Moving to Texas from Montana, help!

[hnridley]

Hello! I have so many questions, any and all help is GREATLY appreciated!!!

My boyfriend and I are planning to move from Bozeman, MT down to Texas sometime within the next 2-3 years (currently saving up money and want to get married before we move). For background, I grew up in Minnesota, but he’s been in Montana his whole life. As to where in Texas…there’s a lot of flexibility on that! My boyfriend has a film production company and would like to be near Austin, but since he primarily works from home, that’s not a must. I currently don’t know if I’ll end up taking a job somewhere in TX or starting my own business (which I am sloooowly doing right now) and working from home myself. Frankly, finding the right trainer and boarding situation will ultimately dictate where we move. We’re most interested in Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio.

In Bozeman, I’ve had the most amazing dumb luck to end up boarding at a stable with a husband and wife couple that teach cow work and eventing, respectively, and are THE BEST people! I fully expect I won’t be able to find that in Texas–haven’t yet via Google anyway–but if that did exist, I would jump on that in a heartbeat! My horse is bred and built for cow work, and while that’s what we’re seriously focused on, I also really love jumping/eventing, though I don’t ever expect to get to/above the Novice level. We’re not currently showing, but I would LOVE to get good enough to show in cutting eventually! Some low level events would be awesome too, but again, not the primary focus. No matter what city and barn I end up at, I fully expect I’ll have to trailer elsewhere for some type of lesson–either I’ll be at a western barn and will travel occasionally for jumping lessons or vice versa.

As for my horse, as long as she’s outside, I’m happy. She’s currently in a dirt lot with a few other mares (though geldings are fine too), and gets about 4 hours of pasture turnout 6 days a week. That setup works great for us (the pen is quite large and has a shelter), and as long as she’s not in a stall, we’re both happy. She gets hay twice a day, grain once a day, and that’s it! We’re both easy going and don’t have a ton of needs.

My boyfriend and I will be traveling down to Texas in Jan./Feb. next year and I’m planning to visit as many barns/trainers as I can while I’m there.

If anyone has any suggestions or cautionary tales for trainers/boarding facilities in Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio, please do let me know!

[clanter]

What will be your primary occupation? as there most likely are a few area you might be overlooking

Fort Worth and Arlington are sort of the same area … Dallas depending on which side of could also rolled into Arlington

If it is north Dallas then you should add in the US377 corridor in Denton Co

Austin is pain the butt to get around in, if you are on the north side needing to get to south side, or vise versa, good luck

San Antonio… my thought would be check out the northwestern side toward Boerne

[TequilaMockingbird]

It depends on a lot of things. Fort Worth is a nice place but may limit you some depending on your occupation. I can’t stand Dallas so I would never live there. But they do have a very big horse community.

Austin is so trendy right now that you will pay an arm and a leg for real estate compared to other cities in Texas. And you’ll get to enjoy ridiculous traffic on top of that.

You will find this page very helpful when you start taking a serious look at facilities and trainers.
http://www.texashorsemansdirectory.com/frontpgTHD.htm

[Arelle]

You might want to look at Weatherford. Fort Worth is the cow horse capital of the world, I think. :lol: And Weatherford is home to Willow Draw, which I think is one of the most consistently used venues for Area V eventing…

The 377 corridor in Aubrey is super expensive - I lived there and sold my home two years ago and made quite a profit. Unless you have $250-$500K you won’t find any land available. Plus, I don’t feel that it’s geared towards cow horses - H/J, reiners, pleasure, breed show people are more on that corridor. I always see the cow events down around Fort Worth.

[Bluey]

I would start by calling and visiting with these really fine people, Steve and Carol Metcalf:

http://www.reinerstop.com/reining-trainer/Steve-and-Carol-Metcalf

They can steer you in the right direction, may even be someone you want to work with.

[hnridley]

First off, thank you every one SO MUCH for your help, I am truly appreciative!!!

Clanter: my background has primarily been as an Office Manager/Bookkeeper, though I have a marketing degree I’d love to put to use at some point! And thanks for the heads-up about getting around Austin!

TequilaMockingbird: I’ve been worried about exactly what you’re saying about Austin. A HUGE part of my motivation to move is that Bozeman’s cost of living is astronomically high (and climbing) and the wages are super depressed. Just affording rent and board for my horse puts a huge strain on my pocketbook as it is :(. And that link is awesome, thank you!

Arelle: I’ve never heard of Willow Draw, that is SUPER helpful! I’m sad at how excited I am about the prospect of possibly paying “only” 250k for property in Aubrey–last I checked, the median home price for a single family home in Bozeman is over 400k–and that’s without any land!

Bluey: do you know Steve and Carol personally? I always love a great recommendation, thank you!!!

This has already been tremendously helpful, thank you all!

As a complete outsider, would you guys have any recommendations on organizations I should join or resources to really help me plug into the horse community before/after I move?

[clanter]

What does your BF do? I know of a very well run business in Pilot Point that would be for private sell if he is interested in service work. The business services many of the ranches in the north Texas area. Pilot Point is just north of Aurby pretty much centered on the US377 corridor.

[Bluey]

Steve and Carol Metcalf don’t really need recommendations.
They are some of the top trainers in performance events like working cowhorse and reining.
Carol was made Professional Horsewoman of the Year in the NRHA a few years back:

https://www.aqha.com/journal/allianc…s-of-the-year/

Here is a story on her:

https://horseandrider.com/western-ho…-reining-queen

They have helped at times bring along some futurity horses for us.
Their horses and students have gone on to do very well.

In that area of TX clanter mentions there are some of the better trainers for the western events you are interested in that you may find anywhere.
The best ones compete with each other but also help each other out.
The Mecalfs are known as the trainers for other trainers to go to with questions.

Try giving them a call and see what they may tell you about your options for your purpose when moving to TX.
You can’t ever have enough information to go by.

Good luck in your quest.

[clanter]

Tom McCutcheon is one that I know, he has been at the top since the beginning… my company used to do work for him at his ranch in Sanger (well between Sanger and Pilot Point)… he has seen our Morgans and commented several times about the Foxie horse we had

[Bluey]

@clanter

Tom McCutcheon is one that I know, he has been at the top since the beginning… my company used to do work for him at his ranch in Sanger (well between Sanger and Pilot Point)… he has seen our Morgans and commented several times about the Foxie horse we had

The McCutcheons are THE trainers and competitors at the top in reining.
No nicer and more talented out there, indeed.

Then, the OP was asking about cow work.
While reining is important to fine tune any other western riding, once you add cattle, since they mostly focus on reining, other names come to mind first.

Similar to asking a dressage trainer when you want to do three day.
Sure, it will help your dressage and that helps in general, but you may still need specific jumping instruction.

[SLW]

One of my daughters lives in San Antonio and it’s a fabulous big city to live in. There is a fiesta or celebration somewhere within the metro every weekend. Hot as hell is the summer- she grew up in Kansas so knows summer heat- but the short winter is great. I have zero knowledge of the horse scene there but do know that in certain quadrants of the metro homes sell same day.

Austin traffic is the pits 24/7.

Dallas/Fort Worth metro is huge so hook up with a local to direct to an area that might be best suited for your horse interest.

[crosscreeksh]

Do your research carefully!!! We moved to NE Texas from Ok. (Southern Pines, NC before that!!) 14 months ago. Our area…Campbell is a huge western riding area…LOTS of WC winners/ farms and trainers in our neighborhood. CT is building up, but most of the local (20-25 miles away) is reining, cutting, roping. There is (what I hear) an awesome arena with lots of activity in Sulphur Springs. Bad news is the heat and humidity!! We have still been in the 90’s this week with stifling humidity. We actually plan to sell the farm we bought/designed/built from scratch and move back east!! We breed H/J/CT Sport Horses and haven’t made many connections close by. We are 6 miles from I-30 and 50 miles to Dallas. It just doesn’t work for us!!

[clanter]

regarding Austin San Antonio corridor be aware of the potential of flash flooding …another story about the Hill Country is those rivers which run through it are known as Flash Flood Alley, one of the most flood-prone regions on the continent.

http://twri.tamu.edu/publications/txh2o/fall-2016/do-you-live-in-flash-flood-alley/

[SLW]

@clanter

regarding Austin San Antonio corridor be aware of the potential of flash flooding …another story about the Hill Country is those rivers which run through it are known as Flash Flood Alley, one of the most flood-prone regions on the continent.y=

http://twri.tamu.edu/publications/txh2o/fall-2016/do-you-live-in-flash-flood-alley/

A friend was staying in a family members small vacation home on the Blanco River on Memorial Day '15. They were in jammies getting ready to call it day at 10:30PM when a daughter who lives 20 miles upstream called and said “LEAVE NOW!!”. They quickly packed and were gone within 20 minutes. By 1:00AM the house they had been staying in was swept away. Horrible flood.

[clanter]

@SLW

A friend was staying in a family members small vacation home on the Blanco River on Memorial Day '15. They were in jammies getting ready to call it day at 10:30PM when a daughter who lives 20 miles upstream called and said “LEAVE NOW!!”. They quickly packed and were gone within 20 minutes. By 1:00AM the house they had been staying in was swept away. Horrible flood.

the trainer for GSD who has been trained for scent work was on Texas Task Force Team 1 for about twenty years, the last search for bodies he did was that flood

[TheeNightRider]

What is going on in Bozeman that the cost of living is that high??

[stillhere]

My advice is to really travel the state it is huge . It is hot riding early is a must. I have my 2 retired horses at home on 5 acres . I ride at a ranch and I’m having a great time learning western and trail riding checking and counting cows with the owner. People are friendly and horses are part of life here. I’m in Mineola . There is a horse center /park in Tyler that has A rated events. In my area it is rodeo and play days for families. Prices for land in our area are going up since we moved here a year and a half ago. Good luck.

[clanter]

@TheeNightRider

What is going on in Bozeman that the cost of living is that high??

most of California is moving there

[Bethe_Mounce]

I lived in the College Station area for 30+ years. 2 hours due east of Austin; 4 hrs due south of Dallas and 2 hours due north of Houston. Home of Texas A&M University and their excellent vet school. Hotter than Hades for 9 months out of the year. Quite a few barns in the area for boarding and equestrian properties for sale, including my farm. Austin is fabulous but Pilot Point is where the major cow/reining types are such as the McQuaids and McCutcheons. Good luck on your search. Property taxes are higher in TX than even Cali…

[Bethe_Mounce]

I lived in the College Station area for 30+ years. 2 hours due east of Austin; 4 hrs due south of Dallas and 2 hours due north of Houston. Home of Texas A&M University and their excellent vet school. Hotter than Hades for 9 months out of the year. Quite a few barns in the area for boarding and equestrian properties for sale, including my farm. Austin is fabulous but Pilot Point is where the major cow/reining types are such as the McQuaids and McCutcheons. Good luck on your search. Property taxes are higher in TX than even Cali…