Recent first time visitor to Aiken’s random thoughts:
1.) The Hitchcock Woods is everything they say it is and more. I’ve ridden in other, larger tracts, both public and private; but the Wood’s location, careful maintenance and free public access is unique. Incredible place to ride.
2.) There are other conservation easements attached to equestrian communities. We rode in one, and it was very nice. Not Hitchcock Woods nice, but I’d be thrilled to have it in my back yard.
3.) Hacking in town on the sand roads is lovely. Maybe I wouldn’t want to do it every day, but as an option, along with the other places to ride, it’s great.
4.) The sheer number of farms, facilities and full time pros beats anything I’ve ever seen; including Middleburg.
5.) The town itself is charming and delightful.
Possible cons:
Income disparity. There are the horse people, the winter people and then there are hardscrabble people, with not a lot in between. Not a robust middle class.
Forage. All that sandy soil which is so lovely for hacking on isn’t great for growing pasture or hay. Whatever the local grass is; it works as a ground cover and erosion control, but not necessarily as forage. I suspect the hay all has to be shipped in. If you already feed hay 24/7; not a big deal. But if your horse keeping depends on pasture and inexpensive forage options, it could be a concern.
Fire ants. Many of the real estate ads mention whether the property has had fire ant remediation.
I loved visiting in winter and would go again in a heartbeat. I would want to spend some time there in July and August before making a decision about moving there year round.
