I live in Florida- trust me- SC looks like a much cheaper place to live- the prices of everything was lower- probably because Florida has sales tax and gas tax and everything else tax. There is no income tax- but the city, county and state find other ways to get you!
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We bought our farm in Aiken late 2019 and we had so many options. Agents are knocking on doors to see if folks want to sell now and many/most listings sell before they even get online. It’s crazy. I’m glad we bought when we did although we’re building a house, so we’re getting it on the materials side.
This. It is a problem with Florida. Also it is a bottleneck to get out in an evacuation, and some of the barns advertised for evacuation shelters aren’t even made of concrete. I had an ISELP vet tell me they keep their horses outside in Ocala during hurricanes. I’m just concerned about flying debris, and also concerned about a structure falling on the horse. If there is a problem with 175 or 195 highways then your horses are stuck on the interstate with hot weather trying to escape a hurricane. These storms take place every year.
Excellent points by people looking to plan ahead for veterinary emergencies. Better in Ocala. What I have noticed is that the upper level riders that reside in Ocala only do so during the winter. It’s actually a compromise to a horses health to be in Ocala in the summer, unless one is trying to acclimate a horse to a very hot weather competition venue as a preparation for a specific competition within a discrete period of time to avoid wear and tear on the horse. Another problem with extremely hot weather is that it stretches the tendons and ligaments according to veterinary sports medicine research.
I’ve also noticed that trainers like Lucinda Green who give clinics for riders to increase their skills and their confidence, used to come to Ocala a lot more in the past. In the past we had Longwood farm, and we also had the Ocala Jockey club. Lucinda Green walked the course at the Ocala Jockey club every year between 2016 and 2019. She also gave clinics when she visited Florida during those competition times. All of this has disappeared. Apparently a lot of people are switching to Aiken? I’m not sure why .
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Storms that people evacuate for do not happen every year in Ocala. I have been in Ocala for twenty years with a non-concrete barn and have never left because of a hurricane. And I never will. There are hurricane codes for building here, concrete or non-concrete. I have never had any damage to my buildings from a hurricane.
I would never turn out in a hurricane where I live, though I have heard that recommendation.
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I have visited Aiken, and lived in Ocala year round. Despite the “Florida factor”, Ocala is a pretty nice place to live (and I grew up in New England, so it took a lot to convince me). The biggest thing I found lacking from a general living perspective was arts and culture, but there are nearby options (Gainesville close, and Tampa reasonable). There are close day trips like nice beaches and Orlando, if you’re into that sort of thing, and lots of things to do in Ocala itself.
The summers are long but I didn’t find the heat to be much worse than other southern places. In the worst of the summer, ride before 10am or after 6pm. The daylight hours are long so you have options. I found the sheer length of summer to be the difficult thing, not necessarily the heat itself. I was dying for fall weather by October, and it doesn’t cool off until mid December.
Hay is expensive, but there are decent prices to be had, especially if you get creative. I shared trucks of hay with others to get my squares, and fed primarily alfalfa pasture blocks which are pretty affordable (comparatively). There is a lot of rain in the summer, so if you find a place with decent soil (this varies widely, even within neighborhoods) you can have fantastic pasture in the warmer months and minimize your hay needs.
The veterinary care in Ocala is fantastic. People don’t often consider this but it means your needs can always be met in an emergency, and trust me, you will care when it’s your hour of need. There are also several major shippers based in Ocala who make local runs, so you will also never be stranded.
Feel free to PM if you have any questions about specific areas. I worked as an ambulatory veterinary technician for several years and am familiar with the horse keeping in Ocala and the surrounding areas.
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Ocala is not significantly hotter or more humid in the summer than many of the swampy southern or mid-atlantic places (Richmond VA or DC area, for instance) where people do ride and compete outdoors all summer. Not pleasant, but no more a danger in Ocala than the many other places where people ride at the crack of dawn to avoid the heat of the day.
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Lucinda Green just had a clinic in Ocala at Barnstaple South last week and William Fox Pitt had one a month before that at Barnstaple. There is no lack of UL trainers or riders in Ocala to clinic or lesson with.
I’m on that. They are very helpful for whatever level you are or whatever questions you need to ask.
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I feel the biggest issue with the heat/humidity difference in Ocala/Fl as opposed to the east coast or midwest is it never really cools down at night as much.
Roundish numbers from several sites, averages.
In July, temps run 90 during the day and 68 during the night, average heat index is 100 in Richmond (picking a non costal city).
Ocala averages 93 and 71 with a heat index of 110 . because it is just more humid.
Which doesn’t look like much, depends on your tolerance of heat/humidity but there is a reason a lot of trainers leave/used to travel out of Florida during the summer.
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Less alligators in Aiken ?
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The appeal of Aiken to me was the charming downtown with cute shops and restaurants, as well as the extensive selection of trainers, schooling and recognized shows and the Hitchcock Woods. I hear that there are plans to dramatically change the charming downtown of Aiken (knock down historic district shops to build a multi story parking garage!). I am going to take a ‘wait and see‘ attitude before making long term plans in the Aiken vs. Ocala choice.
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It’s replacing the derelict Hotel Aiken with a new hotel as well as taking some of Newberry Street to build a convention center and parking garage. There is a very strong citizen action against it that is quite well organized. We’re hoping a more historically sensitive plan can be put in place instead. We love living here!
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A convention center?! That does not seem to fit with downtown Aiken at all!
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Agree. I don’t know if there will be enough business to support a convention center.
And augusta has a lit convention center attached to the hotel that is always booming - but also has the airport to support it.
I would disagree with the cost of living of Aiken. I live in Aiken and have a farm in Aiken. Prices have skyrocketed in Aiken over the last 5 years. Honestly its about the same now. We are contemplating moving to Ocala full time with a small place in Aiken. FL offers horses for me and more stuff for my husband. Aiken has changed and its not the same as it was 5-10 years ago.
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Aiken has grown so much since I moved here.
Re Ocala and hurricanes. I am in central Fla, midway between Ocala and Orlando. The inland parts of the state can get the edges of hurricanes, but we have now been thru 2 since moving south and no major issues.
BUT worth knowing: This past fall when Hurricane Ian was deciding where to go WEC Ocala opened 3000 stalls in their new, solid concrete barns FOR FREE, you only needed to provide bedding and strip stall(s) when you left. So for people who weren’t comfortable with their regular facility, there was an easy answer. And they filled every stall. Even had mini’s, donkeys, goats and one kangaroo… I’m not an eventer but I have heard that they are planning a cross country course there. Someone else may know more.
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I live an hour north of Ocala. Honestly, I can’t wait to leave Florida. My previous house was lost to a hurricane. My cousin’s house missed getting the eye wall of hurricane Ian by about 10 miles. Way too close for comfort and they didn’t have time to evacuate with the congested roads and uncertainty in the forecast track. The north central Florida region has been relatively lucky with storms, but how long can that luck last?
Next is the lightning during the summer. Do you stall the horses all day during the summer, or all afternoon, or turnout and hope they don’t get hit? I lost 4 trees on a 1 acre section due to lightning. My big hickory tree behind the barn was struck and killed. My neighbor lost a tree by the fence. I don’t want my horses out in storms.
Add in excessive heat and bugs… No thanks.
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Interesting about the lightning. I had heard of a large thoroughbred training center near Ocala that had loudspeakers or sirens to warn the sets of horses going to and from the track to head for cover because of storms coming.Apparently it was dangerous enough to have a set protocol in place.
