We are planning to move back east from NE Texas and have been aiming for Aiken, SC. We lived in Southern Pines, NC for many years before our trek west to Ok. then Tx. I’ve been to Aiken several times, but only went to Camden 2-3 times ever, with my daughter horse showing. Talk to me about how they compare…weather…costs of horse keeping…anything else a “retired”…(that’s a joke), still horse owning/breeding/pleasure riding, “senior” would/should need to know. Thanks.
I would do Aiken every day over Camden. Camden is a small, kind of sad town with some horse amenities. Aiken is much more vibrant and ‘alive’ and has a lot of horse amenities.
The whole area around Camden is sad. Manufacturing was big in that area and it was hit hard when it started being moved overseas. There are a few trainers there but nothing like in Aiken. Food options aren’t very plentiful, shopping is very bad. (Just look up grocery stores in Camden. Your choices and piggly wiggly or food lion, both of which are not good stores).
Aiken is quite nice. Lots of things to do, good food options. Horse scene is one of the best in the Carolinas and has many shows, tons of trainers, amazing facilities, great farriers and vets (I can rec a great farrier) you are 30 min to augusta which has a mall and a (up and coming, but still kinda shady) downtown area, 2 hrs to atlanta, 2 hrs to the beach, and an hour to Columbia. Tryon is 1 1/2-2 hrs also which is nice.
Weather is going to be similar as they are only about an hour and a half apart. Aiken might be a smidge less humid as it slightly higher elevation, but I seriously doubt you would feel a difference.
Hay costs are high down there, but I’m unfamiliar with TX hay costs for comparison. 11-15$ a bale is common in SC, more for things like alfalfa, and remember these are 40-50 lb bales, not 100-150 lb bales like you can get out west. Vet care is dependent on who you use. There are the more expensive outfits who cater to the sport horse crowd and there are cheaper options who cater more to the western and backyard horse owner crowd.
I’ve lived in both Aiken and southern pines. If someone drags me out of virginia I would go to Aiken over southern pines.
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Thanks…Great info!!
Camden is a sad little place. I love it, lived there in the 90’s but it’s really sad now. That alone might get you more bang for your buck land/house wise, and the farrier vet issue is nonexistent (in my opinion)as they all regularly travel between the two places.
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Yes, if could be a cute town but there just isn’t the money there to make it so.
Between the two, as long as you aren’t trying to live on Hitchcock woods or near Bruce’s field, I wouldn’t think the cost would be too much of a difference.
Forgot about Hitchcock woods too. It’s like the foundation in southern pines, but, IMO, actually better. It’s a bit better marked and maintained and there seems to be less politics about it.
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Thanks for this info. I guess the reason there are great bargains on horse properties in Camden…is that people don’t want to be there!! Not moving all the way back across the country to make another mistake!!
Aiken always reminded me of a New England village set in the south. My son worked with TBs in training there so we were there often
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I’m not familiar with Camden, but Aiken is on my list of places in which to park myself in an assisted living community when it’s time for that.
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My mom spent a winter in each, and a winter in Southern Pines when she was ready to head south.
then she spent a winter in Tryon and fell in love with it.
consider that too.
She was going to give Ocala a chance too but truly loves Tryon for the moderate weather without extremes but four distinct seasons, hunting and riding and the prosperity.
At 72 she’s on the younger side but that mostly means that it’s a well heeled and non-transient.
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We lived in So. Pines for many years…I like the “old” SP more than what it has become. I visited Tryon once looking at a horse…too hilly and clay ground and now I imagine it is VERY Expensive. I prefer sandy ground.
Ocala is just too darn hot for my taste. We used to go to Tryon for my daughter’s Pony Club stuff, but I never spent any time looking around much. I think we’ll stay with our original plan and aim toward Aiken. I thought that was very pretty the times I was there. I never did get to see the Hitchcock woods…sounds nice. I don’t plan to show/compete…but do still breed some nice sport horses. The market for English horses in our part of Texas is NON-EXISTANT…all ropers, reiners, cutters or barrel racers!!
Thanks for the input and advice.
I would check the crime rates out in both areas. I much preferred being in NC over living in SC. I would pick Aiken if I absolutely had to move back to SC. You honestly couldn’t pay me to live in SC again though.
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Many moons ago I spent a winter in Aiken – exercise rider for a stable at the training center + brought my own horse for pleasure riding. Loved Aiken purely for the horse community and trail riding. Disliked it for the various shades of racism which I recently found out (from someone who lives there) still prevail.
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I would move north of the fire ants, lol! I was unhappy to see them when staying at a horsey B&B in SC.
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I don’t much worry about security…good mesh fences and Bad Ass dogs…visible to the public…tend to keep bad guys away!!
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Fire Ants are EVERYWHERE!! NC, Ok. Tx. I’ve got a great treatment for them!!
Unfortunately, my cold weather tolerance line is farther south than that of the fire ants. :lol:
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LOL!
I tried the shovel trick once. I’m not sure if it worked, but both nests disappeared.
The shovel trick, for those wondering, is to try to get two fire ant mounds to go to war. You scoop up a big chunk of one nest, run like the dickens, and dump it on the other. Then, vice versa. Just make sure you didn’t just scoop up the back door of the same nest or they will rally against you pretty darn fast. It was at least amusing, if not effective.
I think it would be even more fun watching someone else do the shovel trick. The kids were laughing themselves sick watching me running and screaming like a banshee while the ants were trying to crawl up the handle.
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So I also had hatred for fire ants until I realized that I hadn’t treated my dogs for fleas in a year, and no one had fleas. Turns out fire ants eat fleas and ticks!
I came very close the moving to Camden about 5 years ago. What ultimately turned us off was the wealth disparities we perceived. Town itself seemed sad vs the wealthier “landed folks”. Felt like a town with no middle.
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Not to hijack the thread, but what area in NC did you like? Looking to possibly move there in the next few years!
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