I’m at a cool and scary crossroads in my life where I could choose to live just about anywhere.
But! That doesn’t mean not working. It does mean choosing a place where keeping horses is feasible. And! I think I’m done with making showing (drugged) hunters the focus. I want to revert to field hunting as my thing.
Where would you send me?
VA
Many different hunts to choose from.
The highest density of hunts is in N Va, and that area is a bit crowded, but I’m sure there are pockets that are more economically feasible than others.
Northern Maryland
Hunts galore in Carroll, Montgomery, Baltimore, and Harford counties in Maryland–and all commutable to Baltimore City.
You could bankrupt yourself buying a farm or boarding here, but you definitely don’t have to…
How much of a ‘thing’ do you want it to be? And, I’m afraid, you’ll need to define ‘feasible’.
If you want lots and lots of hunt options, you’re looking at specific geographic areas with a high concentration of hunts. If you’re looking to get out for a few hours every weekend because you’ll be 9-to-5-ing it all week, a lot more of the country (and areas with relatively cheap land and hay) can go on the list.
Also, what kind of hunt do you prefer? Hunts with coyote and lots of wide-open spaces are probably going to be a wee bit different from riding in smaller, trappy fixtures.
Bumping this up because in three more years when my youngest goes to college we could move anywhere too. I love living in our town but it’s too expensive to justify once we don’t have a kid in the school system.
I’ve been thinking Aiken . . .
I have a neat OTTB hunt horse that’s cat like and brave. He’d hunt in almost any territory but I’m getting a bit chicken and don’t want to jump the big fences any more.
Thanks for your replies!
Answering your questions helps me get clarity, too.
What kind of hunting? I’d be psyched with territories not ridiculously spread out such that hunting usually involved an overnight stay. My hope is to eventually be able to hunt twice a week. A big deal is access to enough land where I live to do the conditioning for that-- think of places with trail systems, friendly landowners and a tradition of sharing rights-of-way, national forests and such.
Other things I want: A horse community with some depth of knowledge. I’d like good farriers (especially) and good vets, though I don’t need every one of them to be a high-end lameness guru.
I grew up hunting with the Los Altos Hounds, so I’d be satisfied with that kind of hunting, though coyotes and fast drag hunts don’t do it for me. Also, I’m good with a few rowdy alcoholics there primarily for social scene, but I really a hunt to be more than that; (I think most are). As a kid, I worshipped some old ladies who rode nice horses and rode well. Now I want to become one of those.
I got to live in Woodside, CA and Bedford, NY for a bit of time each and I loved those horse meccas. I want that but not the bill to go with it. Sigh. Or gimme what you got that’s similar or unexpected.
High Leicestershire, England…major hunt country!
Virginia - either Northern VA or near Charlottesville.
Maryland - near Baltimore
Pennsylvania - near Philadelphia (although this is more $$)
Hartford county MD or more affordable Cecil County close to Route One out by Rising Sun MD…why…LOW taxes still open space and from there you can be in Upperville Va 2 hours…or in closer all MD hunts, PA Cheshire or Radnor or River Hills…NJ hunts and even DE…Fair Hill for hacking out and all of Unionville…Hunting, Paperchases, Point to Points, Eventing, schooling shows all over the place…Plus for OTTB lovers there’s a full spectrum of All Thoroughbred Shows. You can t beat the Veterinary quality and amount of well staffed and technically supports clinics and clinicians…farriers skies the limit once you network to see who will suit you best.
Local hay and straw as well as several auctions. Feed all major brands from Purina to Cavalor as well as Local Milled products. Trailer dealers and service facilities and Bartville Tach shop as well as Bit of Britain and Dover plus a never ending list of others. Close enough to Middleburg for tack shopping also. Resources for OTTB if your in need of more horses …
[QUOTE=judybigredpony;6936283]
Hartford county MD or more affordable Cecil County close to Route One out by Rising Sun MD…why…LOW taxes still open space and from there you can be in Upperville Va 2 hours…or in closer all MD hunts, PA Cheshire or Radnor or River Hills…NJ hunts and even DE…Fair Hill for hacking out and all of Unionville…Hunting, Paperchases, Point to Points, Eventing, schooling shows all over the place…Plus for OTTB lovers there’s a full spectrum of All Thoroughbred Shows.[/QUOTE]
That sounds like da bomb! Give me great farriers and I’d be pretty happy.
So are these counties culturally “mid-Atlantic”-- like Western PA? More like the Kinda-(Not Deep) South? Way provincial because it’s rural?
I have family members to consider who care about more than enough land and competent farriers. (I know: Why?)
Well you can be in DC in 90 minutes if you need the Museums…or Philly in 60 as well as Baltimore in 45 or Harrisburg in 75. All from me close to 95 just outside of Rising Sun. For $75. Year I buy. MD Park Pass and can use MD Park…mostly Fair Hill…for all the riding hacking hiking you will ever need.
Wilmington De is close and have active theater community and of course DE is TAX FREE shopping…Longwood Gardens Wintertur museums. DE Art museum…I could fill a book on places to go and things to do NOT Horse Related…Cultural Historical Artisitc, Sports, aeronautical and river or ocean boating…skeet archery deer hunting water fowl fishing …pick a passion non horsey from ocean to Mountain it can be easily had…and NY City is a very do able day trip…
Woot for MD and the mid-atlantic!
Now don’t tell anybody.
I agree with the Mid-Atlantic (although I also love VA)! If you don’t have to be in striking distance of one of the big cities it can be affordable. We were lucky enough to find a small, affordable place just outside of Unionville (I hack all of 5 minutes to hunt), but land is very dear in much of Chester County. So being a bit outside the high-cost areas can still put you within close striking distance of a lot of hunts and other equine activities. Culturally (at least here) it is kind of a transition zone between Philly and central PA, so it is mixed.
Thank you for asking this, mvp
I am also very interested in responses to this question.
In the Rising Sun area that was mentioned, are there community trail systems other than in the parks (Fair Hill)?
I have read that Tryon, NC has a great network of trails and hunts. Anybody familiar with that area?
[QUOTE=cgn38;6936718]
I am also very interested in responses to this question.
In the Rising Sun area that was mentioned, are there community trail systems other than in the parks (Fair Hill)?
I have read that Tryon, NC has a great network of trails and hunts. Anybody familiar with that area?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, let’s talk about Southern versions of the same thing. What’s in NC that fill the bill?
Anywhere else I haven’t thought of?
What I mean is, are the “usual suspect” horse places, the ones you have heard of just “horse with alotta money”? Or are they a head-and-shoulders above other similar places that lack bling and mcmansions, but not important infrastructure like farriers and land?
The Lexington, KY area has three hunts, one which has Shaker Village as a fixture. Nashville has access to several still, I believe and Franklin, TN is a horse hotbed. For Rural but excellent hunting there is South Georgia–Midland and Bear Creek. Tallahassee, FL is within a relatively short haul to Live Oak.
[QUOTE=mvp;6936821]
Yeah, let’s talk about Southern versions of the same thing. What’s in NC that fill the bill?
Anywhere else I haven’t thought of?
What I mean is, are the “usual suspect” horse places, the ones you have heard of just “horse with alotta money”? Or are they a head-and-shoulders above other similar places that lack bling and mcmansions, but not important infrastructure like farriers and land?[/QUOTE]
I’m about 10 minutes from JBRP, in Harford County-- I don’t think there are really non park public riding trail areas in Harford/ Cecil although depending on your neighbors you might be able to hack around the edges of their cornfields etc. There are a lot of farms still but it’s not quite like Unionville or parts of NoVa where riding/ hunting is more part of the social scene. (Near the Harford County/ Baltimore County line where Elkridge Harford hunts is more like that, but it’s also way pricier.) Lots of people have a couple horses in their yard, fewer big fancy horse farms although there are Hilltop Farm (dressage) and several huge racehorse farms.
The people tend to be nice and friendly but pretty conservative-- mix of farmers, military, and middle class suburban commuters. You basically have to drive into a city if you want Thai food or independent movies or non- chain shopping or clubs.
NOT Northern VA as it’s now one of the most expensive areas of the country. I love it here, but prices will never drop much because of proximity to DC and the threat of development continuing to encroach on riding territory is ever-present. There are much cheaper places for what you’re looking for. You’re within striking distance of a hunt just about anywhere else in Virginia though. Agree with Charlottesville. Richmond (City) seems nice and affordable, but not sure about the horse scene around there.
I would do Aiken SC in a heartbeat, at least from Nov through March. Too hot for me the rest of the time. Worth a visit at the very least. Also, lots of folks I know do their winter hunting in Southern Pines NC area as well…
Not “way provincial” at all. While you may find pockets that are a bit more rural the area as a whole is too close to DC, Philly, Baltimore, & NY to not be influenced. Newark DE is a great town with plenty to do on a budget.
As far as farriers go there are a number of very good ones in the area. Same with dentists and vets.
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