What is the Best State to Start a Dressage Business?

[MysticOakRanch]

It’s true! It’s true! The crown has made it clear
The climate must be perfect all the year

A law was made a distant moon ago here:
July and August cannot be too hot
And there’s a legal limit to the snow here
In Camelot
The winter is forbidden till December
And exits March the second on the dot
By order, summer lingers through September
In Camelot

Camelot! Camelot!
I know it sounds a bit bizarre
But in Camelot, Camelot
That’s how conditions are

The rain may never fall till after sundown
By eight, the morning fog must disappear
In short, there’s simply not
A more congenial spot
For happily-ever-aftering
Than here in Camelot

The pastures must be green all year
The clientele of greatest wealth
The arena always perfect, it is clear
And the horses of the best of health
Not too cold, not too hot
That’s how it is in Camelot…

BTW, I live in California, and I do often feel like I am in Camelot:cool:

[orlando_dressage]

So far I like Tennessee.

Has anyboy experience with the states North and South Carolina or Georgia? Any thoughts?

[orlando_dressage]

@MysticOakRanch

BTW, I live in California, and I do often feel like I am in Camelot:cool:

That is cute, but I somehow feel more connected to the east coast

[piedmontfields]

NC, SC and GA have much more dressage—from trainers to shows to boarding to clients/potential buyers. All are hot and humid (as in TN).

It is fairly easy to look up shows and entries to get a sense of numbers.

[Ajierene]

Only one person has mentioned VA so far, so I will put in a plug for VA/Mid-Atlantic area. You do get winter here but depending on the year and with allweather footing, you can often ride in an outdoor arena all year. Also, while land it a bit more expensive between DC and Philadelphia, you have a large base of clients. The dressage scene is pretty active but with the population density in the area, there always seems to be room for more clients. Having so many major cities so close means a more mobile population, also. This area is also pretty diverse in interests so if you import a horse and find it is better suited to hunter, equitation, eventing, jumping, etc., there is still a healthy market in the area.

The area DOES get snow, but the winters are more like 3 months and some are pretty mild.

[yaya]

Alpharetta, GA seems to be a pretty horsey area, with several dressage barns. Pretty green up there too.

[atlatl]

@MysticOakRanch

BTW, I live in California, and I do often feel like I am in Camelot:cool:

Ha! My dad’s version of this included the line

Camelot, used camel lot…

[belladonna]

We moved from a Chicago suburb to N. Georgia and absolutely love it!! Check out the Milton/Alpharetta/Canton area as it is dotted with boarding barns and small private farms. Mild winters and nice summers. It can get humid, but it does not seem to last too long. Lots of lush grass and training opportunities abound. Show facilities include Chatt HIlls, International Horse Park in Conyers, Tryon and Poplar Place. Google the different show venues and check out realtor.com or zillow for house prices. Best of Luck!!

[orlando_dressage]

@piedmontfields

It is fairly easy to look up shows and entries to get a sense of numbers.

That’s what I thought as well. I guess the number of shows is probably a good indicator of the number of people showing. So I did my homework for Region 3.

My sheet was getting too small after a while so I decided to not count the Wellington shows anymore. Welli World is just something special. But even without counting the Wellington shows Florida is the far beyond winner when it comes to shows.

1. Florida 11 showgrounds over 50 shows (not including Wellington)
2. Georgia 4 showgrounds but 32 shows
3. Tennessee 6 showgrounds only 14 shows
4. South Carolina 4showgrounds 12 shows (the only one worth mentioning is Aiken)

So I took a closer look at Georgia and the showgrounds (Hamilton, Conyers, Fairburn and Perry) seemed all close to each other in the south of Atlanta. As this region is close to the Alabama boarder it would be possible to move there as well, but then somebody mentioned Alabama is not a good state to live, but he didn’t want to specify why.

[ACMEeventing]

NC has at least a handful of recognized venues. Right off the top of my head, you’ve got Pinehurst, Raleigh, Carolina Horse Park, and Tryon.

[Lateralwork]

Just a comment on the PNW - land, and everything else here has become extremely expensive. Even if as a rider and horse owner you have money, it is reaching a point where board and training may become cost prohibitive; financial resources are not endless.

[JustTheTicket]

No matter what area you choose, you also need to think about what you have to offer. Are you a good enough trainer that you can easily take on upper level riders and take them to shows and get them the results they want? If you’re just focusing on importing, will you be bringing in horses that appeal the the (likely mostly ammy) market in the area? Are you going to be working with another trainer and stay on the business side, letting them be client-facing?

i feel like those questions are just as important as “what state should I live in?”

[Lucassb]

@orlando dressage

That’s what I thought as well. I guess the number of shows is probably a good indicator of the number of people showing. So I did my homework for Region 3.

My sheet was getting too small after a while so I decided to not count the Wellington shows anymore. Welli World is just something special. But even without counting the Wellington shows Florida is the far beyond winner when it comes to shows.

1. Florida 11 showgrounds over 50 shows (not including Wellington)
2. Georgia 4 showgrounds but 32 shows
3. Tennessee 6 showgrounds only 14 shows
4. South Carolina 4showgrounds 12 shows (the only one worth mentioning is Aiken)

So I took a closer look at Georgia and the showgrounds (Hamilton, Conyers, Fairburn and Perry) seemed all close to each other in the south of Atlanta. As this region is close to the Alabama boarder it would be possible to move there as well, but then somebody mentioned Alabama is not a good state to live, but he didn’t want to specify why.

I live in GA and there is a thriving dressage community around Atlanta. We show at Conyers (where Regionals will be held this year - it generally alternates with Wellington for Region 3.) We also show at Chatt Hills, (Fairburn) Poplar Place, (Hamilton) StableView (Aiken) and Tryon. I think you are looking at recognized shows given the number you quote but there are also over 50 schooling shows sanctioned by the GDCTA which is our local GMO, and one of the largest in the country.

I am on the north side of the city in the Alpharetta/Milton/Canton area which is extremely horsey; we have lots of barns, great vets, farriers, several nice tack stores, and lots of junior and amateur riders across all disciplines. I have a small farm (6 stalls and just under 7 acres) and we have really nice grass year round.

We enjoy having four seasons, and while it gets hot and humid here in the summer… it got hot and humid in the summer when we lived in the northeast, too. And when we lived there, we were stuck in an indoor darn near half the year.

[mvp]

@MysticOakRanch

California is a huge state - the climate varies dramatically depending on which part you are talking about. Everything from very wet and rainy all year long (northern coast) to absolute desert, and from beaches to some of the tallest mountains on the continent.

The other thing to realize - it has a highly established dressage community - which means if you are trying to “break in”, you are up against a lot of trainers who are already here, already have clientele, already have established themselves.

I do think the PNW is an up and coming area - I know several people there, and it is a growing community. Yes, it rains a lot - but it is relatively temperate, and there is a lot of recent wealth (and employment) in the area. There are a couple of good sized airports (Portland and SeaTac). If I was trying to start a new dressage business, I’d probably look at either the Tryon area, or the Seattle area. Easier to go somewhere that isn’t yet established but is experiencing growth, rather then break in to an established market.

Of course, Seattle isn’t cheap either:cool:

I think Tryon and Seattle are not comparable markets. In fact, they are really different!

[mvp]

@orlando dressage

So far I like Tennessee.

Has anyboy experience with the states North and South Carolina or Georgia? Any thoughts?

You might get in touch with Tidy Rabbit here.

She does jumpers, but IIRC, her business was like the one you want to build and she chose Tennessee. She has to commute to different shows, of course, but I though she chose her area with the same criteria in mind that you have.

[fancy.pants]

I have lived near Nashville. No. Just no.
PM me if you would like. I don’t want to offend people from TN, as they are absolutely lovely people.

[Texarkana]

I lived in Nashville area for 11 years and attended quite a few CTDA (Central Tennessee Dressage Association) shows over the years.

Middle Tennessee is a unique market. I moved to the area from Chester County, Pa, which is a horse Mecca. I went to college in central Virginia, which also has a pretty lively horse scene. My point being, I grew up accustomed to lots of horse activity. I always thought Nashville’s horse scene didn’t “match” the population and natural resources.

Yes, there is a lot of old and new money- which means everything costs a lot. Owning horses in Nashville is so much more expensive than owning horses in Maryland, which has a much higher cost of living (and a lot more to offer, horse-wise). The horse scene is concentrated south of the city in Williamson County, which has some of the most expensive real estate in the south. You can purchase more affordable land in some of the contiguous counties to Williamson, but under no circumstances do you want to try to start a serious horse business by going north, west, or east of Nashville- there just aren’t quality horse resources nor is there the “horsey” money.

CTDA hosts 1 or 2 rated shows a year (the number varies) in addition to a nice schooling show series. Check them out, they are great. But apart from CTDA, there is no other dressage activity. When I moved to the area in 2006, there were almost no schooling shows of any discipline, just a small handful of rated shows in a couple disciplines— at least that part has gotten a little better.

Everyone snowbirds in Florida anymore to compete. Seriously, everyone. Even people who have no good reason to do so. The Nashville horse scene, in terms of trainers and competitors, becomes a ghost town January-March these days.

With all this said, I always thought the market in Nashville was ripe for more dressage. There is a real need for dressage instructors, as there are really only 2 “established” ones in the area. Although that number changes as the area attracts a lot of people , including trainers, who stay for a few years and move on (not unlike myself).

Feel free to PM me for more info!

[MysticOakRanch]

@mvp

I think Tryon and Seattle are not comparable markets. In fact, they are really different!

Oh, I totally agree - but for starting up a dressage business, they both have something to offer. Tryon is “up and coming” - a place to get a foot in the door early. Seattle is much more established, but dressage is a bit of a growth market there. Climate is different, market is different. But if you look at OP’s question - these are two very different markets that may both meet her “request”.

It is like saying California and Wellington are very different markets - they are - totally different. But both are highly established dressage markets (in their own ways).

[BigMama1]

@orlando dressage

Sorry, I think that is a misunderstanding, I don’t have anything against humidity and for sure grass needs water to grow. It is just brutal to have humidity and heat, that is why I was thinking about living somewhere between Michigan and Florida.

Virginia / Maryland maybe?

[onthebit]

The dressage market in middle Tennessee is concentrated within Williamson County (Franklin, Brentwood, College Grove and surrounding communities to give you some location names to search). I think the market is under served in dressage trainers. There is plenty of money (9th wealthiest county in the country) and interest in dressage. There have been some new dressage trainers in the area the last few years which tells me other people also think the market is under served. There are also very good vets and farriers in the area. Circle G Ranch in Lynnville (about an hour drive with a trailer from most areas of Williamson County) has a series of 5 USDF rated dressage shows each year. I think there are a couple more rated shows in the area (and several schooling shows) but the rest you will have to travel. There are a couple of super dressage trainers in the area (Tami Crawford immediately comes to mind), but they do go to Wellington for a good chunk of the season, if not all of it.

Another area that I think has plenty of money and horse interest that seems to be an under served market is the Huntsville, AL area. I’ve never lived in Huntsville or anywhere in Alabama, but there are a couple of good trainers there and plenty of money (and let’s face it, you need a community with some money to build a dressage based business). The series of 5 USDF rated dressage shows that I mentioned above (Dressage at Circle G) would be 45 min - 1 hour from Huntsville, and as mentioned a decent number of schooling shows in middle TN (areas mentioned above) and North Alabama.