

BUT (and its a biggie)--Seasonal Affective Disorder can be a huge problem at that latitude. Me, I had an office with a window and could get outdoors and see the sun in midwinter, and it didnt bother me. DH, worked in a bunker at the Hanford Site and only saw daylight on weekends and it made him feel awful. He was happy as a lark in the summer, but THEN I was the one who was miserable, because I cannot sleep if the sun is up--Sunset in midsummer is around 10 PM and that sucker is up and it's full daylight around 4 and my eyes were bugging out of my head from lack of sleep. If we ever went back we'd have to have a bunker for me in the summer and an enormous light box for him in the winter...but we did enjoy the food, the wine, and the scenery while we were there.

[MunchkinsMom]

No thank you to areas in the south where the mosquitoes are the size of horseflies, crocodiles or aligators are the "locals", and it gets above 90 degrees for more than two or three months.

Not all of the south is swamp lands. I've been here for 5 1/2 years, have yet to see an alligator in my neck of the woods other than at the parks where there is water for them to live in, and I have fewer bugs here than I ever had in CT in the summer.

And the 3 months of 90 degree temps? I was amazed at how quickly I acclimated to it, because it is like that every day, you adjust, whereas it was more unbearable when we had heat waves of a week or more of those temps up north.

I will say that living here may not be the best for everyone, each of us has our likes and dislikes, and degrees of what we dislike more than others. My dislike of snow, ice, and freezing cold was a high factor in my decision to move to FL.

[Calamber]

Just cannot handle temps in excess of 90 and the horses are not too happy with it either. Glad to know that the alligators and crocodiles stay out of some areas. I just know that I was waiting for a ferry in NC once and had my dogs (a dachshund and a cocker spaniel) in the water and a man hollered at me to watch out for the resident large water reptile. I had no clue they were in NC also, and beat a hasty retreat as the dachshund was swimming away happily. It was hot that day, need I say I am not a fan of hot? I do love the Atlantic Ocean just not the heat and humidity found in the tideland areas as well as all of the creepy crawlies that go along with muggy weather. Virginia Beach had the BIGGEST COCKROACHES I have ever seen, holy mackerel, and they can fly! Disgusting.

Jeano, as far as the SAD disorder, I have found that skylights help loads, sorry for your husband though, a bunker near Hanford would be a disaster for me. I need the light box too. The Olympic hot tub company has now developed a sauna that delivers UVA without heating the room, good for arthritis and other chronic pain problems. This area is just so gorgeous and there are no BUGS! to speak of, and no poisonous snakes. If you go out to the desert area there are rattlesnakes. Now if I could only afford a horse. Riding in the evergreen forests is absolutely soul lifting, moss growing on the side of those monsters and it is so quiet.

[katarine]

Not all of the south is swamp lands. I've been here for 5 1/2 years, have yet to see an alligator in my neck of the woods other than at the parks where there is water for them to live in, and I have fewer bugs here than I ever had in CT in the summer.

And the 3 months of 90 degree temps? I was amazed at how quickly I acclimated to it, because it is like that every day, you adjust, whereas it was more unbearable when we had heat waves of a week or more of those temps up north.

I will say that living here may not be the best for everyone, each of us has our likes and dislikes, and degrees of what we dislike more than others. My dislike of snow, ice, and freezing cold was a high factor in my decision to move to FL.

she didn't damn the South entirely, just those areas with gators, too much heat and humidity, oversize cockroaches, bus sized skeeters and swamp land. Tie all those together and meet all those conditions? Many parts of the south DO meet all those conditions, you have to admit that is true.

BUT- I'd rather be here than stuck in rainy, foggy, slippery parts of WA/OR.

I'd rather be here than MT from Nov-May, when it's just more cold than I can fathom, being from AL.

I'd rather be here than just about anywhere in CA: Too crowded and crazy ;)

but in each and every one of those places are peeps who love those places- and they are weird or crazy or anything ;)

[candyappy]

I guess it is a good thing we all don't go to the " perfect" spot to live because if we did, there wouldn't be room. We are moving back to Minnesota ( job transfer). It was pretty brutal the first time. The only difference is the place we are buying has a HUGE barn that I can have an indoor arena in. At least i can go from zero horse time in winter to "cold, but doable" . I don't know about those so called horse communities. Do they put a lot of rules and restrictions on the residents?

[eventer80]

I haven't read the whole thread and know that I am a little late in responding BUT having grown up in the Texas Hill Country..............it's NOT horse country. Sure it's beautiful, good people, fun, and horses can be done there. Most of it, though, is rocky, hard to build fences, hard to find an unrocky place to ride, etc.............

I love it there an will move back but I wouldn't say it's horse property mecca!!

[siseley]

My folks live in So. Oregon, near the Rogue River. In the town,( Grants Pass), they have all the fun trails and you can ride all year long. Yes, they do have 4 seasons, and the occasional snow of 1-2 inches in winter that does not last like the east/midwest, and maybe 85-90 degrees summer. With Salmon swimming the river, steelhead, and rainbow trout, too many trees to see the forest, and 1 1/2 hrs to the rainy coast where you lose your breath with the spectacular scenery of crashing waves on the Pacific ocean.
Drive up to Crater Lake and ride thru some of the virgin forest. Then go down to around Klamath Falls/Chiloquin and ride the open prairie type terrain.
The only thing that they don't have, are bugs, traffic, lots of mud, and you have to go to Portland or SFO for an international Airport.
Hmmmm ... and I live in a desert?
Hmmmmm...Oh Dad and Mom......would you mind if I...

Steve

[tollertwins]

Whidbey Island in Puget sound...(actually, I'm GOING to retire there, so I'm biased).

In the Olympic rain shadow, about 500 acres set aside between a trust, DNR lands, and a park that has 'official' trails...

And a bunch of trails around my house between various sub-divisions that never really took off.

Also good dressage and jumping barns that have good clinics.

[suz]

if i could convince my dd and her hubby to join me, i'd be moving to the canadien maritimes as soon as possible. the summers can be nice and warm, but with fog, which is good for my extremely fair skin. plus beach riding, very tempting real estate prices and warm water due to the gulf stream. add a very rural atmosphere, celtic traditions and plenty of fresh seafood, and i'm a happy girl.
i hear the horse scene is growing in leaps and bounds, and pei has an equine vet school.

[Calamber]

Sounds lovely Sisely. And Whidby Island, ooh, la, la, so beautiful. Just like my beloved San Juan Islands. Now, that is my idea of paradise, just a tad bit difficult to get to now with the ferry boat issues and prices!