Keeping Horses in the Asheville area

[ljc]

We’re considering a move to the Asheville area, specifically near Hendersonville. I’d be bringing two minis, who I’d love to keep at home, and then look for a retirement farm nearby for my Welsh pony with Cushings (needs daily Prascend).

We’ve chosen this area because it’s neither too hot and humid nor too cold. I know Tryon is a better horse area but a bit too hot. Same thing for Southern Pines,

Anyway, we’ve visited, connected with a realtor (also a horse person) and now are in the waiting phase, seeing if the perfect place comes on the market. We’re ready to downsize from larger farms and don’t want more than a couple of acres (fine for minis).

But I’m concerned in that after checking out realtor.com for more than a year, I haven’t seen a single property that would work. I’ve dealt with horses on hilly land and won’t go there again.

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions about the area? We’re not interested in other locations other than WNC due to how many years it took us to even agree on that.

Our other option is to downsize from our current perfect horse property in the foothills of the Sierras (apart from worrying about fires) to a smaller property in Nevada County. It’s mostly my husband who wants NC as he misses everything green from where he grew up in Ohio. We have all the green we want here but as I said, we will need to downsize somewhere. Husband turns 70 next year and is retiring.

Thanks for any advice.

[swmorse]

Look on Zillo. If you download the app you can put in specifics and it’ll give you lots of suggestions

I see a lot of places in the Hendersonville area

I think many places would be OK for minis

[rubygirl1968]

It depends on the acreage you want. Anything over 10 will have some hills but there are lots that are flat.

I agree checking on Zillow and check out WNC equestrians and Tryon equestrians on Facebook. Realtors post houses with barns and land sometimes and you could find one that specializes in it. Or at least is a little familiar with the inventory.

I live in Asheville and there are tons of mountains. I have been to some barns with plenty of mostly flat land for barn and pasture.

[Scarlet_Gilia]

My parents retired to that area. It is lovely. I remember flatter land near the French Broad River - Mills River, Etowah, Pisgah Forest.

[ljc]

A nice, almost perfect, property in Etowah was listed today. Almost three acres, level, etc. way over priced, however but it gave me hope we might be able to find a single story house on mostly level land. Under three acres. It looks like that area might be more doable.

[ljc]

We’re looking to downsize and really only want between 2-3 acres. I follow WNC Equestrians (that’s how we found our realtor, who is a horse person). Thanks for the tips!

One question - do you have any suggestions for possible retirement farms for my Welsh pony?

[NoSuchPerson]

@ljc

way over priced,

I live in WNC and since the COVID-inspired-move-to-the-mountains land rush, everything is way over-priced. A few months ago, on the local radio station’s Saturday morning real estate show, they said that sales have dropped off in my and some nearby counties but only because there is almost nothing left for sale.

I have a friend who is a realtor and her prediction is that with inflation and the interest rate increasing, prices are going to come down, but how much they will come down is the question.

I am not a native to the area and feel very lucky that I moved here when I did because I couldn’t afford to buy here now.

[rubygirl1968]

@ljc

One question - do you have any suggestions for possible retirement farms for my Welsh pony

I’m sorry, I don’t. I’ve seen one barn advertising retirement board in the Tryon or Landrum area but I don’t remember the name. I think I saw it on a Facebook group.