Can you guys tell me about living in New Mexico with horses?
I have a job I can do from anywhere and, thanks to that, I moved to Aiken, SC in order To Horse Properly. That is to say, I love being in a place that has good horse infrastructure-- good vets, good farriers, good pros, a lot going on and a basic depth of knowledge and standard of care among horse owners that are as good as mine or better.
I have lived in good and bad markets for horses and I know enough to appreciate a good, deep, long-standing horse community; I have PTSD from living in places where my standards were higher than those of most other people.
But! I’m not in love with the culture and the politics of the Red South. I have spent a little bit of time in New Mexico, including a summer in Santa Fe and I think that place would check some boxes for me that Aiken does not.
But I don’t remember the horse scene being deep enough for me. I also didn’t have a horse when I was there and so I didn’t get to see deeply enough into it.
I’d like to have a couple of horses that I continue doing English stuff with-- dressage and some low, old lady show hunter stuff, but I’d also like to work with a legit Vaquero-style pro and learn to make up a bridle horse.
And then let’s get down to the brass tacks of water and money. Where do I need to live that I can buy or build a horse-friendly farm for $750K or less? And where do I need to live to have enough water and/or access to irrigation?
What do you think? Where would you send me?
Thanks.