Where to go, where to go?

[maketo]

North Texas near the LBJ Grasslands, there are two divisions... Caddo on the east and Decatur on the north west... each have about 17,000 acres available. Both are managed by the US forest Service.

Decatur has about 100 miles of marked/improved trails, Caddo around 80... but you are not limited to the trails.

Either is within an hour/hour and half of big-time civilization

Another area would be east Texas...the National forests (there are two that run together) over there are nearly 700,000 acres... just pick one of the large cities that are adjacent such as Nacogdoches Tx

Interesting - thanks! I think "not so fast" on the Natl forests, only one allows horseback riding and not everywhere on the forest - it is also heavily used by horse riders (we are trying to avoid them as a pretty high priority). However, the North TX area sounds interesting - we are already in Central TX so it would be difficult to check out.

[maketo]

I'm in central PA on 33 acres with a 5-stall barn, small indoor, large outdoor, and my own personal trails out back. Bought for 400K but we've put well over 100K into it (the outdoor arena, solar panels, finished basement), so wouldn't sell it for 400K, but around here you could easily get what you're looking for under 400. We do have 4 seasons, and this season we're in right now is particularly bitterly cold (which I prefer to too hot).

We're definitely rural, closest cities (small cities) about 45 minutes away. Our acreage is mostly wooded, but we've cut trails that connect to neighboring trails, so I can get an hour's ride in my back yard and we're within trailering distance to longer state forest trails.

It is, however, freezing over there - that is one of my criteria (to avoid it). We lived for 5 years in Canada while going to college and for 5 years in South Florida and if I had to choose between the extremes, I will take the heat any time

Thanks!

[maketo]

Do you mean the entire state of TN or just Big South Fork?

I meant the South Fork area. We looked around the Cherokee Natl Forest area, there was a farm on 80 acres for sale around Tellico Plains for less than $400K asking price, backing into the national forest. However, I have no idea how much riding that area allows - everything I saw was "not much" and "many people on horses on the same trails"

[Bluey]

Aiken area? Or some of the other areas in SC, since you don't want to be right in town. Some of the areas in NC, near the Blue Ridge parkway might be good for you also, since you don't want to be right in town.

Yes, those very horsey places have all anyone wants as far as good equestrian services, veterinarians, farriers, feed and tack stores, other industry services and if someone stays on the edge of those, not right in those areas like Southern Pines itself, you can have all that is good to support horses and still, on the fringes, you have less people and less crowded public access trails to ride.

The human culture desired there is acceptable.

NM could fit some of what you want, except for the standard of living, that is not that high in general, other than in a few places and those have the higher concentrations of people you may not desire.

I don't think there is any ideal place to live.
There will be trade-offs and adjustments to be made, no matter where someone moves to.

I would say, one good way to find our better place is to go live for a bit there first, without making permanent plans first.

[flowersmom2]

Carolinas - Landrum/Tryon area - lots of trails in the parks on both sides of the borders.

South of Raleigh - Uhwharrie, Moss Foundation (have to get a little away from Southern Pines for the price point)

Camden area - don't know about trails but lots of horse stuff. We have friends that built a beautiful place in Kershaw for not too much.

Charlotte is a little lacking on trails except for Latta and the Greenway, but if you head down to South Carolina you can find both the property you want and haul out not too far.

Good luck.

[AirForceWife]

Crestview/Baker/Laurel Hill/Milton, all areas near me. We have multiple state forests to ride in not only in Florida but also lower Alabama. We are an hour from Pensacola, 2 from Mobile and 2 from Tallahassee. You'll find nice horse property for $400,000 down here, in fact, I think I know one right now for that price that's cleared, barn and house built with cross fenced pastures. This area is like heaven on earth and if you love the beach, we have that too!

[maketo]

Crestview/Baker/Laurel Hill/Milton, all areas near me. We have multiple state forests to ride in not only in Florida but also lower Alabama. We are an hour from Pensacola, 2 from Mobile and 2 from Tallahassee. You'll find nice horse property for $400,000 down here, in fact, I think I know one right now for that price that's cleared, barn and house built with cross fenced pastures. This area is like heaven on earth and if you love the beach, we have that too!

We have considered that area around the Blackwater State forest. However, we also realized that there is an ugly lawsuit going on right now of someone who bought property adjacent to the forest and has had hunters who hunt deer with dogs encroach on their property, scare the wits out of their horses, shoot over their heads etc. The folks fenced their property and filed a lawsuit against FL govt asking to stop the practice in that area of the forest. For that they have received threats, torn down fences, people camping outside their property.... Sounds pretty rough

[pologirl27]

Corvallis, OR has a lot of what you want. I have relatives there and know there is some public riding land. There are plenty of riders, but lots of different disciplines and wouldn't call it overrun. It is wet there but not usually very cold.

[maketo]

Alto NM or Ruidoso NM- Both have lots of open space, cheap land, about 40 min from Alamogordo or 2 hrs from El Paso.

Or Tularosa, NM.

Las Cruces NM or surrounding area would also work.

Thanks! We are considering this area! Been to El Paso and loved it!! Wish there was property around it that is good horse property. Las Cruces seems the same way - not many horse properties around town, we were shown a few in the Talavera neighborhood but they are all 2-5 acres, too small. Considering Berrenda Creek ranch near Hillsboro.

[AirForceWife]

We have considered that area around the Blackwater State forest. However, we also realized that there is an ugly lawsuit going on right now of someone who bought property adjacent to the forest and has had hunters who hunt deer with dogs encroach on their property, scare the wits out of their horses, shoot over their heads etc. The folks fenced their property and filed a lawsuit against FL govt asking to stop the practice in that area of the forest. For that they have received threats, torn down fences, people camping outside their property.... Sounds pretty rough

I've heard of the lawsuit you're talking about via Facebook but never heard of the people. I have never heard of any of the issues the people in the lawsuit are talking about and am very involved in the horse community. It should be interesting to see how the lawsuit turns out and what proof those landowners have to support their claims. Most people don't live right on the Forest borderline though and just trailer in to trail heads when they want to ride. I know there are plenty of local facilities that have areas to ride out without trailering as well. Try the Freeport area as well.

[Sabino]

All of the things you are looking for you would find in MN. Except it's colder than a witches t!t around here right now, so MN is out!

Good luck on your search!

[Nootka]

West Virginia? It is beautiful and not expensive. Southern Va would be an area I would consider. Lots of land

Don't know about horse stuff built on this one.. but you get the idea (this is South VA)
http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/reb/4889396669.html

sounds interesting..... lol. I see fencing in one pic
http://swva.craigslist.org/reo/4897346321.html

this is cute and winchester is a great town. Must not be a horse person. She doesn't give good information on the facilities...lol. (yes, I do see the snow It isn't in a major snoo part of VA. Just a few inches a year.)

http://winchester.craigslist.org/reo/4868621788.html

Sorry I was fairytale shopping for myself

[Risuena]

Alto NM or Ruidoso NM- Both have lots of open space, cheap land, about 40 min from Alamogordo or 2 hrs from El Paso.

Or Tularosa, NM.

Las Cruces NM or surrounding area would also work.

I'll second this, and northern NM also has some great areas with endless nat'l parks/forest to ride in. Maybe outside of Santa Fe or even Taos (much smaller town, might be too small for what you want).

One of my favorite things about NM is it can get real rural real quick -- you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, without being far from a decent sized city.

[maketo]

North Texas near the LBJ Grasslands, there are two divisions... Caddo on the east and Decatur on the north west... each have about 17,000 acres available. Both are managed by the US forest Service.

Decatur has about 100 miles of marked/improved trails, Caddo around 80... but you are not limited to the trails.

Either is within an hour/hour and half of big-time civilization

Another area would be east Texas...the National forests (there are two that run together) over there are nearly 700,000 acres... just pick one of the large cities that are adjacent such as Nacogdoches Tx

Hello - looking closer at this - what towns near the LBJ grasslands? If you go to google maps, the town of Decatur is not showing anything "green" around it on the map. I am guessing the actual grasslands are elsewhere?

Thanks!

[maketo]

I'll second this, and northern NM also has some great areas with endless nat'l parks/forest to ride in. Maybe outside of Santa Fe or even Taos (much smaller town, might be too small for what you want).

One of my favorite things about NM is it can get real rural real quick -- you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, without being far from a decent sized city.

Thanks! We are pretty familiar with NM, problem is abundance of crime....

[Bluey]

Thanks! We are pretty familiar with NM, problem is abundance of crime....

There are many here that lease or buy land there to run cattle, in the summers, mostly.

If you do you have to figure as part of doing business there that you won't get your count back, it is the way it is there.

Not so much real criminals, although there are those too, as they are every place.
It seems that some locals have a strange sense of what is considered private property.

[Texarkana]

Middle Tennessee sounds perfect for you, specifically out towards the Cumberland Plateau. $400K on the Cumberland Plateau would buy you a move-in ready horse farm with as much acreage as you want. You'll just need to stay close to a town to meet the high speed internet requirement.

[maketo]

Middle Tennessee sounds perfect for you, specifically out towards the Cumberland Plateau. $400K on the Cumberland Plateau would buy you a move-in ready horse farm with as much acreage as you want. You'll just need to stay close to a town to meet the high speed internet requirement.

What towns specifically? Thanks!

[HungarianHippo]

How about this:
1. Google a list of state parks with equestrian trails, for the states you are willing to consider. That list seems fairly set in stone, based on climate (i.e. nothing above southern tier).

2. Look at a map to determine proximity to population centers and judge if the towns have the density/amentities that you require. For the state parks that make that initial cut, write down what counties those parks are in.

3. Go to www.landwatch.com and other realty sites to search for equestrian properties or suitable unimproved land in those states/counties, putting in your minimum acreage and 400k price cap. Decide if you have some likely prospects there.

4. With that legwork done, a COTH query about a few specific places, to get a more subjective feel for what the horse scene is like, might be more productive.

[cowboymom]

It was 60* here last week but you're right, if you're not ok with riding in the snow for half the year, or ducking snow storms, stay away from Montana. I didn't pick up on that in the OP.

When I've had enough of Montana winters and can manage a move we're heading to New Mexico. Check out Silver City, NM also, on the other side of the mountains from Ruidoso. Maybe too far from a large city-it takes about four hours to drive to Albuquerque from there.