Choosing a place to live based on hunts, land But! not going broke?

[cavaliermax]

[QUOTE=Ballygrace;7036167]
We are making a similar search. leaving the Fredericksburg area and moving to a more rural and horse friendly area.

Does anyone know about the Mt. Sidney, VA area? There is a nice farm for sale there but we haven’t explored the area very much.

Ride out, how far to hunts, other horse folks in the area?

Thanks for any info.[/QUOTE]

I moved to the Valley ten years ago and will NEVER leave. I read that the several towns beginning with Mount (Mount Jackson, Mount Crawford, Mount Solon, Mount Syndey) were so named because one could get a fresh horse in these places while riding up or down the Valley before the railroad came.

The Virginia Horse Center is located in Lexington which hosts many shows and the Virginia Horse Trials and the Hunter Trials. There are many local Hunter shows throughout the summer. Not so many Jumper shows. I understand there is a strong 4-H presence also. I know some mounted gamers and there is the annual jousting tournament in Natural Chimneys Regional Park. This competition is the oldest continually held sporting event in the U.S.

The National Park and Forest system to the east and west offer nice trails and fire roads, though parking can be a pain at some of the trailheads. Many local landowners welcome riders, provided the riders respect the fact that the livestock, corn and hay fields are the farmer’s livelihood and not a horseback rider’s Disneyland.

There are two hunts near Staunton (Glenmore and Middlebrook) and one near Lexington (Rockbridge). Oak Ridge and Farmington are over the mountain near Charlottesville. All these hunts welcome guests and we would welcome you if you want to hunt with us at Glenmore.

Harrisonburg (The Friendly City) is nearby with JMU and a growing downtown district. Staunton’s downtown is even better with many nice restaurants and bars. Mary Baldwin College is also located there.

Best.

[Ware_Whip]

[QUOTE=awaywego;6979062]
No one has mentioned Pittsburgh area? The Sewickley Hunt is active, real estate is more reasonable than NoVa, and you can still do some showing if you wanted. At least when I was there, you could ride all over private properties in the area, hack from farm to farm - and Sewickley park even has a gravel trail you can hack on when footing is truly dicey. It’s actually all very close to downtown Pittsburgh too - much more do-able than the hunting hinterlands of Philadelphia or DC.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=mvp;6980164]My mind is open to Pittsburgh. But goshdolly, it’s far away from everything (but Ohio) on a map. I have been to the city one (cool), and I think Pittsburgh got a lot of press a few years back for being some kind of unexpected treasure of a city. Is that still so?

But from the more important horse angle: Aren’t board prices close to what you’d pay in the Northeast-- I mean on the Eastern Seaboard. I think I saw some unexpectedly high numbers posted here.

IMO, if you aren’t going to be near the East Coast, will deal with weather, then the cost of land/board had better be a major draw. You are right, though: It has to be cheaper than NoVA… but then again, so am I![/QUOTE] Shhhhhhhhhhhh! Pgh is a gem, and very well priced. You also have the choice of Hunting with Rolling Rock. Not sure what is going on with Saxonburg Hunt right now. They are not that far away from each other. Board here compared to surrounding areas is a bargain! Along with lush green pasture. I can not seem to make a proper paragraph, no matter what key I push, forgive me . Along with having great housing prices, Pittsburgh also has amazing museums , The Phipps , Our Science Center, National Aviary, World famous Symphony, great theater , a few ballet companies, and some very fine restaurants. There is a very nice horse community, and many choices of boarding barns. If you would like, I would be happy to send you some links. Again, I am sorry about the block of words, not sure what I am doing or not doing properly here!

[Prime_Time_Rider]

Pittsburgh may be a gem of a city (yes, I’ve been there) but the weather is absolutely dismal. IMO. Imagine cloudy, drizzle and low 40’s in October. Really.

[lms671]

I’m in the Lexington KY area & was wanting to get a bit more land…but acre for acre I found better deals in the Western PA area. I like the area I’m in now…but the area I’m thinking about is close to DC, Philly, MD, N. VA & all of their hunts too also it’s not too far from Fitchs Corner!

[RiderInTheRain]

I live and hunt in Southern IL. Both horse keeping and hunt dues are so inexpensive here that I am able to do this a on a very limited student budget. There is one registered pack and one farmer’s pack locally, so not a ton of different options, but I’m really enjoying the people I meet and the fixtures we hunt so far.

[GotMyPony]

I live and hunt in Southern IL.

Just curious - where are you in So Il? I had family in Metropolis and used to visit all the time as a kid…

[RiderInTheRain]

I live in Makanda, which is just south of Carbondale. The hunt kennels are in Herrin (east of Carbondale). I grew up primarily on the west coast, so was apprehensive about moving to the midwest, but I really love this part of IL - it absolutely beautiful with so many great opportunities for trail riding, hiking and other such outdoor activities.

[gottagrey]

Northern Virginia/Maryland - i.e. Loudoun, Faquier Counties in VA, Howard, Frederick, Mont Counties in MD; plus the areas mentioned near Baltimore. In the areas I mentioned in VA and MD, while pricey but you can find affordable options. From my house in MD I am in close proximity to (less than an hour) Howard County/Ironbridge, Goshen, Potomac, and New Market Middletown Hunts; and across the river would be Fairfax, Middleburg, Loudoun, Blue Ridge, Piedmont hunts to name a few.

[Equibrit]

[QUOTE=RutlandH2O;6934935]
High Leicestershire, England…major hunt country![/QUOTE]

She said not expensive !

[Equibrit]

Columbus/Newnan Ga is a horsey area. Midland, Bear Creek, Bellemead hunts are close, Aiken a bit further. Cost of living/horse keeping is lower and the weather is generally good. Thick with eventers and facilities.

[judybigredpony]

OP…what say you…??

[rhymeswithfizz]

Parker, CO: I am 15 minutes from the Arapahoe Hunt, 30 minutes from Bijou Springs Hunt, 15 minutes from the Colorado Horse Park, land is pretty inexpensive, over a dozen excellent trainers in various disciplines literally just down the road, my vet lives 2 doors down, I’m close to the racetrack (great access to OTTBs), we have lovely rolling hills with nice sandy footing, good schools for my kids, and I still have a grocery store and a mall within 10 minutes of my house. I have all the perks of living out in the country yet I can still commute to downtown Denver so I can keep a well-paying job (gotta pay for my habit). Hurry before everyone else figures it out and drives the prices up!

[linquest]

rhymeswithfizz- sounds fantastic!

[Painted_Wings]

We have a great hunt outside of St. Louis. The hunt owns 1400 acres of beautiful rolling hills with a large creek and bluffs and caves. We have both fox and coyote. We also have one of the best professional huntsmen around. Eleanor Hartwell, second generation huntsman. Also a great horsewoman. The hunt is far enough from St. Louis that you should be able to get a decent sized farm at a reasonable price. We also have several very good veterinary clinics and aren’t too far from the University of Missouri Veterinary Hospital.

[csb]

Hi, I grew up in Woodside in the 60’s and 70’s as well. What a great place and time ! After living briefly in Lexington Ky the Howard Co, MD we are now delighted to be in Tryon, NC.