Thank you all for the important, first-hand knowledge-we appreciate it so much. I’ve printed it off for DH to read. 
He got a phone call about the Jackson, WY job, and is getting us flown there end of October/beginning of November to check out the area, but still up in the air as to whether or not we’ll take it…
So, what areas of the ‘western states’ ARE positive for an equine business like such? Anything? We’ve got the ‘moving bug’ now, so to speak, and are ready for a change of lifestyle/weather,…
To add, we’ve accepted the fact that I will have to leave my ‘at home clinic’ business to travel for business…whether it be across towns or across the US to FL for a few months, every year. But, I would like to be able to still offer Aquatread work if it would be accepted and utilized in the area…otherwise it’s a large piece of un-useable eye candy,…haha.
Ok,…out of curiosity-anyone from or currently living in the Jackson, WY (or directly surrounding areas)? Would love to PM about the area-possible visit or meet during our visit up there.
I think we’ve already told you what area is positive for an equine business: Parker/Franktown/Castle Rock. Perhaps Boulder. If you are offering Aquatread, you will likely have customers all up and down the front range, from Colo Springs to Fort Collins.
A quick peek at google for Jackson Hole boarding barns yields very little. I would not expect much of a market there, but perhaps I’d be surprised. People go there to ski, not to ride
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To add, we’ve accepted the fact that I will have to leave my ‘at home clinic’ business to travel for business…whether it be across towns or across the US to FL for a few months, every year. But, I would like to be able to still offer Aquatread work if it would be accepted and utilized in the area…otherwise it’s a large piece of un-useable eye candy,…haha.[/QUOTE]
Aquatread? You do realize you are moving to an area where it freezes hard - ponds (the very few) freeze to the bottom, you can drive trucks on them - for several months a year?
Outdoor public pools open in May and close in September. You’ll have to have a solidly engineered indoor facility, and water will be a major management concern through the freezing months as the ground can freeze deep in some years.
What part of the country are you moving from? What’s your experience with this sort of climate?
Wherever you end up … There are horse people everywhere. Keep an open mind about what you can offer, adapt to the local situation, and I’m sure you’ll find something that will do fine. 
Thanks all. Like I mentioned, anyone in the Jackson area, I would love to talk to you (PM me if you like) about the area.
I would move based on other preferences than whether you can have your business in any of the areas you are targeting. I would not move if your husband’s job can’t cover all the expenses because, in all honesty, I think what you want to do will be a hard path to follow where you want to go.
Because I know someone who wanted to do rehab. picked a place that was about two hours drive and some major traffic from any metropolitan area with barns that might support such an endeavor, and coming from the east, didn’t quite understand the mentality out west, they had to give it up. And that area was way, way more likely than where you are going. Most people keep their horses at home and to a large extent, will do their own thing with a vets help.
You might partner with a vet clinic somewhere and see if your services would be used on haul ins. Otherwise, you are talking a lot of driving and expenses that probably won’t be covered by your income. What is the going rate on a vet call, just the call to get the vet out? That might give you some idea of the expenses involved.
Even if you could have an aquatread at your facility, you are talking about people hauling in or boarding a horse at your place to use it. I don’t think that’s likely to happen very much in the areas you mention. It would be more likely that the people would just walk their horses in a safe river or pond somewhere when they’re not frozen, as haul 40-100 miles to use one.
It’s a good service you want to provide. I just would not expect to make much of a living off it where you’re going. It’s not like there are 5-acre farmettes all around with a lot of people interested in showing.
I used to live in SE Idaho, just over an hour from Jackson. I am in a gallery there now and go out once or twice a year. Real estate is prohibitively expensive but it’s one of my favorite places in the world.
I do have horsey friends there, I’m happy to give you some contacts. C.Quito (sire of my yearling) lives there, well, just over the pass into Idaho, and a good friend of mine is his trainer.
I have no interest in horse keeping in those winters anymore or I would find a way to live there, happy to pm you.
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So, what areas of the ‘western states’ ARE positive for an equine business like such? Anything? We’ve got the ‘moving bug’ now, so to speak, and are ready for a change of lifestyle/weather,…:D[/QUOTE]
This is ranch country. Horses are tools. Performance horses don’t really account for much out here. The aquatread with which I am familiar was +$100k to install (heated building for use from Oct-Apri). The Wiesses had a rehab facility in Jackson. I think it went belly up as nobody used it. They sold the place to a reining outfit.
Every area you are looking requires LONG travel times to get to the performance horse market. Craig CO is a mining town. Pure blue collar with a few rich refugees spread about. Jackson is rich, but again, ranch horses or other western disciplines. Not much in terms of special treatments.
Also, get used to driving HUGE distances just to get to an airport (or be prepared to pay extra to fly from the little places to the national airports). We get used to a 8 hour drive is “easy” for a show, e.g. the closest competition to my home is 70 miles away (about an 1.5 hours), the next is Santa Fe, NM, 6 hours. Jackson is 8.
