We are considering relocating to the Columbus area. We are thinking of having a boarding operation in addition to our own horses. Ideally we could find a trainer who wants to bring his/her business, or boarders could have their own trainer come for lessons. I am a H/J and dressage rider but an eventing barn could work too. I know the proximity to WEC and Lexington, KY, so there are definitely events nearby. Is there a need for a nice facility (indoor, barn with all amenities, good turnout) in the area? How much is full board at existing barns? Any info would be helpful. Thanks!
Actually more H/J training barns have gone out of business then started up lately and the number of trainers has shrunk. WEC has been good but also consolidated even the lower level novice classes into their rated and unrated shows at the expense of the locals. Hard to find any half day, show out of the trailer experiences to introduce newbies to the sport. KHP is multi day rated shows only and it’s about 3.5 hours each way, add up to an hour if you are coming from the north side.
Full service board with indoor, turn out plus things show horse owners expect would be very hard to find under about 850 within easy commuting distance. Be aware it’s a big area and location effects what you can charge. On the plus side, pasture does well and supports grass March through late Sept. More trouble with ice then snow in winter but usually safely turn out at least half the time in winter, only Dec and Jan are particularly bad on average.
Know there’s some Eventers around, no idea on costs there. Just be really careful, visit the area and use a RE agent familiar with what horse businesses need.
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Born and raised in Cbus here, moved to Florida two years ago but keeping in contact with Ohio horse friends.
Yes, several barns have closed doors in the last year or two, but a couple new ones have opened as well. With the growth of the New Albany Beauty Park and Google opening up a data center, along with tons of other growth in the area, traffic is getting crazy and land is getting expensive, therefore so is hay, and so is board. When I left two years ago, you could get full board at a decent facility for ~$400-450/month (not including training or anything extra). Nicer facilities ran $600+. I’ve heard it’s much higher now, with those same decent facilities running $550+. Indoor arenas are basically a must in Columbus, even the not-so-awesome barns will have at least a small one. I was told a few weeks ago hay is around $8/bale now (was $4-5 when I left). Still no where near what it is here in Florida, but I know that’s a big jump for everyone up there.
Even still, there’s about a billion (overexaggeration, yes) H/J and western barns in the area. There’s a handful of dressage barns, and about zero Eventing barns/eventing trainers within a few hours that I know of, and that was always the gripe I heard from my friends, who all focus on eventing (I just did jumpers, and here in Florida have switched to dressage). Redtail has Ellie MacPhail, but she’s at their second farm in Florida more often than not, I think, and doesn’t have very much time for clients even when she is in Ohio (that I’ve heard, anyway). But, there’s TONS of adult amateurs that like to do the lower levels at the Heritage schooling shows and other nearby horse trials, so if you want to open a farm, gearing towards eventers with an eventing trainer might get you the most interest fastest.
Turn out in the area is crap, even at barns with plenty of turn out space available. Most of the existing barns say “daily turn out, weather permitting” which basically means no turn out from November to June except maybe an hour in the indoor arena a few times per week. It starts with ice and cold and snow, then all that melts and then it starts raining and you have knee deep (or deeper) mud. So, if you can build some all-weather dry lots and actually be able to turn horses out for several hours a day all year long, you’d be a huge stand-out.
Having made the drive a few times, Columbus to the KHP is closer to 2.5 hours. WEC North is about an hour. Locally there is Brave Horse, a new show facility that opened a few years ago, with A and B shows I believe (H/J). Split Rock also does a stop on their tour there now. There’s several schooling show series that local H/J barns put on, Heritage Farm puts on a mini trial schooling series, and there’s a couple dressage schooling series as well.
Yes re: turn out! If you can offer good turn out, people will flock to you. mmeq gave you good info.
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Thank you everyone that has weighed in so far. Your input is much appreciated. Turnout is a priority for us, so that is non-negotiable.
I’m also in the Columbus area. I’ve boarded my horse at three different barns within the last three years (2 years at a great barn that eventually closed, 6 months at another, and currently at a barn with great amenities), so I’ve been able to check out quite a few facilities around the area. From all the farm tours I’ve been on, I can tell you a few things:
Ӣ There are a lot of backyard barns with limited services and small indoor arenas charging $500ish for board, which seems high to me, considering that nicer facilities with full board options also tend to start at $500 and go up into the $700-800/month range depending on the barn. Nicer H/J facilities run in the higher end of that range, and many have service contracts that require boarders to participate in lessons or training programs. Personally, I veer away from barns that require such contracts.
”¢ Turnout varies depending on the weather. We tend to have very wet springs here, so we’re lucky to turn out a few hours a day during rainy season. Night turnout is a popular option here during the summer.
”¢ The H/J community here is established, especially in the Johnstown/New Albany areas. As a former hunter rider dabbling in eventing, I can tell you that the eventing community here is small but growing (and very enthusiastic!). There is a lot of interest in low-level eventing, but a lack of facilities that offer XC schooling opportunities. Heritage pretty much has the monopoly on open XC schooling in the area, and it’s a nice course that draws in people from all over the area for the mini-trial schooling shows.
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I’ve been in Columbus for just about 10 years now, the last 5-6 of which I’ve spent riding and showing on the Hunter/Jumper circuit. I’d agree with most of what is said above – turnout is very important to a lot of owners and it’s not always the easiest thing to find. The weather here can make it challenging in terms of ice and rain throughout the winter and spring. There also aren’t very many facilities that allow outside trainers to come in, as well as few hunter/jumper facilities that don’t have a minimum monthly lesson charge.
Shows in the area would be Brave Horse (hunter/jumper, dressage), Eden Park (hunter/jumper, dressage, western) and Heritage (combined tests/eventing), as well as number of well-attended hunter paces and foxhunting through Rocky Fork. Delaware County Fairgrounds used to host shows, but the facility has gone downhill drastically in the last 2 years and I believe no much is hosted there now (all moving to Brave Horse and Eden Park). Country Heir in Fayetteville is also not too far (hunter/jumper shows), depending on what side of town you’re located in.
The Columbus area has a lot of suburbs and the clientele you attract will vary in terms of discipline and cost depending on what area you choose.
If you’d like to chat more, feel free to PM me 
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Thanks everyone! Brutus614 I might take you up on that.
The Kentucky Hunter Jumper Association and Ohio Hunter Jumper Associations will have oodles of show listings for local shows.
Actually, there are several unrated half-day and multiday shows at KHP including the so-called “Local Days” held during the KY Spring and Summer and Country Heir shows – usually a Tuesday. The Robert Murphy Show and the KHJA Fall Classic are examples of multi-day unrated shows at KHP.
Near Lexington is also Lakeside Arena that hosts a monthly weekend H/J show recognized by both the KHJA/OHJA, which is actually two separate single day shows (one on Saturday and another on Sunday). Many people stick around for just one of those days
There’s a group on FB called Ohio Horse Boarding and it seems like most of their postings are in central ohio. As others have mentioned, Brave Horse and WEC are both in the area, with KHP not too far away. Also about 2.5 hours, in the summer, there’s the Chagrin Classic up in the polo fields near Cleveland.
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I would not exactly call the KHP or Lakeside “in the area” for more novice riders in Columbus looking for cheap, easy non rated, non overnight show experiences. What’s left of that circuit rarely has anything above 2’6” if that and there’s less then half as many as there were 10 years ago. Windfall was still running last I knew, northeast side of Cincy, they were getting some Columbus folks who dont want to go to WEC for their non rated shows.
Same thing is happening in other regions, shows are consolidating to fewer, larger venues, barns that used to host shows don’t or have closed up and horses that can handle 3’ on up are too expensive for more casual exhibitors. It’s really changed the environment.
