Aiken, SC and surrounding areas- I want to pick your brain

[Little.Wing]

Talk to me about your hunter/jumper scene, shows, life with horses.

I’m a young professional considering purchasing a small property to function as a home base.

This would be my first foray into land ownership, and I’ve been looking at the area because I love the south (after nearly ten years in south Texas hot and humid is no worry for me or my horses, but we know about snow from north Virginia) and the property is so inexpensive compared to all of the places I’ve lived/worked while not being unreasonably far from a lot of the shows I’d pick if the distance was no object. (Tryon, Atlanta, KHP, Brownland, Gulfport, Ocala)

That said, I have never spent much time in the area, and haven’t done more than drive through in 4+ years, so I don’t know what the market is like for A/AA hunter/jumpers, how many people in that area might be interested in any professional services I offer, etc.

What I’m considering setting up is a modest “home” facility, meant to be more of a rest location between shows than any kind of major boarding/training operation. (Think a few big grassy turnouts with 3 sided shelters, a few jumps in a mowed part of a field, a clean/dry/secure place to store feed/hay/tack, somewhere to park the trailer, and my own little home.)

My questions to start:

Is there any market for offering field board without stalls?

What about for renting out living+horse space month-to-month or week-to-week/over long weekends (like an airbnb you can bring horses to)?

What about if I was looking to hire a position as a work+housing+bring your horse instead of larger financial compensation- are there young riders coming up the levels in the area who might jump at an opportunity to work/ride at home some while I’m gone?

Are there barns in the area who might take on a part-time/temporary/seasonal groom/rider/assistant/teacher/trainer/exercise rider?
I’m not opposed to cleaning stalls, I’m good at body clipping, will travel, but I need work willing to be flexible with my travel/show schedule. (I’ve checked yardandgroom, but someone in a barn there might know about a position that won’t need to be filled until August or beyond.)

What else is in the area? Dressage? Eventing? Foxhunting? Polo? (Looking for what the big events are for other horse sports in the area, if any, and the good/bad/ugly of barns in other disciplines.)

Who are the best local photographers- for equine stuff, senior portraits, engagements/weddings, events, any/all of the above? If you can/want to point me to websites or instagram accounts that would be super bonus.

What about retail stores (tack sales is where I have most of my retail experience, but I could do most any retail)?
Good bars? Dive bars?

(AKA if I can’t figure out how to make a real living with horses from day 1 is there something I could do to cover the feed bill? :lol:)

What about fun? What are the most unique local things? What do you do with a night off?

Is there an inexpensive, but safe (workmanlike, doesn’t have to be pretty or fancy) self care, partial care or co-op facility in the area? (big stalls, good fences, halfway sane management?)

Talk to me about the ground (is it sandy, rocky or clay and how far do you have to travel to get to something different?)

What about grasses, (what types of hay are most common? how expensive is it? how much space does a horse need on a field to not need hay part/most/all of the year in the area?

What about weather concerns? Floods? Tornadoes? Hurricanes? Snow? What’s the biggest disaster of the year usually? What’s the biggest natural disaster in recent memory that people still talk about?

Is there anyone in the area you know of operating a sustainable farm? What about anyone running one totally off grid? (I’d be interested to talk to anyone in the area living off grid, with or without horses.)

Is there something else I should be asking but haven’t yet?

Oh!

Vets.
Farriers.
Other equine care pros you can’t live without?

I probably need to write another thread or two for some more general starting-a-horse-business-of-my-own questions and building-my-own-place questions, but I’d really love to talk to anyone within an hour or so of Aiken in any direction, and anyone who’s been there with horses.

PM’s are welcome, and anything is appreciated. I’m not expecting any one person to have all the answers!

Anyone who read all that gets a cookie! :yes:

[StormyDay]

What a timely thread
All I know is that there is quite a large eventing scene in the winter time, Boyd Martin and such come down. You can pretty easily rent stalls out during winter but usually the trainers want 10+ stalls. You may be able to cater to the eventer on a budget though.
there is also from what I have heard a decent polo scene. One of the oldest polo fields in the US is there.
I also know that there are several A shows a year there with progressive show jumping so I assume there are other shows going on there too. You are also only 1 hr 30 from Camden, which has more shows there and 2 hr 30 from both Atlanta and Tryon, which both have shows.

I may suggest also looking into the Raleigh area and Charlotte area, you might find a larger clientele there but maybe I am wrong and Aiken is the H/J Mecca of the south I have never heard of :lol:

[beowulf]

If you have a deep wallet or a small pile saved, go for it. Land is relatively cheap out there, living expenses are very cheap, and the people can be wonderful. I loved Aiken - there’s lots of winter transplants, there’s always new people to meet (in the winter anyway) and there is a horse function just about every weekend within an hour of Aiken… however, it is actually a SMALL city and I don’t think there are many opportunities for someone who isn’t starting out with something.

However, if you’re looking to “make” that money there to sustain yourself, it probably won’t work. The economy in Aiken particularly is not that incredible - not many job opportunities besides minimum wage/entry-level jobs (restaurants, retail, the like).

Aiken used to be a hubbub for snowbird eventers, and it still is – but a lot of them now go to Ocala or Southern Pines – so while there’s a few big names that still go down there in the winter, it is not as big as it once was.

Board is incredibly cheap there - I am not sure how anyone could make money running a board operation there especially when you consider that hay is about the same price as it is everywhere else. Full-care at one of the bigger event facilities is $450… That’s pennies when you consider how much it is here (MA).

The H/J scene is not very big there, I am not sure there is as much a demand for it as there would be near Raleigh. I worked in one of the major tack stores for a few years (Boots Bridles and Britches) and most of our clientele were eventers or show-jumpers with the odd western rider here and there. There is a small SJ circuit that last I checked was gaining momentum, and there are a few H/J shows (Hitchcock In the Woods) in the spring that are just lovely.

There are quite a few “young professional” transplants that might find your situation ideal – I was one of them and had a blast riding for a local eventer as well as a local foxhunter who had a wonderful string of green horses. I know quite a few of the big event farms there are very welcoming to working-student type gigs.

A lot of it really depends on who you know – and who can put a good word in for you at some of the bigger barns.

As far as restaurants and bars… eh… depends on how old you are. I was college-age when I was in Aiken and there’s no bars I’d write home about… big college scene there. I’m a major foodie and LOVED Tako-Sushi and Maria’s (what eventer doesn’t, though?) but there isn’t much else that I would write home about. Lots of chain restaurants and if you’ve never appreciated the buttery goodness of O’Charley’s rolls, that’s a good place to start.

[Madison]

@beowulf

The H/J scene is not very big there, I am not sure there is as much a demand for it as there would be near Raleigh. I worked in one of the major tack stores for a few years (Boots Bridles and Britches) and most of our clientele were eventers or show-jumpers with the odd western rider here and there. There is a small SJ circuit that last I checked was gaining momentum, and there are a few H/J shows (Hitchcock In the Woods) in the spring that are just lovely.

I would have to disagree, Aiken has quite a lot of h/j options currently – PSJ and the Highfields facility have a ton of local and A shows there, and Bruce’s Field opened last year and has some lovely big A shows. In fact the second week of the spring charity show is going on right now. DFG Stables (Daniel Geitner) has a large h/j program, and Bridlewood (John Abbott) has a nice program as well, just for a couple of examples. The question in my mind would be whether a new professional could move there and break into the scene, if they had no contacts.

As far as boarding, if you are ultimately looking to have clients who want to train and show, I would not expect much demand for pasture board with no stalls. There might be a separate space in the market for that, but it is unlikely to be your showing clients.

[beowulf]

@Madison

I would have to disagree, Aiken has quite a lot of h/j options currently – PSJ and the Highfields facility have a ton of local and A shows there, and Bruce’s Field opened last year and has some lovely big A shows. In fact the second week of the spring charity show is going on right now. DFG Stables (Daniel Geitner) has a large h/j program, and Bridlewood (John Abbott) has a nice program as well, just for a couple of examples. The question in my mind would be whether a new professional could move there and break into the scene, if they had no contacts.

As far as boarding, if you are ultimately looking to have clients who want to train and show, I would not expect much demand for pasture board with no stalls. There might be a separate space in the market for that, but it is unlikely to be your showing clients.

well, my experience is dated. Lived in Aiken for several years after college, so quite a while ago.

Glad they have a bigger HJ scene now. I loved the HJ shows in Hitchcock Woods - we (BBB) rented out a big table every year and I think I had the most fun I’ve ever had at a horse event as a non-rider there. Wonderful event, wonderful people.

[Madison]

@beowulf

I loved the HJ shows in Hitchcock Woods - we (BBB) rented out a big table every year and I think I had the most fun I’ve ever had at a horse event as a non-rider there. Wonderful event, wonderful people.

It’s still a very popular show and the setting is beautiful!!

[Calhoun]

It’s a small sleepy southern town, especially in the summer months. Something to think about if you’re a socially active person.

[happyhacker]

Aiken is a beautiful southern town but it is small. There is a large h/j presence and two wonderful venues if you have clients who don’t want to travel much. It’s hot in the summer, but it’s friendly, and the older homes are historic and beautiful. I love Aiken!

[nycjumper]

We just moved to Aiken about 6 months ago and love it. There is actually a good HJ scene here. PSJ runs a nice year long show series that is here, Camden, Charleston, Tryon and also has a few nice A shows a year. Bruce’s Field does a lovely A show. You’re close to Atlanta, Tryon, etc so even if clients don’t want to travel far, there’s lots available. You have a few well established H/J trainers here who do a lot of showing. It might be challenging to break into the scene here if you don’t have connections.
Aiken is also better known for eventing and has lots of people coming here for the winter. There’s also an active dressage scene and yes, polo as well.
Land is inexpensive.
It’s a smaller town but I have to say 6 months in, we haven’t been bored. Lots going on - cute restaurants downtown, bars and the like.
Happy to chat if you move - we just bought 14+ acres and we’re going to start building our own facility soon. In the meantime, we have had our horses at a lovely place on the southside and it’s been a nice experience.