Looking for area information

[quartermane]

My Family and I are looking into moving. We have two teenage kids that are very into horses as well as the boy is into sports. We're thinking and looking at areas in Oregon and Tennessee. I'm wanting to get info from people who ALREADY live in these areas. I want to learn as much about the schools, equestrian activities, maybe are there any High School Rodeos for the areas available? Weather, and all kinds of things like that. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Hope to hear LOTS of ideas. Oh and we're not stuck on these two states, would consider other states, so please make suggestions as well. We're planning on going hunting around Thanksgiving this year. Thanks ahead of time.

Quartermane

[Horsetopia-Annie]

Any responses to this one? She's been very patient and I know that many of you have excellent advice regarding places to consider (or avoid!).

[muttduck]

Well, if you want a place to avoid....

POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA!!!

We are known as:

The Lightning Capitol of the World
The Meth Capitol of the World
The county with the biggest percentage of new homes being built.

There is major issues with offenders (of the 'personal' kind) there is a reported "body found" or "Unsolved Murder" weekly.
The schools around me are about a C.
Hay prices are horrendous, gas prices not any better...
Heat and humdity are enough to kill a person for three months, and only "unbearable" for six months.

AND TOP IT OFF we were directly nailed by 3 hurricanes last year that still have damage left to be fixed...

So... While I can't give you any good news... maybe it'll help you know where NOT to look!

[taelesean]

If you or your husband are professionals, the Washington DC and Northern VA area are great. Wages for technical, legal, medical, realtors, experienced commisioned sales, etc are incredible, but so is the cost of living. Licenced contractors, certified auto mechanics, and experienced equipment operators are in demand as well.

If you can stand a longer commute, Prince William, Faqueier, Clark and Frederick counties are excellent places to live, with plenty of equestrian oportunities. Northern VA proper, Fairfax, Arlington and eastern Loudoun counties have gotten over-built in the last decade, the horse properties there are WAY overpriced, thought Fairfax co. has a system of riding trails in place that are supposed to be the best suburban riding on the east coast, if the not the U.S..

Public schools in the area run from very good to excellent, with a few very notable exceptions in Fairfax and Arlington (according to the news, public schools in DC are miserable) . I don;t know of any public high schools that have equestrian programs, but several of the private schools do. there are, however, many riding clubs, boarding stables, and other organisations that sponsor horse shows, judged trail rides, races and events. I have been told that it is possible to find a show in almost any major riding discipline every weekend during the spring, summer and fall that is within a few hours drive of the metro area.

The Virginia Horse Center is about 3 1/2 hours away, endurance trials are held in the Fort Valley just 1 1/2 hours away, there are historic places to ride and visit all over. Morven Park, where the Gold cup is held, is just 45 minutes from me (I live near Manassas) There are three hunts within easy reach of here, and something like 5 or 6 large equestrian clubs, maybe more.

On the downside, traffic in the metro area is usually rated among the worst 5 in the nation. Real estate can be rediculously expesnsive if you want to live close to DC (but there are good jobs further out, and even further away from the city, land gets much more resonable) Like any growing metropolitan area, crime is bad in some places.

that's VA in a nutshell, if you have more specific questions, ask away and I will try to answer them for you.

[Rocking Horse]

I'm with Muttduck here.

Volusia county Florida is the same. Yes, Daytona Beach is nice in January, when there is no one there Otherwise, heat, humidity and hurricanes are the norm..

Ok, yes, we have a dry season and then you get to worry about fire

I am sure there are people in Fl how like it here, but it is not a very good place for horses.. Too many blood-sucking insects, heat and un-predictable weather.

Karen

[Fox-Hunter]

I love south Georgia. It is hot, humid, buggy, etc. But the schools are good. Land prices are reasonable. So are feed and hay prices. We have a very active 4H program. One friend just got back from riding broncs at the National High School Rodeo Compitetion. So our high school rodeo program is active. Pony Clubs in the area a great. That is what we are involved with the most. The fox hunting club here is VERY welcoming to juniors.

Good Luck in your search!

[joustinggirl]

Roanoke, Va area is great. Lots of prof. jobs, good pay because of low jobless rate and land can be found thats affordable. Tons of horse stuff too. We are close to the virginia horse center and the Roanoke Valley Horse Show is huge. And its very pretty.
And Smith Mountain lake is very close, and, and, and, I could go on. Very low taxes in Franklin County. And close to Va Tech. A great school.

[quartermane]

Thank you everyone. Are there any more. By the way...I'm in Florida...that's why we are wanting to MOVE!!!!!! LOL!!! I'm so SICK on this state!

[tiggypoodle]

Oh, geez, sorry I didn't notice this one before now!! I don't tend to check in this forum, as it's rarely used BUT, I can sure help you with info on Oregon!

I live in south-eastern WA, right on the Oregon border. Eastern Oregon is just like us-- desert. Only eastern Oregon (at least north-eastern Oregon) is not as populated as eastern WA... we have several good-sized towns, the Tricities (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland), Walla Walla, and Spokane. North-eastern Oregon has some lovely smaller towns, Hermiston, Irrigon, Milton-Freewater, and one bigger one-- Pendleton. Eastern Oregon is more of an agricultural area.... lots of farmers, hay, rodeos, etc. If you are a horse person you will be in good company, lol, especially if you ride western or do rodeos. Hay prices are okay, not great but not awful, and board is CHEAP. Most places offer pens with shelters rather than a barn, as it rarely rains out here. You will also not often find an indoor arena-- it's an expense most people can't justify. It's always dry and dusty, and can get pretty dang hot in the summer-- right now it's about 104 degrees. Winters tend to be pretty mild..... usually, lol...... (the last two winters have been horrible, but no one's seen anything like that in a LONG time. Usually we get one or two days of snow a year, but the last couple of winters have shown us -10 degree weather and two FEET of snow!!)

Western OR is quite similar to western WA-- much greener. I will be going to school in Portland starting in the fall, and I've been there many times. I HATE IT, lol!!! Too many one-way streets. I always drive the wrong way But the horse community in Portland is wonderful, especially if you show upper levels. They have lots of "A" circuit shows in many disciplines, I love the hunter shows, the people that run them are very good at what they do. I don't know what the hay prices are like, but I do know that board is much more expensive-- but you get more for what you pay for. People take their horse-ownership seriously over there, lol!! The weather is quite different, think of Seattle-- rain, fog, etc. High temps in the summer rarely over 90 degrees. But it's never super cold in the winter either... although the last couple of winters would make a liar out of me, lol.

At any rate.... there are two main things that people think of when they think about Oregon..... there is no sales tax, and all the gasoline is full service, meaning you can't pump your own!

Hope that helps!!

Lily

[DixieHorseChick18]

I live in North Carolina and in the area I live in it is beautiful and it is a great place for horses. I dont know about the schools but I just think it is nice place to live. I love it here. you just have to find a nice out in the country place and it is very peaceful ( but those ane getting had to find now a days.
~ Victoria ~

[hoovesofgold]

You probably want to avoid SE Louisiana! Hurricanes tend to hit here and it's flat enough that everything FLOODS! Of course, it's just a risk of living on the gulf coast.

The only advantage of living where I am is that to the South, you got New Orleans if you enjoy the city life. To the North is the horse country!

For schools, Louisiana isn't known for having the best schools in the country. St. Tammany Parish is said to have the best schools in LA, and I've experienced high school, but that's it.

Delaware is also a very nice state It's on the coast, no hurricanes [Louisiana ] And has horse country up in Maryland and PA.

[TxHorseDad]

Can only help with Texas and the Houston area. A lot of people like Dallas, but they get the snow and icy roads that I can't deal with anymore.
North of Houston near where we live has excellent schools in the Woodlands and lots of technical and professional jobs in the area. Magnolia is booming right now, with a new community of 5 acre tracks with horse facilities everywhere. The Montgomery county fair grounds is only 15 miles away with lots of FFA and 4-H programs around. There's a large ranch right there in magnolia that has competitions every weekend.

The Little Britches rodeo had their state finals here in Montgomery county.
Having lived in western New York, Michigan and visited my brother in Florida a number of times, our cost of living is pretty low next to most states. NO state taxes are great and our gas prices are pretty good to, paying around $1.07 for unleaded right now.
Let us know if you change your mind about what state, be glad to get you in touch with some good people to arrange visits and a look see.

[TxHorseMom]

OOPS!!
TxHorseDad must have been pretty tired when he made that last post!
Gasoline prices are $2.07! (Almost had the all of horsetopia moving here just for the gas prices )

[Range]

Wow, thanks for the clarification, I was already packing! I'm in Northeast Texas and yes, we do get snow and ice probably once a year. Out here on the "open range", that means you DO NOT drive. I'm from Illinois so imagine my surprise when I discovered there are no plows or salt trucks out here. Even if the main roads are good, our road is gravel.

So, Northeast Texas has several months of straight rain and several months of straight heat. The horses are used to the heat, so they can be ridden in it. Our area has some nice prices on land and houses. It is moving from cow country to horse country, but you better be interested in the Western disciplines. If you are interested in English, closer to Dallas is the place to be.

Texas is home to the AQHA and the APHA.

I do like Texas better than Illinois and it is huge!

[version1955]

I can personally vouch for what taelesean says, I lived in N VA for a couple years (and one year made it to the Gold Cup!) and it is a WONDERFUL family place. So much to do, inside in museums and art institutes and historical stuff and outside in battle fields and parks. It is GORGEOUS. VA and MD also have the most lush poison ivy I have ever seen!

I was born and raised in MN and have lived or worked in most every part of it. It doesn't have the most robust economy but depending upon your profession, it does have opportunities if one is strategic about it. You definately can't expect to be 'taken care of' by your employer anymore. Government is the closest thing we have to a 'safe' job but even that is up for grabs as our congress can't always get the budget negotiations done in time and government has been shut down twice in the last few years for a number of days until those folks get off their *sses.

If you have a passion for studying wildlife biology, ecology or geology, this is the place to do it. Our state's geological history included volcanoes AND glaciers! And like VA we have several different ecological zones all coming together. So its very pretty and each part of MN has its own allure. Real estate is at an all time high but if you don't mind a long commute (2 hrs) or if you work from your home or telecommute or are self employed at building widgets, outstate MN (that means outside of Minneapolis-St. Paul) can have some pretty spiffy deals on land and homes.

There are a lot more people who own horses than actually ride them, maybe because land is cheap ($2000 per acre is high and in N MN $650 is more likely, but then its also kinda swampy) and when folks buy acreage they feel a need to get a horse! So there is lotsa founder and lame horses with long toes!!! But then they also feel a need to 'raise' horses so you can get a pretty nice yearling for under $1000 easy and even some trained ones for around that. Maybe our horses don't all have the confirmation of the east or west coast but I don't know much if anything about the finer points of that. All I know is that they are healthy and happy and there are some good people doing good things together with their horses.

The University of MN is in Mpls-St Paul and is a fairly good employer but jobs are hard to come by unless you are networked in. The state college system is VERY good and there are wonderful opportunities for students to do just about anything they want. Education is very important and there is lots of public support and neighborhood involvement. Social organizations are very busy and there is so much good work being done that it brings tears to my eyes sometimes.

Ach, this is too long. And you didn't mention wanting to move north, so I better quit, but I guess I'm kinda proud of where I live.

Good Luck!

[ajairforce2003]

I agree with you version1955. I LOVE MN!! It's a good place to live. I would stay away for the twin cities though. The gang population has really gone up. The beautiful land makes up for it. It's not called God's Country for nothing!

[mandelyn82]

Kentucky is where I'd like to end up when my husband is out of the military. Horse country all the way around, good hay prices too.

The state's slogan is "where education pays", but as far as what area has the good schools I'm not sure, we don't plan on having any kids.

But the rolling hills and vast open pasture land is awsome. We liked the Lexington area.

Or Tennessee, Knoxville area. I have family there, and you can't beat the scenery. The Halls highschool had rodea stuff, my cousin was in it. But the flatter horse areas go for a lot of money, and it's no good having a mountain side when you want to do some flat work. A lot of western riding.

Lexington had english mostly, but a lot of Western too. Not to mention the horse park is there with all of it's shows and programs. They have a highschool volunteer program, if I'm thinking right. Board is a little high, and good lessons are usually around $30 an hour. You can get horse property anywheres from$200,000 to a million dollar racing facility.

Then there's Cincinnati, Ohio, which has a good job market right now, and they just started building horse-related subdivisions. You get a plot of land, the typical 4 bedroom suburban home, with a matching barn complete with steel reinforced white fencing. It's in West Chester, which also has an awsome puplic school district. There isn't any highschool horse events, but there are stables around every corner for every type of riding discipline. West Chester is about 20 minutes from Dowtown Cincinnati, right off interstate 75.

There are 5 malls, outlet stores, specialty tack stores (4) and West Chester is near it all. GE and P&G are close too, for job hunting. There's Anderson too, but it's pricier. Loveland, Indian Hill, Cheviet, Colerain, are all off the interstate 275 loop around Cincinnati, and all are pretty horse friendly.

ReMax.com in the cincinnati area is a good place to look at some properties.

[mestep]

I am in Kentucky, I have lived here for 25 years, and couldnt imagine being anywhere else. There is always something to do with your equine friends, land prices are fair.

[theloneappy]

Been in North Dakota since fall of '98. Couldn't get me to move to any other state. Lived in southern California, WAY pricy there. Colorado Springs area is getting to be the same way. There was a farm for sale here not to long ago for about a 100,000. 17 plus acres. Fully developed farmstead. Beautiful out buildings and a very large house. But the house was in the booneys. A hous on Hwy. 281 about 5 mile north of jamestown, on about 10 acres, mostly trees. Went for I think $217,000. We got our 10 acre farm for 56,000. they were selling 5 acres/house for 55,500, we offered them 56 for the house detached garage and barn and 10 acres.

Sorry this went on so long. un developed land is going anywhere from $300 and acre to $800 an acre

[Brandy]

I know this is late...but Michigan is good too! Good schools too, Tri-county, Greenville and Rockford area as well as many others. We are selling our property for $109,000. 12 acres w/6 septics and two wells. huge garden and many other things.

That is, if you haven't moved yet....