I have Irish citizenship from my grandparents, and thus a passport that entitles me to live anywhere in the EU. I’m in my early 60s and am thinking about retiring there. I’m not wealthy but would like to purchase a small farm as I have here in the US where I can keep a couple of horses and transition them to boarding as I get older. I’m interested in hearing from anyone else who has done this, or has thought of doing it, and what areas of Europe you would recommend looking into. Ideally I would like to find a place with a good equestrian community, opportunities for hacking out, near a park or natural area, but not more than a few hours from a major city. Political stability, safety for a single female, and good internet are musts. Bonus if they are friendly to Americans or if there is an expat scene. I speak a little Spanish, studied Latin in school, and am open to learning other languages but would be starting from zero. I haven’t ruled out Ireland or the UK, but the cost of property there is off putting and I was disappointed to learn about the lack of public bridleways in Ireland vs the UK.
this would a good question to ask in Horse & Hound
Since Great Britain withdrew from the EU I really do not know if the Irish passport would provide a gateway in to permanent residence there
There used to be (still is?) a TV show Escape to the Country that featured buyers looking for homes in the UK.
England mostly, but Ireland, Scotland & Wales too. All levels of budget & a lot of buyers were looking for horse properties
Even if it’s now outdated, you might see areas that you hadn’t considered.
One episode visited Carl Hester’s barn in Gloucestershire.
Portugal is becoming more expensive, but it certainly has horses.
Anywhere north or central is pretty expensive, I’d think. But eastern eu might be a good option. I think Poland is lovely.
But I’m American and have only ever lived in Germany, which is where I’d look, though is not cheap.
The Republic of Ireland is still part of the EU.
Northern Ireland is part of the UK.
I can’t avoid sponsorizing Italy Lol . If you stay away from the fanciest areas you can buy a nice property. Horses are widespread (we have many national breeds too) from North to South, from the backyard old trail horse to the eventing champion. People are more than friendly and there are many US citizens living here (mainly Tuscany Lazio and Umbria I think). Good food, good wine, good weather. Life in the country is pretty chill, I live in a small village (about 1.000 residents) but very turistic area, I never had any problem and I always felt safe. We have two quite big cities (Genoa and La Spezia) within an hour drive and we are near Pisa, Florence, Parma too.
The Common Travel Area (CTA) is a long-standing arrangement between the UK, the Crown Dependencies (Bailiwick of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man) and Ireland that pre-dates both British and Irish membership of the EU and is not dependent on it.
Under the CTA, British and Irish citizens can move freely and reside in either jurisdiction and enjoy associated rights and privileges, including the right to work, study and vote in certain elections, as well as to access social welfare benefits and health services.
