Horses in the Wiregrass

[Rackonteur]

… and other areas of Alabama?

I’m thinking of moving back to one of two Alabama areas I’ve lived in before and liked. Birmingham metro, and Tuscaloosa. It would be nice to find a nice lesson barn with some low-key lessons and bombproof lesson horses.

Meanwhile, one of my horsey friends is looking to move away from north Alabama to south Alabama. Far enough inland from the Gulf Coast to avoid most hurricanes. She’s looking at retirement communities but would also like to take her retired horse with her. to board nearby.

I have known B’ham and Tuscaloosa, but don’t know anything about either’s current horse culture… Neither of us knows the Wiregrass area, and she doesn’t have time to do personal research at work and doesn’t want to deal with the Internet on the weekends.

So I thought I’d ask here.

[js]

You might start with contacting some riding clubs or associations to see what is available in the area you are considering. Secondly, look at the availability of equine vets. Birmingham has a big equine hospital Coosa Valley Equine Hospital in Pell City. I’m sure there are boarding stables but I’m not familiar with that area, other than the Equine Hospital.

We lived in the Wiregrass for 28+ years, have since moved away (sadly). We lived near Dothan, loved the area but there were no equine vets available; one vet did large animals but had no equipment like x-ray etc., most issues with horses were referred to Auburn Univ. We did have a great equine dentist that came thru once a year.

There are few tack shops in AL, Birmingham has a couple but I don’t know how well stocked they are, depends on your discipline. There are quite a few boarding barns in the Birmingham area, a quick google search will get you started.

For your friend - I’m not aware of any equine communities in the Southern part of the state and boarding is backyard kind of facilities. Again, there are limited good equine vets in the Southern part of the state so due diligence in looking at what areas your friend is interested in. We were 75 miles from the coasts and still effected by hurricanes, including damage.

One nice thing is feed and hay is not taxed! Property taxes are low also.

[JanM]

I live in Dothan, and you would think being 90 miles from the Florida panhandle is far enough from the coast, but it’s not, and in 2018 Hurricane Michael (came ashore at Mexico Beach) devastated the panhandle, went through here, southern Georgia, and devastated the pecan industry, ruined buildings, etc. So, this isn’t far enough inland to avoid hurricane or tropical force winds. It usually happens 10 to 15 years apart, but don’t count on that.

If I had it to over again, I would have moved to Auburn / Opelika. Vet school right there, quick access to Atlanta area. However, look at the history of tornadoes in that area, because they follow the geography, and hit over and over in the same areas. It’s all about the geography. You can usually see on Google Maps satellite view, where a tornado went through. Also, there really aren’t many 55+ complexes around here. There are some subdivisions that are mostly 55+ residents, but they aren’t age restricted. For vets, and other horse suppliers, Auburn/Opelika would be my choice. Auburn has some nice 55+ communities, mostly stand alone homes. However, if you’re going to have a trailer parked, very few HOA communities allow that.

I searched Auburn Opelika 55+ communities on Google, and here are the results:

https://www.google.com/search?q=auburn+opelika+55%2B+communities&rlz=1C1RUCY_enUS743US744&oq=auburn+opelika+55%2B+communities&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30i457j0i22i30.12284j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Another downside to HOAs is that some won’t let you have a big enough vehicle to pull a trailer. Also, for HOA communities, make sure they’re well funded with reserves. I look online for reviews about subdivisions. I wish I hadn’t moved into the HOA community I live in, severely underfunded and other issues with paying for on-going maintenance, but some don’t pay, and the community is not able to afford a manager. The worst ice storms are in the northern part of the state, hurricanes are about every 10 to 15 years, but don’t really do anything above Montgomery, except Hurricane Ivan that was a very strange storm.

Also, since Auburn and Tuscaloosa are college town, be careful about moving into a neighborhood, and having a bunch of rental houses nearby. Auburn started enforcing limits on the number of unrelated residents of homes, after residential neighborhoods had big problems with traffic, parking, noise. etc. However, that doesn’t mean that someone won’t think they can move a bunch of people into a neighborhood, and no one will notice.

Here’s a nice article about the area as a foodie destination:

Auburn-Opelika is a foodie destination—15 restaurants you'll love [PHOTOS] |...

And another list, some are duplicates, but some are new.

11 Best Restaurants in Opelika, AL for 2022 (Top Eats!)

They have a bunch of ice cream shops too. Some have lunch too, but there are quite a few.

When I lived on the Alabama side of Columbus, we would get rain from hurricanes turned into tropical storms, but you just had to pay close attention to the drainage on your property. Also, if you need a big airport, fly in and out of Atlanta, but take Groome (van shuttles, some run from Auburn, or you drive to Columbus, park in their big parking lot, and take the shuttle to and from ATL airport). Or take the Auburn ATL shuttle with them.

[Rackonteur]

Thank y’all, @js and @janm.

Tornadoes are one reason that Tuscaloosa is second on my list of possibilities. I remember some nightmare ones there.

Good point about the HOAs and trailers, although everyone I’ve known has kept their trailers at the barns where they board.
And about the lack of good equine vets in the southern part of the state. I will pass those two things on to my friend. We were both very familiar with Coosa Valley years ago. Good people, good place.

I’ll link your Auburn-Opelika link to my friend and also mention Michael. I had no idea hurricanes came so far inland; I don’t know if she did or not. Ice storms are her big fear.

[eventammy]

I can also vouch for the Auburn area! Went there for school and rode during my time. There are a few options for HJ/event barns in the area (I’d be happy to PM names if you are interested) and show facilities like Chatt Hills and Poplar within a couple hours drive. Seconded on the vet school.

@JanM makes a good point about the housing situation, because yes it is a college town and many of the rental neighborhoods are full with college students. However the neighborhoods closer to the elementary/middle/high schools are much quieter and are mostly families.

I will mention that Auburn feels like it is getting more and more crowded, and to be honest there isn’t much there if you aren’t a student or faculty member with access to the university activities. Opelika is much better for the non-party crowd though, with a charming little downtown that doesn’t get too busy. Traffic during game days and other college activities is something to be considered; it can get pretty crazy on those big days and considering that Auburn is still a small town it gets backed up everywhere rather quickly. Just something worth considering. If I were moving back I’d pick Opelika any day!

[Rackonteur]

Welcome to COTH and thank you for your reply!
I did my undergraduate work at Auburn (ages ago) and I agree – it’s GROWN! The last time I was there, 10 years ago, I was as stunned by the campus and the town as my father probably was when he visited me there (he graduated in 1933!).
Hmm, interesting info on Opelika. I visited a couple of churches there but never really knew the town.
I think a road trip might be a good idea … take my friend to my old stomping grounds and explore Opelika at the same time.

[Rackonteur]

@eventammy

I will mention that Auburn feels like it is getting more and more crowded, and to be honest there isn’t much there if you aren’t a student or faculty member with access to the university activities. Opelika is much better for the non-party crowd though, with a charming little downtown that doesn’t get too busy. Traffic during game days and other college activities is something to be considered; it can get pretty crazy on those big days and considering that Auburn is still a small town it gets backed up everywhere rather quickly. Just something worth considering. If I were moving back I’d pick Opelika any day!

I can’t believe the Golden Cherry is still there!!! Squeee!

[Montanas_Girl]

I lived in Auburn for 5 years (left in 2020). It’s a nice college town, but, other than the vet school, equine services/vendors are nearly nonexistent. There are several decent boarding facilities, as long as you are looking for a hunter type facility. Western barns/trainers, surprisingly, are scarce. You also won’t find many rental houses - trailers/trailer parks predominate. I survived in one for five years, but I paid MORE to rent a trailer in Auburn than I pay in mortgage/taxes/insurance on a 1400 square foot house and 7+ acres in middle TN. Just FYI!

[Rackonteur]

Thanks. I can certainly believe that about the trailer vs the taxes. 45 years ago I lived in a trailer in Auburn one summer, as did several of my friends. I notice the trailer parks are still there which is nice.
Unfortunately there are very few senior apartments (oldies not undergrads lol) and the ones there are have bad reviews. And like so many senior apartments they are way off on the edge of town instead of being close in where you can walk everywhere but the property taxes are probably prohibitive to the apartment owners.
In my mind I would love to live in a nice trailer park off Wire Road. But thankfully also in my mind I know it is not a good idea for me. I’m not 20 anymore and I don’t have a boyfriend with a Honda I can borrow to ride into town. But it would be nice to have a Harley trike to carry the groceries.