# Best places to open an all inclusive horse stable?



## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

If you have that kind of money, and we are talking millions here, you should hire a business consultant and have a financial study done within market areas.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Probably wherever you live. In the sense that you will need to know a LOT about the local area before starting up a business. Shows? Are you referring to WP? Barrel racing? Jumping? Dressage? Good luck with putting together a dressage competition in the area of Arizona where I live!

You'll need a feel for property values, taxes, licenses, law, etc. You'll need an understanding of your customer base. Are you appealing to the wealthier class? Or to high school kids and their families?

And it isn't even a state by state thing. Scottsdale Arizona would have a very different business requirement than Payson, which would differ from Flagstaff, and all those would be different from almost any place in Texas. Let alone Virginia.

You might try starting your own boarding business where you are - just a few horses on a few acres - to see what it involves. Start small - VERY small - small enough you can survive going out of business. Because most new businesses will go under.

I doubt any place in America is begging for a horse-oriented business to start up. Tack & Feed stores where I live come & go. Horses don't mean much in the lives of the vast majority of Americans. Any area will have a small, very narrow base of support for a specific sort of riding. The county I live in has a million people, none of whom reflock English saddles. Nor could you find a new English saddle in any store within 100 miles of me. Doubt you could find a store with a good selection in the state! I'm staggered when I read about people thinking of paying $5,000+ for a horse. Others could not imagine buying a decent horse - for what they want - for less.

The market least likely to squash you flat is the market you already know best - where you live. And if you've never run a business before, expect to be squashed the first time you start a business.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Safehavenequine said:


> What are some of the best places in the US to open a horse business? I want to keep expanding and eventually include things like lessons, boarding, training, shows, clinics, tack store, hopefully a Veterinary clinic as well, and more! And by best I mean best for business like costs, demand, competition, etc.


If you have the (enormous) experience and (enormous) contacts and (enormous) amount of capitalization necessary, then you are probably already working there, for a big name trainer at a big name stable. 

If this is just a kind of fantasy in your head, then pick some place horsey people with money to spend congregate, like Florida or Virginia or Southern California.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

If a geographic location has lots of people willing to pay top money for an all-inclusive horse boarding business, you can bet that there are already plenty of horse businesses there that you'd have to compete with. If it doesn't have a lot of people like this, your business model isn't going to work.

Like @bsms said, there isn't a lot of unmet demand out there for horse businesses. You might be better off starting with an area you're familiar with and figuring out what niche you might be able to fill. You have to be ready to do a lot of research to figure out what your competition is, what people are charging, what your costs will be, and of course who would actually be willing to pay for your services.


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## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

All I can ad is I've been retired now over 6 years, I was self employed since the 70s.
I think your entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm should be congratulated.
My idea may be different from experience it should be in this order (as it was for me).
1) education: whatever your interest(s) are you want/need all the training you can get.
Preferably after high school, then college.
2) experience: you want to work at such a facility. Real hands on experience with an older mentor. This gives you ability to focus on exactly what you enjoy, the needs, the experience dealing with people, etc.
3) game plan: the major step of entrepreneurship. This is where most ventures fail. It will take a few years getting established, the clientele, etc. 
The first year I was in business I grossed (GROSSED!) $2,400! [Please read this again]. There is an old saying it takes three years to get started. I literally slept at the business, sometimes working until 2 a.m.

We're in South Central Virginia. Lots of horse people around here, places that board horses, supply places, etc. I don't know of an all-in-one place like that...not that it's necessarily a bad idea. My thought is to start small and grow, not start big with enormous expenses hoping it will work. 
Sam Walton opened one small store in Bentonville Arkansas in 1950. 


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Texas, Arizona, and possibly Florida would be my top picks for locations. There are a lot of horses and horse people in those states and the weather permits working all year under a covered arena. 

Something to consider is frequency people would want to come to your facility based on their interest in what is happening there. Barrel Racers, Ropers and Team Penners will probably be willing to come out few days a week if you have a nice arena and it is run well. Reiners can't do that, the shows need to be more spread out even if it is a casual style "Slide" type of show, and jackpots aren't really a thing for them. That downtime would have to be filled with clinics of some kind. English is similar if I'm not mistaken, apply accordingly. 

I'd probably only offer boarding if in an area where many people board and few are able to trailer. You may need another arena for your boarders to use if busy with shows and clinics or there could be sour grapes that the arena is always busy. 

There are facilities like the one you are talking about already, so it isn't far fetched. The one in Hamilton TX even has a hotel and a patio bar & grill at one end of the arena. Sounds real expensive and like too much work to me, but if that is your thing and you are serious enough to do all the work to make it happen I know there is a market for it.


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## The.blue.heeler (Feb 15, 2019)

THANK YOU all so much for the help! Yes I definitely will be starting small and building up. The stuff I mentioned above are more like end game things. I hate where I live (Indiana) so thats why I was wondering about other areas. My expertise and where I would like to focus on most is show jumping and barrel racing, but show jumping more then barrels. I would really like to live close to the ocean. Not necessarily on the ocean (which would be cool) but within a few hours drive. I really like North Carolina and California. What do you guys think?


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## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

Safehavenequine said:


> THANK YOU all so much for the help! Yes I definitely will be starting small and building up. The stuff I mentioned above are more like end game things. I hate where I live (Indiana) so thats why I was wondering about other areas. My expertise and where I would like to focus on most is show jumping and barrel racing, but show jumping more then barrels. I would really like to live close to the ocean. Not necessarily on the ocean (which would be cool) but within a few hours drive. I really like North Carolina and California. What do you guys think?


To me it seems like you have an idea for a business, but not exactly sure what/how/where, etc. For any thoughts one would have to know your situation, i.e., age, married/single, GOAL (the biggest thing yet)...imagine 5-10 years down the road.
Financial situation currently, etc. 

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## The.blue.heeler (Feb 15, 2019)

Fuddyduddy1952 said:


> Safehavenequine said:
> 
> 
> > THANK YOU all so much for the help! Yes I definitely will be starting small and building up. The stuff I mentioned above are more like end game things. I hate where I live (Indiana) so thats why I was wondering about other areas. My expertise and where I would like to focus on most is show jumping and barrel racing, but show jumping more then barrels. I would really like to live close to the ocean. Not necessarily on the ocean (which would be cool) but within a few hours drive. I really like North Carolina and California. What do you guys think?
> ...


I think I know the what and how the only thing I'm not sure about is where I want to open. I have an associates in business and another in agriculture concentrating on horses. I also have been in the horse world for 23 years. I have a small client base in the area however its not large enough to tie my here. I have a business plan and everything I did most of the pricing for my area but I would rather revise it for another location where I will be happy.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

Safehavenequine said:


> THANK YOU all so much for the help! Yes I definitely will be starting small and building up. The stuff I mentioned above are more like end game things. I hate where I live (Indiana) so thats why I was wondering about other areas. My expertise and where I would like to focus on most is show jumping and barrel racing, but show jumping more then barrels. I would really like to live close to the ocean. Not necessarily on the ocean (which would be cool) but within a few hours drive. I really like North Carolina and California. What do you guys think?


NC and CA are different worlds. NC can be very roughly compared to Indiana. Same basic 4 season climate but warmer. Hilly and covered in trees, coastal area is a thinly populated sandy wasteland. Conservative culture, but southern not midwestern. Has big towns, a city (Charlotte), has a middle class, but also a very large poor population. 

CA is vast and complex. It has many entirely distinct climates and cultures within it, states unto themselves. None of them resemble Indiana in any way at all. A panorama of dramatic scenery, and the easiest climates for human beings in the US. There is absolutely no possible way for you to afford to buy land there. Zero, none, zilch. A little illustrative story: In the early 1980s, when my husband and I were young and poor, my aunt sold us for cheap a couple miserable steep acres of cut-over forest in the coastal mountains, that she had no use for. All we could afford, I think it was around $25K. We cleared it ourselves, built a little house on it ourselves, with help from friends and family. Three years ago we sold it, an 1100 square foot 1 bath 2 small bedroom house on a steep slope, for $850K. Read that again. We had seven offers above the asking price the day we put it on the market. With that money we bought a 25 acre farm with a 3500 square foot house, a spanking new 3 horse stable, and good pastures, in Massachusetts. And we had $300K left over. 

A property suitable for even a smallish horse business would cost five to ten million dollars there. And there would be no pasture with that. Because California has a natural six month summer drought during which NO rain EVER falls -- that's a normal, pre-global-warming year -- most areas of California require between 10 to 50 acres per horse if they are to be eating off the land at all. 

California is also very very very crowded -- _everyone_ wants to live there (see: selling our house, above). Traffic jams of unbelievable magnitude are a fact of daily life. Laws and regulations are far more onerous than Indiana; they have to be, to protect everyone and everything from all the other humans. 

I was born there, I lived there all my life, it is a place which once was one of the most beautiful in the world and you can still see traces of it where humans have not yet been able to destroy it. I have to go back and visit periodically, because my whole extended family and most of my friends are still there, but I hate it there now. I truly do.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Avna said:


> NC and CA are different worlds. NC can be very roughly compared to Indiana. Same basic 4 season climate but warmer. Hilly and covered in trees, coastal area is a thinly populated sandy wasteland. Conservative culture, but southern not midwestern. Has big towns, a city (Charlotte), has a middle class, but also a very large poor population.
> 
> CA is vast and complex. It has many entirely distinct climates and cultures within it, states unto themselves. None of them resemble Indiana in any way at all. A panorama of dramatic scenery, and the easiest climates for human beings in the US. There is absolutely no possible way for you to afford to buy land there. Zero, none, zilch. A little illustrative story: In the early 1980s, when my husband and I were young and poor, my aunt sold us for cheap a couple miserable steep acres of cut-over forest in the coastal mountains, that she had no use for. All we could afford, I think it was around $25K. We cleared it ourselves, built a little house on it ourselves, with help from friends and family. Three years ago we sold it, an 1100 square foot 1 bath 2 small bedroom house on a steep slope, for $850K. Read that again. We had seven offers above the asking price the day we put it on the market. With that money we bought a 25 acre farm with a 3500 square foot house, a spanking new 3 horse stable, and good pastures, in Massachusetts. And we had $300K left over.
> 
> ...


Once upon a time ago California was a great state for horses if not one of the best. I wouldn't even consider it in 2020. Property prices are just one of the problems.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

In much of the west, land is cheap. Oh wait...you wanted WATER with it? In that case, it will cost you!

And in most places, land is priced much higher near populations centers. So if you have enough of a population base to have lots of potential clients, land for horses will be incredibly expensive. If you can afford the land, you are likely to have no clients.

I discussing the Intermountain West, the area where I've spent much of my life. No idea outside of that, although I've lived in California and Washington state before.

There is also this to consider - a move to overturn Prop 13 for business property:


> The Tax Foundation also rates California as the third-worst business climate among states because of its combined tax burden—including its corporate, sales, and personal income taxes. When you consider the state’s heavy-handed regulations, too, the business outlook already looks glum. According to a survey by Chief Executive, CEOs rate California the nation’s worst business environment.
> 
> Yet businesses are the target of this new ballot initiative, too, which would create so-called split rolls in California, with commercial properties getting assessed based on market value, while residences would continue to be protected from increases until owners sell them....
> 
> ...


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

bsms said:


> In much of the west, land is cheap. Oh wait...you wanted WATER with it? In that case, it will cost you!
> 
> And in most places, land is priced much higher near populations centers. So if you have enough of a population base to have lots of potential clients, land for horses will be incredibly expensive. If you can afford the land, you are likely to have no clients.
> 
> ...


Boy is that _not_ the whole story there. Suffice it to say, Prop 13 (a landmark 1978 law passed to freeze CA property taxes, right when property VALUES started to grow exponentially), has been in many ways the worst thing ever to hit California. Just for one thing, it gutted the school systems, which went from some of the best in the country to some of the worst, in five years. They have never recovered. And when articles like the linked one are published I always wonder, if the business climate is so terrible, why is it that California continues to be the biggest wealth-producing state in the country? If it was a country it would be the 7th wealthiest in the world. It's a money factory. Otherwise though, what you say about the west is spot on.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Texas has what they call Independent School Districts which are of course property tax funded. What tends to happen is that one school district does really well academically or athletically, often both, and they become a boom town. This brings a swarm of more affluent people who want Jr. to get a football scholarship to the area and what was a pretty country town becomes a sprawling mess of McMansions and overly busy farm to market roads not built for rush hour. Before long the people who lived there can't afford the ever increasing property taxes to build the new athletics complex and are forced to sell, albeit for way more than their property used to be worth. That cycle repeats until it is unrecognizable and swallowed up by new construction and then they find a new place to devour. I'm not exactly what you would call a fan. 

I need to find a pretty place in Central/West Central TX with bad teachers and kids that can't catch a ball.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Avna said:


> ...Suffice it to say, Prop 13 (a landmark 1978 law passed to freeze CA property taxes, right when property VALUES started to grow exponentially), has been in many ways the worst thing ever to hit California. Just for one thing, it gutted the school systems...


I suspect what has happened to California since 1978 - and yes, I used to go there a lot during the 70s and lived there in the mid-80s and around 2000 - is far more complex than Prop 13 limiting the tax increases on property. California had (has?) a lot going for it. The land is incredible and so is the weather. It had a well educated population and was a place people went to to follow their dreams - and there is a lot of positive synergy that comes from that.

Drawbacks too. When I lived in Tehachapi, I had neighbors who drove 2 hours one way to work. The educated workers are becoming less educated, and laws and regulation have been harsh on building and affordable homes. Many argue Prop 13 also had a negative effect on home availability. I suspect they are right. Unintended consequences!

Not praising Prop 13, but when the rules change, there are always effects on business.


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## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

Great replies. Given those two choices NC would be more suitable. Everyone's situation is different. To me if I were considering a major venture like that I would have to factor in 100 things. Proximity to family, as mentioned real estate, client base (a whole nother subject. You could have that same exact facility in 10 different places, some you'd have cobwebs on the telephone, others you'd be turning people away). 
If it were me, I'm thinking I'd have to do lots of research: property cost, climate, taxes, crime, population (+ lots more). Then maybe narrow it down to some number of prospective places. Then of those narrow down to need. 
My thought is it's a daunting task, putting it mildly. What one person's idea of an ideal facility may not appeal to that area's interest. 
Zillow for example you could search areas for what's available, price, etc. Then you'd have to see what the need is. 

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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

jgnmoose said:


> I need to find a pretty place in Central/West Central TX with bad teachers and kids that can't catch a ball.


Central Texas here. Good luck with that. The Austin exurbs extend for 50 miles in any direction now, if not more. The highways are woefully inadequate but people still move out there and commute in (or they used to pre-Covid). Prices are through the roof, even in those exurbs. If you move past that area, don't plan on having water. I was talking to some people who were only 20 miles out of town, and they had encroaching neighborhoods all around, but they still had no water. No city or county water. They couldn't drill a well because the water table is 200 feet down through solid limestone. They paid to have water delivered.

Back to the original topic, it sounds like you are pretty young. If I were you, I'd do by research and pick a place that seems likely, then move there for a year. You'll get a better feel for the culture, get to know what resources are around, see if you like the weather, etc. There are things you will find out on the ground that you just won't get from any amount of research.


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

ACinATX said:


> Central Texas here. Good luck with that.


Have been looking between San Saba and San Angelo as potentials. Something too far from town for yuppies. Everything you said of course is accurate about the general Austin area sadly. The Dripping Springs area is a personal favorite but mucho dinero. 



ACinATX said:


> Back to the original topic, it sounds like you are pretty young. If I were you, I'd do by research and pick a place that seems likely, then move there for a year. You'll get a better feel for the culture, get to know what resources are around, see if you like the weather, etc. There are things you will find out on the ground that you just won't get from any amount of research.


Second this.


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## MylieMae (Aug 14, 2020)

Just jumping in to say, Raleigh, NC is quickly becoming a tech capital of the south. We have lived here a little over 13 years and its ridiculous how quickly ppl keep moving here. In my 13 years, I have only met a handful of ppl that were born and raised in the Raleigh and surrounding areas, rather than transplants. Cost of living is still low (ish) and rather than building Raleigh up, we continue to just spread out. So its typical to drive an hour to work every day. 

Would highly recommend digging through Zillow and Redfin if you want to get more accurate depictions of where ppl are moving to rapidly.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

It would help to know WHAT you hate about Indiana. Is it the humidity, the snow, the cornfields, the jello salads? You need to get specific. 

When I was looking to relocate I had a long list of things I knew I wanted and things I knew I wanted to avoid. And I was retiring, so being close to clientele and being able to grow a business didn't figure in. Then my husband of course weighed in with his own list. Luckily we kind of like the same things. Really important! We had done quite a bit of traveling about the states and had a good idea of what it might be like to move to many parts of it. Which is why we narrowed it down to two areas, New England and the Pacific Northwest (climate and culture). When our daughter settled in Massachusetts that settled us, too. We live 25 minutes from her family, but they live in town, a few minutes commute from where they both work, and we live in the country. Totally works for us.

For you, a good business climate, a large potential clientele pool, and cheap land are going to be up there in your top ten needs.


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## NeedMoreCoffee (May 27, 2015)

Happy to help out with questions about NC. i lived all over the state and can point you in some decent directions IF you are still considering the state.Lots of pros and cons as well as lots of horse friendly people and locations.


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## The.blue.heeler (Feb 15, 2019)

Avna said:


> It would help to know WHAT you hate about Indiana. Is it the humidity, the snow, the cornfields, the jello salads? You need to get specific.


Hi! The main things I hate are the snow/winter and that so many people are so rude I didn't realize people were nicer until I lived on Ky and Iowa. Plus I'd love to live near preferably the ocean or the mountains, but I am open to other areas just if I had a choice I'd definitely choose the ocean over the plains (or something)



NeedMoreCoffee said:


> Happy to help out with questions about NC. i lived all over the state and can point you in some decent directions IF you are still considering the state.Lots of pros and cons as well as lots of horse friendly people and locations.


YES North Carolina is top of my list right now! I took a road trip throughout NC and LOVED it plus from what everyone else is saying it sounds like a good option!


Also thank you everyone for all the answers!! Definitely helpful and a lot to think about! Also how do I figure out what the areas demand is? Should I look for an area with a lot of barns or not very many? I realize not very many barns doesn't necessarily mean there is a demand for it but being the only one around does have its benefits.


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## The.blue.heeler (Feb 15, 2019)

MylieMae said:


> Would highly recommend digging through Zillow and Redfin if you want to get more accurate depictions of where ppl are moving to rapidly.


How do I do that? I know how to view houses and stuff but how do I see the stats? Just look for how many days on the market houses have been?


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## The.blue.heeler (Feb 15, 2019)

Anyone know how I figure out what the areas demand is? Should I look for an area with a lot of barns or not very many? I realize not very many barns doesn't necessarily mean there is a demand for it but being the only one around does have its benefits.


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## MeditativeRider (Feb 5, 2019)

ACinATX said:


> I was talking to some people who were only 20 miles out of town, and they had encroaching neighborhoods all around, but they still had no water. No city or county water. They couldn't drill a well because the water table is 200 feet down through solid limestone. They paid to have water delivered.


How are people allowed to build on land that does not have a water supply? That's crazily unsustainable in so many ways. I am pretty sure to get consents to build on rural land here (NZ) you need a supply of water. Then for residential land, I don't think it being given consent to build on if it does not have a water supply.

Sorry for the detour original poster.


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## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

The.blue.heeler said:


> Anyone know how I figure out what the areas demand is? Should I look for an area with a lot of barns or not very many? I realize not very many barns doesn't necessarily mean there is a demand for it but being the only one around does have its benefits.


Anyone know how I figure out what the areas demand is? 
I don't have the answer which should be very helpful [emoji3]. 
One thing is if you've narrowed it down to NC, mountains would be West coast, from Boone down to Asheville areas, ocean would be OBX (Outer Banks) area. 
Zillow you can key in an area, then add filters like land size (Ex: 10ac-50ac).
I can think of a few things to try (helpful?).
1) call a few horse feed distributors. Ask where most deliveries are in NC (i.e., most horses).
2) search things like NC equine centers, tack shops, etc. Ask if there are similar centers there already similar to your idea. You don't have to be specific, like "I'm planning on opening", just you're considering moving to that area...what's available.
3) then a huge decision: tourist destination or for local people? If it's going to be more for events attracting people even out of state I would think you'd want to be closer to a larger city/near interstate (Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Greensboro).
Just random thoughts.

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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

As far as demand goes, I think it is fairly simple: economics. Where are the people with money? That is your answer. Horses are an expensive sport and anyone who participates in it has to have significant discretionary income. 

On the East Coast, there is a very large seasonal movement by those horse people who can afford it, from north to south in fall, and back north again in spring. Snowbirds with horse trailers. If cold weather is your problem, I suggest looking for the southern areas that cater to this trade. Florida is the biggest winter destination but I see ads for winter horse facilities in South Carolina as well. These are big boarding/training stables advertising in New England, or private equine properties for sale. South Carolina is a poor state, and land is generally inexpensive. North Carolina might also be a possibility but I don't know (I live in New England, love the snow, and have less than no interest in snowbirding myself). The economic issue with such a set up is that income may be seasonal.

Culturally, the South (and North Carolina is definitely the South), is quite different than the Midwest. People are often gushingly sweet and friendly -- to your face anyway -- but they are in reality neither more nor less friendly than anywhere else. It is just a cultural style. Personally I can't stand it! I am much more comfortable with laconic New Englanders and Midwesterners who warm up to you in their own good time. But that is just me.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Avna said:


> People are often gushingly sweet and friendly -- to your face anyway -- but they are in reality neither more nor less friendly than anywhere else. It is just a cultural style. Personally I can't stand it! I am much more comfortable with laconic New Englanders and Midwesterners who warm up to you in their own good time. But that is just me.


Ugh, I agree. I bet people in New England would never think of telling someone they barely know "You should smile, sweetie, you look so much prettier when you do!"


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

ACinATX said:


> Ugh, I agree. I bet people in New England would never think of telling someone they barely know "You should smile, sweetie, you look so much prettier when you do!"


You'd be lucky to get a slightly grim nod out of a stranger up here. An acquaintance would maybe get "getting to be good sap weather, eh?"


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## Palfrey (May 29, 2020)

The.blue.heeler said:


> THANK YOU all so much for the help! Yes I definitely will be starting small and building up. The stuff I mentioned above are more like end game things. I hate where I live (Indiana) so thats why I was wondering about other areas. My expertise and where I would like to focus on most is show jumping and barrel racing, but show jumping more then barrels. I would really like to live close to the ocean. Not necessarily on the ocean (which would be cool) but within a few hours drive. I really like North Carolina and California. What do you guys think?


East Coast. There's a lot of big shows like HITS, Devon, Wellington etc. Check with your state laws regarding owning a veterinary clinic--this may also impact where you'd like to move. Some states (NY) you have to be a DVM to own a practice. Pennsylvania however, you don't. Good luck in your future endeavors!


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## The.blue.heeler (Feb 15, 2019)

Palfrey said:


> East Coast. There's a lot of big shows like HITS, Devon, Wellington etc. Check with your state laws regarding owning a veterinary clinic--this may also impact where you'd like to move. Some states (NY) you have to be a DVM to own a practice. Pennsylvania however, you don't. Good luck in your future endeavors!


Thank you!


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## The.blue.heeler (Feb 15, 2019)

Avna said:


> As far as demand goes, I think it is fairly simple: economics. Where are the people with money? That is your answer. Horses are an expensive sport and anyone who participates in it has to have significant discretionary income.
> 
> On the East Coast, there is a very large seasonal movement by those horse people who can afford it, from north to south in fall, and back north again in spring. Snowbirds with horse trailers. If cold weather is your problem, I suggest looking for the southern areas that cater to this trade. Florida is the biggest winter destination but I see ads for winter horse facilities in South Carolina as well. These are big boarding/training stables advertising in New England, or private equine properties for sale. South Carolina is a poor state, and land is generally inexpensive. North Carolina might also be a possibility but I don't know (I live in New England, love the snow, and have less than no interest in snowbirding myself). The economic issue with such a set up is that income may be seasonal.
> 
> Culturally, the South (and North Carolina is definitely the South), is quite different than the Midwest. People are often gushingly sweet and friendly -- to your face anyway -- but they are in reality neither more nor less friendly than anywhere else. It is just a cultural style. Personally I can't stand it! I am much more comfortable with laconic New Englanders and Midwesterners who warm up to you in their own good time. But that is just me.


Wow lot's of good info thank you! I guess I'll have to look at both south and north Carolina and see which better meets my needs! Thank you


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## The.blue.heeler (Feb 15, 2019)

Fuddyduddy1952 said:


> ould be OBX (Outer Banks) area.
> Zillow you can key in an area, then add filters like land size (Ex: 10ac-50ac).
> I can think of a few things to try (helpful?).
> 1) call a few horse feed distributors. Ask where most deliveries are in NC (i.e., most horses).
> ...


Those are good ideas! Thank you so much!


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