I did several searches but most threads are a decade+ old. DH is accepting a job in Bryan and we will buy something (with property, so no boarding) within commuting distance. We will be going to visit in a couple weeks.
We are native to the PNW, so please clue me in to the area and it’s resources, especially the horse-related ones - but just general living is helpful too. We will be taking two large ponies, a kid, and an old dog with us 
when my daughter did her BA at Texas A&M College Station, it was cheaper for me to have her horse at school with her then for me to care for it here in Fort Worth, plenty of horse support there. We have also taken horses to the vet school there for diagnostic work ups
Texas A&M College has the largest student population on a single campus in the country at 73,284 ( the main campus spans over 5,500 acres) …so expect Aggie Land to be all around you
I graduated from aTm a while ago, but it was very easy (and cheap) to keep my horse in Bryan. The vets are great and plentiful, there used to be a small but active group of eventers and hunter jumper type riders. There are big shows in most disciplines in the Houston area (about 90 minutes away), but weren’t a ton of showing options closer back when i was there. There are feed stores close, but again, the closest real tack stores are in Houston.
As far as general living, you’ll find all the amenities of a college town-chain restaurants, services, etc. the Downtown Bryan area is nice with little shops and local restaurants. HEB grocery stores are great and i miss shopping there. While you can find all types, College Station and aTm are generally much more politically conservative than your stereotypical college town.
What you won’t find is the accessible nature you have in Seattle. It’s flat. There are (relatively) few trees. It doesn’t really rain much, so it’s brown. It’s hot AF much of the time so you won’t want to be outside anyway….it does get real cold in winter, but only for a few days at a time usually.
Oh, I am nowhere near Seattle. 4 or so hours south, in a rural farming area. But I get your point.
What I really want to know is, what do I need to know about hay? We have different kinds of hay up here than you do down there. I have fat ponies, so I don’t need rocket fuel, but I have also heard all the horror stories about coastal hay and colic.
regarding hay availability in Bryan/College Station itself you may just want to call some of the feed stores there.
Here in Fort Worth if you are willing to pay, any hay that is from any where is available… but sure is not as expensive as what is being said to be paid for in some parts of Central Florida where alfalfa is $900/ton and timothy is $1,000/ton
(go to post #101 on this Cost of Hay thread that is currently running)
We lived in Central Texas for 4+ years. We loved our time there. Summers were nice and not too hot (though that has changed), winters not too cold but we did get ice storms. If you aren’t used to snakes, just a warning, rattle snakes are common so you need to adapt your place to discourage them from hanging around, i.e. no piles of wood etc., keep grass cut short, no hiding places, like shrubs around the house. Lots of equine vets and nice vet hospitals. Cowboy boots and hats are pretty much standard attire.
there are nearly a million head of horses in Texas
In 20+ years of having horses in Texas at ~10 boarding barns all over the state, I’ve literally never seen anything but coastal and alfalfa. I feed timothy pellets as a carrier for vitamins + supplements, but couldn’t pick a bale of timothy out of a lineup if I tried! I’m sure @clanter is right, though - with enough $$$ and patience, anything is possible!
there are brokers such as Hay USA in Weatherford who have long term contracts to import hay from other regions. Liz moved from California a long time ago but kept her west coast business contacts. Her warehouse is usually full of Timothy, Giant Bermuda, California Alfalfa and I see now she has brought in a California 3-way: (Oat, Wheat, Barley),
We are located near Purina’s Fort Worth Feed mill which I am told is exclusively for horse feeds so can easily arrange hay delivers from surrounding feed stores. We have one arrangement with a very good privately owned feed store who supplies us (and others) with TEFF. What began as a specialty hay for that store where one 18 wheeler truck load would take about six months to sell has changed to a truck load a week.
At least in the DFW area the market is competitive
I imagine my two will do fine with coastal and alfalfa, the fat one mostly just needs something to keep him busy. No need to bankrupt myself buying specialty hay, unless complications arise. I’d prefer to buy in bulk, but I’m also not familiar with the challenges of storing hay in that region (yet!) so I may wait on that.
@js duly noted on the rattlesnakes. We do have snakes here, but they are mostly harmless creatures that you want to keep around.
be aware there are areas in Bryan/College Station that are subject to flash flooding, you might want to reference the FEMA maps regarding a specific location
YES! It’s on my list of things to check for any properties we might consider. Thank you.
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