Anyone in MO? Relocated?

[okggo]

There is a fairly decent chance I may get a job offer in the Jefferson City area that I probably shouldn’t refuse. We live in Frederick, MD now and work in DC. And I travel quite a bit…gets old.

Honestly I’m back and forth with mixed emotions on it, it’s going to kill me to leave my parents. I’ve been in this area 33 years - and while I whine about things quite often (like 4 hours of commuting the days I go into the office) in general out where our farm is, it’s nice. People are okay, horse community is huge, lots of shows/inhand/inspections. Everything within reach. But cost of living is high, and to have acreage we live pretty far out from where we work - and have a steep mortgage with not a lot of bells and whistles (no aisle barn (we built feed pens and have run-in sheds), 10 acres with only about 6 of it usable right now (the rest is across a creek and covered with woods and underbrush). Home is old, no frills. If we are here long term we’ll gradually build it up (the before and after already is pretty amazing), but we are talking 5-10 years before all our acreage is in use and we have a barn, plus can upgrade the home. We don’t have children, and not sure that we would if we stayed here (not sure if we would if we left, but it wouldn’t be totally out of the realm of possibility).

Looking at real estate in and around that area of MO - new homes with 30-100 acres, aisle barn, nice fencing - for about 200k+ less then our place here. I think Equine Reproduction is within driving distance in OK, but I’d be interested in hearing about area vets, hay availability, horse life, life life - people, personalities, etc. We use IDHSNA and KWPN right now, are inspections scarce?

It’s silly that I’m second guessing a major upgrade in our life - but there are so many unknowns and I’ve never done anything this drastic before. Guess I’m looking for you to be a bit of a voice of reason and give your input on change and feedback on the midwest. Particularly from a breeders perspective, and English riding. I have visions of miles and miles of QHs and WP, lol.

It’s a lot harder to up and move a farm, even a small one - tractors, equipment, hay feeders, horses, jumps…I guess some of it we would sell here and re-buy, I just don’t know.

[SandraD]

It has been a while since I lived in the area, that said I think it has a lot to offer. My husband’s family lives about an hour west. I’ll try to answer your questions best I can.
I would look at property north of Jeff City. It’s approx. 30 minutes from Columbia & the University of Missouri. Besides the large veterinary hospital, there are also 2 equestrian schools in the area. William Woods & Stephens. Lovely horse country with rolling hills. There used to be many horse farms along Hwy 63 & 54. According to my farmer BIL hay always seems to be abundant & grazing is good. Depending on your pastures you may have to dry lot your mares in the last trimester due to fescue toxicity.
You would be half way between St. Louis & Kansas City so I would think inspections would be accessible.
I have a friend from college that lives in the area, her husband is an equine vet in Holts Summit. She is very active in the local dressage scene & her daughter in pony club. She was Dressage Co-Organizer at the Midwest Pony Club Championships. http://www.summitveterinaryservices.com

[Hillside_H_Ranch]

I grew up 15 minutes north of Jefferson City, and I now live about 2 hours away. I’ve been in Missouri my whole life. In that area, land is what I consider cheap, especially considering where you are now. The further north, towards Columbia you go, the higher the prices go, but probably still cheaper than what you are used to.
It is quite rural, which means hay prices are generally good and you don’t have to go far to get it, or have it delivered. Jefferson City is near Fulton, which used to be where some of the world’s best Saddlebreds were bred/raised (and some still are, at Callaway Hills farm). Fulton also has William Woods University, which has an equine program, so there are lots of smallish (and a few bigger) shows held there.
As far as vets go, you’re in luck, I think. Equine Medical Services is near Columbia, Missouri, perhaps 25 minutes from Jefferson City, depending upon where you are. Dr. Foss is considered one of the very best equine repro vets in the country, although mostly his associates do that work now. He has some very good vets working for him and a great facility. They also travel to some parts of the Jefferson City area, as they do a lot of work on the farms in Fulton area. The University of Missouri is also in Columbia, I have a very good friend who is an equine vet there and they are excellent as well. They, too, travel to the Jefferson City area. There are several other vets in the Fulton area, but don’t know them as well.
Inspections may be the tricky part. Generally there are insepctions for various registries held in the Kansas City area, or St. Louis area, although I don’t use those two registries, so I’m not sure about that. You are about 2 hours from either Kansas City or St. Louis, but I’m guessing you will have to travel further than that for an inspection.
You are right in that there are tons of quarter horses here, and tons of people who ride western. Jefferson City is also big saddle bred country, but there are plenty of the “english” disciplines around due to the University, as well as Columbia being a big college town (lots of boarding facilities) with a variety of types of riding. New Springs Farm, home of the trakehner stallion Windfall is very close, they are actually located right next to Equine Medical Services. There is a pony club in the area and a variety of smaller barns that cater to beginner lessons/horse trials/etc.
I love the area, but of course I grew up there. We often talk about moving back, even though we are only 2 hours away. Being near a major University keeps things from being completely “rural”; I like the feeling of a college town type atmosphere. But the whole area is still very country-lots of farms, agriculture, that type of thing. People are friendly, imo. For a capital city, Jefferson City is small and I can’t imagine a commute of any type. Plenty of people work in Columbia and live in Jefferson City and vice versa, so you get the idea that driving isn’t really an issue in these places. My father works in Jefferson City, lives about 20 mintues outside of town and I don’t think it ever takes him more than 30 mintues to get from his living room to his office chair :).
I’d be happy to answer any other questions you may have, feel free to PM me.

[ahf]

I moved from NOVA three hours southwest eight years ago, and wish every day I never left. Lexington, VA is also a college town, but there is zero cross-pollination between the “local” population and the faculty. This is also the whitest place I’ve ever been. We have no hispanic or black populations - and the utter lack of diversity has made for some tiny little frightened minds here.

Yes, I got the farm of my dreams - and I have a wonderful equine support network down here. But I never really assimilated into the equine community as a whole. My lifelong friends are still in NOVA and in Maryland.

More importantly, I am an only child wih an 82 yo mother in Reston. It’s okay right now, but in two years it’s not going to be. Moving Mom down here would take her away from 50 years of friends and networks and the Kennedy center opera. She would be miserable. So I am at a loss there.

I feel for you. It’s a huge decision and I wish you the best.

[Equine_Reproduction]

@okggo;5329978

There is a fairly decent chance I may get a job offer in the Jefferson City area that I probably shouldn’t refuse. We live in Frederick, MD now and work in DC. And I travel quite a bit…gets old.

Uh huh…Been there, done that. Can honestly say I’ve re-created myself soooo many times in order to live where I want and keep horses in my life, I definitely feel your pain <smile>.

Honestly I’m back and forth with mixed emotions on it, it’s going to kill me to leave my parents.

Funny you mention that. Probably the most difficult thing for me was my original move away from my parents. I will say, however, with airline fares so reasonable now, especially to big cities, it’s just soooo much easier to visit family.

I’ve been in this area 33 years - and while I whine about things quite often (like 4 hours of commuting the days I go into the office) in general out where our farm is, it’s nice.

Time is probably the one thing you cannot buy and you cannot get back.

Looking at real estate in and around that area of MO - new homes with 30-100 acres, aisle barn, nice fencing - for about 200k+ less then our place here. I think Equine Reproduction is within driving distance in OK, but I’d be interested in hearing about area vets, hay availability, horse life, life life - people, personalities, etc. We use IDHSNA and KWPN right now, are inspections scarce?

We really aren’t that close to you…abotu 7 hours. Silver Creek is about 4 hours from you. While there aren’t the number of shows and inspections that you have on the east coast, it “is” getting better :). And, Simone MacKay (owner of Touch of the Blues) is in Kansas, so someone that is involved in that breed that could help you out. People in Oklahoma are truly probably some of the kindest and biggest hearted of any we have ever met. I mean that sincerely. Where else do you see a cop on the side of the road changing someone’s tire? Or, if you end up in trouble, your neighbors show up to help? Not saying it doesn’t happen elsewhere, but it “is” just a part of the lifestyle here. And it engenders the same! Vets are like everywhere else. Some good, some great, some bad. OSU is relatively close as is Kansas State, so two Vet schools. Feed and real estate is relatively economical. It does help us in being able to produce horses at more affordable prices, which is definitely a bonus. Land is plentiful. We own 40 acres with three ponds on it. Yeah, we’ve done HUGE amounts of improvements and still have LOTS more to do, but honestly? We LOVE it here.

It’s silly that I’m second guessing a major upgrade in our life - but there are so many unknowns and I’ve never done anything this drastic before. Guess I’m looking for you to be a bit of a voice of reason and give your input on change and feedback on the midwest. Particularly from a breeders perspective, and English riding. I have visions of miles and miles of QHs and WP, lol.

Well…QH’s and stock horses “are” the main population <smile>…but isn’t that true of everywhere? You just have to become involved in your chosen breeds and disciplines

It’s a lot harder to up and move a farm, even a small one - tractors, equipment, hay feeders, horses, jumps…I guess some of it we would sell here and re-buy, I just don’t know.

Mmm…well…as someone that has done it a few times…it’s not as difficult as you would think <lol>. Feel free to drop me an email/PM and I can offer a bit more insight. Granted, we’re in Oklahoma and you’re looking at Missouri, but similar economy adn prices…

[okggo]

Hillside and Equine, I’ll likely contact you both - it’s 99.9% probable I’ll get the offer…nerves nerves nerves.

ahf - I guess where we differ a bit is, I like the people in the area we live, but I can’t stand (and I couldn’t highlight and underline that enough) the attitudes closer to the city. If I could count how many times I see people flip the bird - granted usually in traffic but still. Heck, my persona changes pretty dramatically once I leave home (not an improvement, lol). But my parents…that will be hard.

I met Simone when I was in KS City!! So she’ll be on my ‘to bug’ list - as well as a couple others that likely don’t know it yet

To quote Bugs Bunny, “yipes!!”

[Hillside_H_Ranch]

Let me know if I can help out in any way! I’m in that area all the time, mostly b/c my daughter doesn’t like to go too long without visiting her “poppy and grammy”. But all of my family is there (parents, brothers, aunts/uncles, etc) and we are pretty close-knit. We also still run some cattle on the family farm, so we travel there quite often.

[okggo]

Thanks so much! Any other midwest breeders?

Also - I just published our new website (hopefully it’s working) - wanted to share, and not hog up another thread: www.celticpridefarm.com

[Jumper_Breeder]

We were in MO for close to four years; near Springfield. I think the best “horsey” things were the great cost of premium hay and cheap, beautiful land. We had to travel fairly far to get knowledgeable repro. services, but had a good local equine vet. The pits was the weather, we had tornadoes & ice storms; to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage and no electricity or running water for over 18 days with weather in the single digits. And no, we were not in a rural area. Rated shows required at least 3-4 hours travel time. Two years ago Silver Creek hosted the KWPN inspection. This past year the closest locations to MO were WI & TX.

[Lengara]

Sorry, I am kinda late on this but I live in Jefferson City. I’ve been here for about 3 years after living in Chicago for a short time. I have been very, very happy with the horse community here. One of the reasons I agreed to move here (my husband is from here) is because I wanted to get back into horses. I’m going to echo what everyone else has said; it is a wonderful place for horses, with the colleges and the excellent vets, and the very low cost of living here you could very easily set up a nice place. The community is very welcoming and there are so top notch riders and horses here too. Also, we are not to far from STL or KC to get to the horse events there but not so close that we don’t have to deal with the higher prices of things that they have there. Please feel free to PM me with any questions.

I checked out your website and your horses are lovely. We would love to have you!

[jilltx]

Just wanted to offer support with the move, okggo.

Sometimes a new start is just the right thing. Scary but also exciting, especially if your horse “life” might be improved (more land, beter facilities…)

We just moved from Houston to Denver. So far so good. Then again, Luna hasn’t arrived yet, so we’ll see how that part goes.

[seramisu]

Re: other breeders in the area

Check out
http://midamericasporthorse.com/
I’m not a member of the group (I have only bred the one time) but I am friends with a couple of the active members and so i have met a number of people through MASA and have been to their annual show a couple of times. Super nice people, and some amazing horses too. Yes it’s mainly QHs out here in the midwest but if you look hard enough you will find not pockets of not just sport horses but Really Nice ones at that.

[omare]

I would take a trip out there to check it out before taking any offers. See if there is any pretty, available buyable land and farms. (I have come to the opinion pretty land/farms are expensive everywhere…) Do you feel comfortable out there? Places on paper can look a lot different in person. Also keep in mnid, we are spoiled in the Md/DC/NVa area with the closeby hunts, hunter jumper and event venues etc which really makes it a unique place.

I had a job offer in the midwest (a different state) that I was sure I would take until I went to look around thinking I could buy land- but available farms/land were not that easy to find, nor that cheap, land had issues (in that state-high water tables, sold mineral rights, very flat) and/or were overlooking a rundown housetrailer (check for county zoning rules) and there was not a hunter jumper barn w/i two hours (lots of saddlebreds and QH). In the end the tipping point was realizing that my nearby family made where I live too special to replace even though it is expensive and the commutes are certainly awful sometimes.

Also do not forget to sit down and be honest about what it will cost to move and relocate and replace what you have–work the numbers -do not assume it will be cheaper–milk and gas is about the same everywhere and you might end up with a pay cut (lower cost of livng area) Will you need to buy a big new towing vehicle truck if the events are not so close? Will you need to board for awhile while you get set up? How much will it cost to ship everything out there–will that iffy second family car make the trip or will you need to buy a new second car? These are hidden costs that might set you back a bit.
P.S I think your place here is lovely.:-}

[Ridge_Runner]

I cannot offer an insight to that area but I sure do know how it feels to move a lot being married to a career military officer…now retired thankfully. I hope there will be only one more move in my life when we retire from here in the Swamplands to our little mountain retreat one day.

ahf…I had to chuckle…I know that area you are in somewhat and it is high redneck country!

I wish you the best of luck with your decision Julie.

[okggo]

Well, looks like it’s definitely going to happen - yipes! I’m excited, just stressing about all the things that need to be done in double time!

For those of you that have moved, could you recommend moving companies? I posted this in “around the farm” but I’ve only had one real-life recommendation so far, Mayflower. We have a compact tractor + its equipment + furnature + things like roundbale feeders/jumps + 4 horses. Some of the stuff I’m thinking about selling vs hauling off.

Our pregnant mare is due on the day I start my new job - many many MANY thanks to Hillside H for agreeing to take her in and foal her out. Now to figure out everything else!!

Lengara - I’ll send you a PM, but would appreciate any input regarding nice places to temporarily board (if need be), feed shops in the area, hay dealers, vets, any contact info/#s you could give me would be great!!

Jilltx - tell me all about it!!! I need some sanity for someone who just went thru it!

[showjumpers66]

Congrats! We are not far, so you are welcome to visit. St. Louis has a bunch of “A” shows, so that is not too far for you. We host RPSI and GOV inspections each year. We do apply yearly for the KWPN inspection, but it depends on the applications they receive. Woodridge Farm is near us and they host AHS and ISR/Old NA inspections yearly. Welcome to the area!

[showjumpers66]

Oh, forgot to add. Kathy Childs is the backbone to KWPN in our area, so get in tough with her. She is already rallying the troups to get enough for a keuring in our area.

[okggo]

SJ66 - thanks for the POC! Our foal is due in April - I’d love to get the foal looked at/branded, but it’s also nice KWPN lets you register without the inspection. Everyone we have bred we have made a point to get out, and this will be our first dutch baby. Depending on WHEN it would be held, I’d also love to do the MPT with his dam…just not sure with the move “work” if that’s realistic for this year.

I think I’ll take you up on the visit, I’d love to make it to the stallion testing this year as well! The Irish show is at Lamplight this year too, so I have plenty I’m looking forward to being a total stranger to the area

[BBowen]

[QUOTE=okggo;5431895]
SJ66 - thanks for the POC! Our foal is due in April - I’d love to get the foal looked at/branded, but it’s also nice KWPN lets you register without the inspection. Everyone we have bred we have made a point to get out, and this will be our first dutch baby. Depending on WHEN it would be held, I’d also love to do the MPT with his dam…just not sure with the move “work” if that’s realistic for this year.

I think I’ll take you up on the visit, I’d love to make it to the stallion testing this year as well! The Irish show is at Lamplight this year too, so I have plenty I’m looking forward to being a total stranger to the area :)[/QUOTE]

You will have to keep me posted. The KWPN-NA is the only registry I have worked with and they are wonderful. Always helpful and informative for me. I can put you in touch with some breeders in the Chicagoland area.

Also, I am five minutes from Lamplight and have room.

[okggo]

[QUOTE=BBowen;5432300]

Also, I am five minutes from Lamplight and have room. :-)[/QUOTE]

What, after over 7 or so years of chatting together we would finally get to meet!!! Yah! Would I get to see Jinx too??