[QUOTE=CenterlineGirl2;5247746]
I have recently been thinking of relocating to Florida. I am wondering what are the challenges/pros/cons etc of breeding and raising horses in Florida.
My thoughts are: grass all year long - True or False?
Horses can happily live outside with shelter from sun - True or False?
Lots of available shows, trainers… really besides the heat in the summer I don’t see any drawbacks. But then I have never lived there! I have been to Miami in the summer and it was hot, but not as hot as I expected.
So please, those who live and own or breed horses in Florida, is there anything I should know? How much does hay cost? Are there any special state regulations? Limits on # of horses per acre? Do I need to worry about alligators or other aggressive animals?
How hot does it get in the summer and how long does it stay hot? Do you often not ride because of the heat?
Any other info would be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
I am just a boarder at a barn, but I have owned horses for 11 years so I can answer some of your questions!
Yes, there can be grass all year long, as long as there is proper maintenance of the pastures. At my current boarding stable there are 10 pastures that all have nice lush grass that are rotated and watered a few times a week. They haven’t even had to sod in the past couple years.
Not many horses live outside year round as far as I know, it does get extremely hot(at least in South Florida) and the horses definitely appreciate a fan in the sweltering heat and humidity. But the few barns I know that offer pasture board all have nice big run in sheds with a fan or two in them.
The showing here is wonderful!! We of course have Wellington for “A” shows, and many schooling shows like Plantation Acres and the Posse Shows(which range from pleasure classes to hunter/jumper and dressage).
Hay can be very expensive. 0&A or T&A can range from 13-18 a bale depending on size and quality, and I haven’t seen Timothy for under 18 in a very long time. You can get lucky if you find a private person who gets semi’s down here from the North who will sometimes offer decent have around 10-12. The only thing with that is if you get crappy bales, no return unlike the feed stores who will make exchange if you are unhappy.
It really depends on what area you plan on keeping horses that might regulate the number you are allowed to keep. I know in Wellington, it’s 4 horses per acre, but on the outskirts in Loxahatchee it is not regulated. It just depends on the area!
If people have pastures that run alongside canals, I have noticed they put wire/mesh running along the bottom of the fence line to keep gators out.
It gets veryyyyy hot in the summer, but you can work around it, by riding before 9 or after 5, you can escape the hottest part of the day! But when you think about how hot it is, just imagine how jealous everyone else up North is when we can ride outside year round since Fall/Winter is usually a nice 70 degrees outside!
Hope that helped you out a bit! 