Florida help!

[ThoroughbredLuver]

So I am moving to the Wellington/Loxahatchee area of Florida! Would love any tips/tricks or comments!

I have always lived North, currently in Ohio and would love to know anything about living in southern Florida. I am buying property so my horses will be with me, so anything related to buying hay/ bulk shavings, what hay to buy and stay away from (interested in peanut hay, know to stay away from coastal), best manure remover, tips for handling heat/bacteria and fungus/flies, good hunter/jumper trainers, etc. We may end up with a place that we will build an arena so best base/footing for outdoor arena. I’m not a huge fan of GGT so looking to stay away from synthetic if possible!

I know this is super vague, but literally interested in anything anyone has to say about their experience year round in Florida. Any knowledge here would be helpful!

[MHM]

Be very careful to buy property that is high and dry. It will be worth it to have good drainage for the paddocks and arena, and the horses will be less likely to have skin problems if they are not standing around in wet ground all the time.

[StormyDay]

• Be prepared for summer. It is very hot and rainy. Make sure your arena drains very, very well if you plan on riding in the summer.
• Hay is much more expensive, expect to pay 20$ a bale in Wellington. Some people get together and pay for a truckload of hay to be shipped in which brings down the price to more like 10-13$ a bale.
• You will have access to great vets and farriers but they can cost an arm and a leg. Finding a farrier who is not 500$ a set during the winter season can be challenging.
• The Tackeria is heaven for horse people
• You can actually put the manure in yard waste and the garbage people will haul it away. Ask for a second can.
• You will find no shortage of good trainers down there, though some of them do leave in the summer. More and more are making Florida their home base though
• A covered arena is a lifesaver in the summer there. If you can afford it, do it.
  -It can get cold, keep some medium and light weights
• If I was to build a barn there, I would have the ability to A/C the whole thing if need be. It is absolutely miserable when it is 100 degrees and 95% humidity, and some horses really struggle, so it is a benefit to be able to A/C them too when they need it.
• I never had too many issues with bugs and fungus, but I know that some horses suffer from Florida sores and basically the only way to get rid of them is the send them up north for a winter to let it heal.
  -If the property has a lot of old oak trees, it’s probably higher than the surrounding area and doesn’t flood.

[lenapesadie]

We feed perennial peanut hay like alfalfa hay. You do not want the annual peanut hay. There is a university published behavior showing that perennial peanut hay has a similar nutritional profile to alfalfa. Horses love it too. It’s often the same price or cheaper than grass hay. I’ve been feeding coastal Bermuda for 15 years without a problem. You can get bahaia too, which isn’t as fine if you are worried about impaction colic. Bahaia / Bermuda mix is usually available which may be a good option. Rye hay is also available locally. I don’t care for it as I find it is usually dusty and often baled for cattle (I suspect it is sugary too, but that is a suspicion not a scientific fact). With all local hay, your primary concern will be was it baled dry. It rains so frequently in the summer that damp/moldy hay is something to be carefully guarded against.

To be sure, the only times I have seen situations where Bermuda is a problem horses were left on pasture too long in fall without supplemental hay and then Bermuda round bales were put out. Horses gorged themselves.

Good luck!

[NoSuchPerson]

I kept horses in Florida for most of the last 20 years. I fed Coastal Bermuda for all of that time and never had any problems. The problems with coastal are less to do with the hay itself and more to do with management issues. There are other factors in Florida life that are bigger colic/impaction problems, e.g. the sandy soil, parasite problems. You have to make sure that you’re buying good quality coastal - hay making anywhere in the humid, rainy summer, southeast presents unique moisture-management challenges, like mold and mildew. Coastal can also be very fine, depending on when the producer cut hay, but I never had any problem buying less fine cuttings - in this respect, a knowledgeable honest hay dealer is essential. I was lucky enough to have one for most of the years I had horses in Florida - I nearly cried when he announced his retirement.

If money is no object, yes, by all means, truck in good grass hay from up north or out west. At my local feed store when I lived in Florida, they pretty much always had good quality orchard grass or some kind of orchard or timothy mix. It was just a lot more expensive than coastal.

And yes, perennial peanut is great hay. I had a friend that feed perennial peanut exclusively. Horses love it and as @lenapesadie said, it’s very close to alfalfa nutritionally.

Fly/insect control is something that you need to be especially vigilant about in Florida, especially south Florida in the summer (i.e. April-October at a minimum). Ditto all the varieties of skin crud. I had a lot of trouble with one of my horses in the summer getting crusty sores up under his front legs where they meet the body. Sweat and rain would keep that area constantly damp. I live in a cooler, drier area now and he has never had any problems with that since we moved, even though he lives outside.

If you’re going to build a barn, determine the prevailing summer wind direction and orient the barn so that the breeze (when you have one) will blow down the aisle.

Like others have already said, be sure you find property that is high and dry. I have no specific recommendations about arena footing, but drainage is everything.

In other “if money is no object” recommendations - a covered arena is something you will be thankful for almost every day during the summer, as is an air-conditioned tack room.

[ThoroughbredLuver]

Thank you all so much for the comments so far! High and dry lot is the first and foremost concern. I know so many parts particularly in loxahatchee have spots that are awkward flooded. Most of the places we have looked at have been specially configured for drainage.

I am much less worried about costal hay now! I am very interested in finding peanut hay. Sounds like it could be a good thing to add to the feeding rotation. I also like the idea of shipping hay in if it doesn’t get too pricey. I wouldn’t say money is no object, but I will cut costs where necessary in order to make sure my horses can be fed appropriately.

What exactly does everyone do for keeping fungus away? I am nervous about summer sores. Does continuous body clipping help? Do you have to towel dry completely after hosing? I think I’m going to hate summer as I already so in Ohio anyways :lol:

[MHM]

@ThoroughbredLuver

What exactly does everyone do for keeping fungus away? I am nervous about summer sores. Does continuous body clipping help? Do you have to towel dry completely after hosing? I think I’m going to hate summer as I already so in Ohio anyways :lol:

I think the most important part to keep the fungus away is keeping the horse in a clean environment. Personally, I like to keep the legs clipped so they will dry faster. Putting a horse with wet legs out in a paddock or in a stall is the quickest way to develop skin problems. If the legs are clipped, the horse will dry in a few minutes on cross ties in front of a fan, especially if you towel dry them a bit first.

I have only been to Florida in the summer a few times, but it was pretty brutal. It can get plenty hot in the late winter, but I was still shocked the first time I went in June. Many people seem to ride or work the horses very early in the morning before it gets super hot. I’ve never seen an air-conditioned barn, but it’s certainly a good idea to have good, safe fans mounted in every stall.

[nzoom13]

In my experience, and depending on your management of the property, the bugs can be awful. The BO I’m with (not for long) does not manage her property like I prefer so things like flies, gnats, and mosquitoes are a huge problem. I like to fly spray daily, and keep fly masks on at least during the day. If the no-see-ums are bad I have a super fine mesh one I may put on at night. Definitely keep watering areas clean and don’t leave any standing water if you can avoid it as the mosquitoes can be really bad and I hate giving them more places to breed. I’ve found supplements like Solitude do help with flies as do fly predators. Spiders are your friends, please do not kill harmless ones. I also like to walk pastures to check for fire ants and keep dex on hand in case someone rolls in a nest…my gelding did that once and it was horrible.
It has been my general experience that bermudagrass hay (provided it is horse quality, no mold no excessive dust etc.) varieties generally do not cause problems especially if fed in conjunction with another hay and as long as the horses have access to fresh, clean water. You can get a courser variety of hay such as Tifton which may be less likely to cause a problem. Compressed alfalfa or O/A blocks tend to be available too, some people love them some don’t, to each their own in that area!
Overall Wellington is a great area to be in, you’ll have access to all the resources you need and with good property management you and your horses should not have any problems settling in!
Oh and stay away from peanut shavings, they mold ridiculously easily and attract roaches like nobodies business.

[ThoroughbredLuver]

@nzoom13

In my experience, and depending on your management of the property, the bugs can be awful. The BO I’m with (not for long) does not manage her property like I prefer so things like flies, gnats, and mosquitoes are a huge problem. I like to fly spray daily, and keep fly masks on at least during the day. If the no-see-ums are bad I have a super fine mesh one I may put on at night. Definitely keep watering areas clean and don’t leave any standing water if you can avoid it as the mosquitoes can be really bad and I hate giving them more places to breed. I’ve found supplements like Solitude do help with flies as do fly predators. Spiders are your friends, please do not kill harmless ones. I also like to walk pastures to check for fire ants and keep dex on hand in case someone rolls in a nest…my gelding did that once and it was horrible.
It has been my general experience that bermudagrass hay (provided it is horse quality, no mold no excessive dust etc.) varieties generally do not cause problems especially if fed in conjunction with another hay and as long as the horses have access to fresh, clean water. You can get a courser variety of hay such as Tifton which may be less likely to cause a problem. Compressed alfalfa or O/A blocks tend to be available too, some people love them some don’t, to each their own in that area!
Overall Wellington is a great area to be in, you’ll have access to all the resources you need and with good property management you and your horses should not have any problems settling in!
Oh and stay away from peanut shavings, they mold ridiculously easily and attract roaches like nobodies business.

Thank you for the shaving tip - I would have never even thought of that. If feasible, my plan is to get kool kurtains for windows and door ways. In conjunction with a fly spray system, I am hoping this will help keep bugs down as well. Depending on the property, I am hoping manure will be far enough away from the barn and will definitely be looking into fly predators. I will also be working full time outside of the horse industry, so early morning or late rides will be my regular schedule for riding. Hopefully less buggy and cooler weather for the hot months.

[AnastasiaBeaverhousen]

You may want to consider putting in a generator that runs on propane.

They are expensive but I believe it would be worth every penny if you do have a hurricane pass close to you.

You want one that is tied into your power so that it will automatically come on if there is an interruption in service.

You may also want to look into digging your own well, that has a source of backup power.

You may never need it, but Florida COThers know what it feels like to try and get water after a hurricane.

Yes these are expensive but if you can afford them I would do it.

Aiso, we are getting into hurricane season so do some research about evacuation routes and sites that take horses.

Again the Florida COTHers will know.

[equest]

@AnastasiaBeaverhousen

You may also want to look into digging your own well, that has a source of backup power.

You may never need it, but Florida COThers know what it feels like to try and get water after a hurricane.

I believe much of the area OP is considering is on well water - it’s a good recommendation about backup power for the well. We are in central FL now (used to be in SE Florida) and my BO has to hook up a generator to the well pump when we lose power.

I’m pretty sure that Wellington has some very stringent city regulations for manure disposal/removal - check into these. Loxahatchee is unincorporated Palm Beach County so check with the County for zoning and manure related regulations.

I highly recommend shopping for horse property in August since that is usually the wettest time of the year. This holds true pretty much anywhere in central to south Florida (except for Ocala which is hilly).

Ventilation and fans in the barn is crucial. A cinder block barn is the gold standard for hurricane resistance.

[Mersidoats]

It will get HOT. Like, you think you know what hot is, but then you get to June and you melt. Night turnout is your friend. Flysheets are your friend. Fans and misters are your friend. If you are south, it gets hot in April. And stays hot until October/November.

Try to find a property that has some shade - you will be grateful for it and so will your horses.

Consider hurricane-proofing your barn if you can afford it. I’m talking roll-down metal shutters and doors. You will sleep better during hurricane season.

I love having a well on the property. Even if I lose power, I can hook up a generator and water everyone and take a shower. Some wells are a bit sulfer-y, others are not. Depends on where you are.

If you stay on top of grooming and treating and covering booboos, you can avoid summer sores. But you have to stay ON TOP OF IT. I keep a lot of alu-shield spray on hand to coat scratches and cuts to keep flies out. The horses with more “delicate” skin live in fly sheets and fly boots - or standing wraps sometimes, if the flies really bother them. Whatever keeps them from stomping themselves sore. No matter how much poison I throw around, the flies never really go away.

If you shop around, you can find hay to ship in that is relatively affordable. You can go in on a load with a few people - I’ve found hay that equals to about $9-$11 per bale after shipping - but you really have to look and call around.

Some horses stop sweating when they get down here. The heat and humidity can be a shock to them. Give them time to adjust to the new weather before pushing them hard. Some never adjust. On super hot days, I ride before the sun is up, or as the sun is setting (no covered arena).

[ThoroughbredLuver]

Great recommendation on barns! That is something we have actually considered and decided early on we aren’t looking to buy property that doesn’t have a CBS barn or if we build it will be CBS. We also did decide we want a generator for both house and barn. Air condiditoned tack room is a must for me as well to keep tack in good shape. from my understanding an air conditioned feed room to store hay is best also? I hear most people do not buy large shipments of hay at one time. I only have 2 horses, maybe will get a third, but I do want some boarders or people to rent stalls for a season so I know hay quantities will vary.

Trees have also been a big thing for me looking at property. One thing I have noticed (this may be a stupid observation) but many barns have swing stall doors as opposed to sliding on a track. Is there a particular reason for this, or just what was put on the stall? In Ohio is uncommon to not have a sliding stall door. If we build I want metal mesh slide doors for max air flow.

As far as sweating goes, I do know that is a big concern that horses stop sweating. Is there anything you can do as a preventive for this? I know there are meds for treatment, but aside from just not pushing too hard in the beginning is there any other good practices to help prevent this? I will be having my vet here give me run down on things I should do for the well-being of the horses like different vaccines for the area, sand colic precautions, and anything else he can recommend.

I appreciate everyone’s comments thus far. So much of this has eased my nerves about the change in environment.

[Libby416]

Grew up in SoFla, so can help you with whatever you need.

Everyone makes good points about the property and barns. Make sure you find something high and dry, because when rainy season comes and your property is wet, turnout is a no go. It’ll become a breeding ground for mosquitos and wet grass/soil is the perfect environment for Florida funk.

Getting something hurricane proof would definitely be a plus, because things happen very fast in hurricane season. When all the spaghetti models are going away, and the one single line going right over your farm becomes the projected path, you are going to want some peace of mind.

It is hot. Like very hot. Like you should not ride or go outside hot. Night turnout is great, but some horses just don’t want to be out all night with the bugs. Fly sheets are a necessity but add heat. An AC barn isn’t really practical, unless you want a huge electricity bill. Making sure you have a well built barn, built in the right direction for cross breezes, and good outdoor rated fans are must haves. There really isn’t a way to prevent anhydrous, but making sure the horses have a reprieve from the heat is essential.

Summer sores are avoidable, as long as you have a good plan for flies, and you keep your horses/environment clean and dry. It really is all about fly management. If you leave out one wheelbarrow of dirty manure one night, your fly pop will soar. Keeping the horses legs clipped is helpful, because it helps you keep their legs cleaner and dry quicker.

A well sloped ring is important if you want to be able to ride all year round. And good ring maintenance equipment as well.

Hay is always a hot topic of debate in SoFla for some reason. I always needed a straight timothy for my mare with sweating issues. ended up costing me around $35 a bale for a nice heavy three string. It is hard to find consistent hay sometimes so you may have to shop around.

Overall it’s fun if you want to be close to the horseshow. The heat got to me though and I finally left FL. :lol:

[ThoroughbredLuver]

@Libby416

Grew up in SoFla, so can help you with whatever you need.

Everyone makes good points about the property and barns. Make sure you find something high and dry, because when rainy season comes and your property is wet, turnout is a no go. It’ll become a breeding ground for mosquitos and wet grass/soil is the perfect environment for Florida funk.

Getting something hurricane proof would definitely be a plus, because things happen very fast in hurricane season. When all the spaghetti models are going away, and the one single line going right over your farm becomes the projected path, you are going to want some peace of mind.

It is hot. Like very hot. Like you should not ride or go outside hot. Night turnout is great, but some horses just don’t want to be out all night with the bugs. Fly sheets are a necessity but add heat. An AC barn isn’t really practical, unless you want a huge electricity bill. Making sure you have a well built barn, built in the right direction for cross breezes, and good outdoor rated fans are must haves. There really isn’t a way to prevent anhydrous, but making sure the horses have a reprieve from the heat is essential.

Summer sores are avoidable, as long as you have a good plan for flies, and you keep your horses/environment clean and dry. It really is all about fly management. If you leave out one wheelbarrow of dirty manure one night, your fly pop will soar. Keeping the horses legs clipped is helpful, because it helps you keep their legs cleaner and dry quicker.

A well sloped ring is important if you want to be able to ride all year round. And good ring maintenance equipment as well.

Hay is always a hot topic of debate in SoFla for some reason. I always needed a straight timothy for my mare with sweating issues. ended up costing me around $35 a bale for a nice heavy three string. It is hard to find consistent hay sometimes so you may have to shop around.

Overall it’s fun if you want to be close to the horseshow. The heat got to me though and I finally left FL. :lol:

Thanks for the tips! Super helpful! If money were no option and I didn’t have to work, I think I would spend summers up north and just winter in Florida :winkgrin: