[h=2]Atlanta,Ga Horse scene…???[/h] Oct. 22, 2019, 07:22 PM
Hello,
So there is real possibility that we will be relocating to Atlanta.Ga area. The D/H may be taking a position that will have him between Atlanta and Augusta occanionally. What the horse scene like there? Access to vets,cost of hay,feed, farrier and so on. I am a AA dressage rider who is half way to my bronze are there shows in the area? Access to instructors? Any general info would be great. T.I.A
Depends on where in Atlanta area you will be living. Alpharetta/Milton (north exburb) has always been quite horsey, although the horse folks are getting driven out by rampant development. Nonetheless, there are still quite a few nice barns and good instructors in the area. There are also good places east of Atlanta in case hubby needs easier access to Augusta.
And there are plenty of shows in the area, many at the horse park in Conyers. Good Horseman usually runs 4-5 shows there throughout the year and GDCTA holds three shows there each year (along with USDF Region 3 Finals some years). Chattahoochee Hills also holds several recognized dressage shows each year–it is SW of Atlanta. A fair number of folks in this area also make the trek to Tryon to compete (maybe 3-1/2 hours away, depending on where you start).
You might want to look into joining GDCTA–the member services directory has listings for barns, trainers, suppliers, etc., etc.
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Alpharetta/Milton is the dressage hub for that area. It is bougie. Depending on where you are coming from a lot of things may be right on par or twice what you are used to paying. Really take traffic into consideration when balancing housing, work, and barn. In Atlanta 20 miles may as well be 200 miles some evenings trying to get north after 5 PM.
There have been a good number of threads over the years about trainers. Nearly all are still in the area. There isn’t a ton of turnover.
Thank you for the replies! he will be mostly in the Atlanta area but will have to travel to Augusta once a week it looks like.
THIS. Traffic is terrible. Board is very expensive. There are some wonderful trainers in the area. Expect to pay <> 1000 per month. Oh, and make sure you have a GPS because if you make a wrong turn in North GA you can easily end up in Tennessee in no time at all.
“Atlanta area” encompasses a rather large area, and as others have mentioned, traffic is a nightmare, even outside the perimeter (I-285). If you are living inside the perimeter and trying to get to a barn in Alpharetta/Milton area, you could easily spend 1-2 hours each way, esp. if traveling during peak traffic times. Rush hour generally runs 7-9 and 4-6 M-F, but traffic begins building as early as 6AM and evening rush hour can last well past 6PM (honestly, more like 7PM, esp. on Friday evenings). Ditto if you live on one side of the city and your horse is on the other side. For instance, Sandy Springs to Stone Mountain can take 30-40 minutes if you live very close to I-285 and you make the drive during off hours, or it can take 2+ hours during peak traffic.
So you will have to factor in whether hubby needs to go into an office every day, where that office is located, whether you will be also be working and your schedule. If you have a 9-5 job and try to get from midtown to Alpharetta to ride after work, plan on spending a good 1+ hours in the car just heading north. And then of course, you will have the drive home afterwards. You will spend half your life sitting at traffic lights or in creep and crawl traffic. Patience is a virtue here. 
I live in Alpharetta. If I had to drive to Augusta once a week from Alpharetta I might just choose death instead especially with that giant cluster going on at 400/285 for the foreseeable future. Conyers to Augusta is a breeze, plus it makes it super easy to take advantage of stuff in Aiken, and there is a lot more there than here.
On the other hand, driving in to town from Conyers doesn’t exactly give me warm fuzzies either!
Which is all to say, I would get a good feel for the job commute before making decisions!
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Hi All,
I would be coming from Ocala, Florida so Im sure the cost of things will be much higher. Ideally we won’t be living “in the City” but rather on the outskirts we have way to many animals to be in a city…lol. I wish I could be more specific on a location but we just don’t know that yet. I will hopefully will only be working part time (nurse) so thats the great part of moving there! My horse is not a fancy guy so top notch boarding is not needed and I prefer as much turn out as I can get. But I will need a knowledgable instructor so I can get to my goal of Bronze and then my goal will move up to the next level. My horse is capable of third but if I can get my bronze I will be looking for another mount…Fingers crossed!!
As someone who is looking at going back to Florida in the near future (somewhere between Grand oaks to lake City) I can assure you, it’s way more expensive north of Atlanta. And if it’s not expensive, it’s not suitable for horses.
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Hello
Follow up… So we won’t know if D/H will get the job or if he will accept it (pending salary offer) but looks like the area that we would be staying in is quite a wide path…Anywhere outside the loop…North…northeast…east…southeast. Just not west. So a big area to choose from. But I did get sticker shock on boarding 
Where is the office, if you don’t mind saying? That will help us guide you. “Outside the perimeter” (Interstate 285) is a very large area and the traffic flows will be a real quality of life issue.
There are good, reasonable barns and trainers east, west, and south of Atlanta. North of Atlanta is definitely the hub with the biggest name trainers. But as others have said traffic that way is awful and prices are high.
I live in midtown Atlanta and used to travel north to Alpharetta/Milton. Not only was my board really expensive, but if I didn’t leave by 3pm I was looking at 2 hrs of traffic to get to the barn.
A few years ago I moved south of the city and am much happier. There are also some nice barns east that I looked into. My officially milage is longer, but it takes me less than half the time. So when you look into locations for living and boarding, it’s important to remember that mileage is not the best indicator of time.
There are plenty of shows in the area–rated and schooling, mostly March-October. They tend not to be huge, but with decent attendance.
Feel free to pm.
Hello
He would be going to several different surgery centers so to say he has a office would be hard. But I believe the main office is in Midtown(?) I think. But he wouldn’t be going there daily it would be to different ASC in the Atlanta area. We are thinking the North…NE…East areas because it seemed where most are. We difficulty want to be outside of 285. I have no Idea how this would work if he accepts the job. Just the logistics of just moving a house hold let alone all my animals Im already stressed…:0… And we won’t know til next week if its even a go…lol Thank you guys for all the replies!
Hmmm, before you commit to a geographic area, you should experience the joy of a Lawrenceville area to midtown area commute… It’s… Speshul. Very speshul. But there’s some good back ways through Athens to get you to Augusta.
Since you’re coming from Ocala, I’m guessing the incredible humidity/heat in Atlanta is not an issue for you. Know that the traffic in and around the Atlanta area is horrible. Live in the same general area where you decide to ride. Otherwise you will spend many hours just trying to get to the barn.
If your husband’s job will involve him being in multiple different areas, then I actually really think you should consider looking inside of 285. If you live outside and have to commute in it’s really, really hard. If you live in and have to commute out it’s a lot easier since you’re going against the main flow of traffic.
of course that will make the barn commute harder. If you have flexibility in your own work/schedule. Then you will be able to make it fine.
I know the idea of moving can be stressful. But if it is any comfort, Atlanta is a fantastic place to live. And I say that having lived a lot of different (and mostly really nice) places around the world.
You will find a very fun, active horse community here. Atlanta Saddlery (actually located in Alpharetta) is fantastic. There is also a Dover Saddlery, and from what I understand it is one of the highest volume stores in Dover’s business. There are good farriers, vets, and feed stores. The climate is pretty conducive to year round riding. I absolutely love it here and would recommend it.
I have worked in healthcare and healthcare tech for decades, and Atlanta’s market is one of the most active. There are several different healthcare systems here and unlike many areas of the country, they are still building new hospitals outside the Perimeter. Probably good news for someone who is calling on surgery centers. The economy is doing well, and while we do have some serious traffic, you also get pretty used to dealing with it. I frequently travel out fo state for work and therefore have to get from my farm in the north side suburbs to the airport which is on the other side of the city. I just get up early and go before the traffic really kicks in. If I waited til rush hour it would be a 2+ hour adventure, but if I leave around 6 it’s well under an hour and easy peasy. We often go into the city to enjoy cultural things - the symphony or the opera or even just a great restaurant. (We also have a TON of great restaurants locally, to the point that it would be pretty hard to try them all.) I think you would really enjoy the area.
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