Barns on the east side of Tampa

[yellowbritches]

I’m visiting my mom in Lithia, FL this week, and I’m tempted to do a little window shopping for barns. Considering that not only myself, but my dog and one of my horses HATES winter, T shirt weather in the middle of February is appealing!

Does anyone know of any decent boarding places in the Lithia/Brandon/Lakeland kind of area (don’t know the geography very well yet, but I’ve been in all three of these areas since arriving yesterday!). I don’t necessarily need a show barn, but high quality care with very capable horse handling skills (one of my horses can be fractious- not dangerous, but a handful and intimidating to an inexperienced or timid handler). I don’t really know what the horse culture is like around here, but one of my guys likes having a stall, the other lives out 24/7 (he’s approaching 30).

Any thoughts of places to look?

[chunky_munky]

keith powell comes to mind.

[Grasshopper]

YB–perhaps check with Hilda Donahue. She’s closer to Orlando, but I would think she is likely to know some of the options outside Tampa.

[RomeosGirl]

YB - if you are in town this weekend you could check out PCHA. Local show at the frairgrounds (right next to the Hard Rock Cafe:D). You could see lots of the local trainers there & get your own feel.

[perpetualfelicity]

I moved to the area and have found it decidedly lacking in good trainers and good care (especially the latter!). You can pm me, but head further north or towards Orlando.

[yellowbritches]

I have no interest in going toward the Orlando area. This isn’t anything I HAVE to do, and would be purely a move of desire, not necessity. I rather stay in VA if I couldn’t find what I need.

I did, however, find two promising looking farms while googling, but one hasn’t gotten back to me yet, and the other has no one around this weekend. That’s ok. I’m more or less window shopping/tire kicking at the moment…but, man! Is it nice to walk around in late October in summer clothes! Toby would LOVE this weather!

[bingbingbing]

[QUOTE=perpetualfelicity;8370086]
I moved to the area and have found it decidedly lacking in good trainers and good care (especially the latter!). [/QUOTE]

I completely agree. Do you research, but IMO, it’s very hard to find good care in that area even at the “better” barns.

[yellowbritches]

Ok, so if boarding is so tough to find, how easy is it to find a little barn to rent? And where would I look for something like that? I am more than capable of providing the level of care I like! And it would be so much easier without winter.

[clanter]

Ever since I worked New Orleans the Tampa Bay area is the one area that kind of scares me… the last major hurricane to hit Tampa was in Oct 1921… since then the city has expanded onto islands and just has developed a sense of it cannot happen here.

When I was with FEMA, Tampa was their concern more so than New Orleans and I expect that hasn’t change much

[ridingagain]

YB… You might try contacting Misty Morning Hounds. I believe they have members in that area. I moved down from Richmond, VA. Hard to find a place that can beat or even rival VA for horses. PM me if you want more info. I’m in the Sarasota area.

[yellowbritches]

[QUOTE=ridingagain;8372726]
YB… You might try contacting Misty Morning Hounds. I believe they have members in that area. I moved down from Richmond, VA. Hard to find a place that can beat or even rival VA for horses. PM me if you want more info. I’m in the Sarasota area.[/QUOTE]
I’m starting to think I need to come down and open my own barn! VA style boarding with the fabulous FL weather.

[Lrs2015]

I just moved to the area in July. I haven’t found anybody that I would trust my horses with. The facilities of most places are horrendous. I just started building my own barn so I can keep the horses at home myself. In the meantime I’ve been boarding the horses in Lutz which is 45 min to an hour away depending on traffic. The place is pretty decent but its not the greatest. I’m paying $800/month per horse.

Based on what is available in my area, 20 min east of Tampa, I’ve been seriously considering offering boarding once my place is done. The other problem I’ve had is a lot of the so called “nice” barns just never returned my calls. I have 3 horses and enjoy showing. It’s very discouraging when people can’t even be bothered to return a phone call when you’re trying to give them your business. I’ll probably end up trailering back to Ocala once or twice a month to get lessons from the trainer I had there.

[yellowbritches]

[QUOTE=Lrs2015;8373484]
I just moved to the area in July. I haven’t found anybody that I would trust my horses with. The facilities of most places are horrendous. I just started building my own barn so I can keep the horses at home myself. In the meantime I’ve been boarding the horses in Lutz which is 45 min to an hour away depending on traffic. The place is pretty decent but its not the greatest. I’m paying $800/month per horse.

Based on what is available in my area, 20 min east of Tampa, I’ve been seriously considering offering boarding once my place is done. The other problem I’ve had is a lot of the so called “nice” barns just never returned my calls. I have 3 horses and enjoy showing. It’s very discouraging when people can’t even be bothered to return a phone call when you’re trying to give them your business. I’ll probably end up trailering back to Ocala once or twice a month to get lessons from the trainer I had there.[/QUOTE]
You should let me know when your barn is done.

So, what is it that makes all these places so bad? Care, facilities? I’ve noticed that a lot of the places that come up on searches have lesson programs and/or offer trail rides. Is that what it is? All of the above? I am kinda curious if a small boarding place with quality care and no lesson mill would be something people would look for.

[Lrs2015]

I can’t speak to the lesson programs but most of the places I went to I didn’t even bother to go further than the entrance because they had sand pits for paddocks and falling down fence. There is a lot of water around here, swamps and lakes, so difficult to find place that doesn’t flood when it rains. We had an unusual amount of rain this summer so I saw a lot of horses standing in 3 feet of water. Places that had a little better facility wouldn’t do individual turnout. 10-15 horses all turned out in one big field. Other places that didn’t look too bad only had self care options. Most of what is available is trail ride and/or beginner lesson program types.

[FolsomBlues]

Windswept Farm - Kelly Rutland - http://www.windsweptfarmfl.com

Black Dog Farm - Beth Davidson - http://blackdogconnemaras.tripod.com

Annwyn Equestrian - Kathleen Mitchell - http://www.annwynequestriancenter.com