Experiences from folks who moved from CA to Sandpoint? (Pocatello: moving to, vehicle)

[Teufelshund20]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

Harvey Lippert is a great person to buy hay from by the ton and he will stack it for you too if you pay him for it. Carter Country, The Co-op and North 40 have everything you'll need as far as feed, and carter country does sell hay by the bale as well.

Tim Nichols is the best farrier in the area, bar none ...or his son Caleb. Tim was a rodeo bulldogger and Caleb rides Broncs.. They know horses feet like nobodies business. And do the best horses in the area...the big trainers, etc. Triton Vet (Jenny Grimmet) is the best horse vet.

A three sided shelter (loafing shed) is really all you need. You don't want a horse in the wet and wind when it's really cold...that's what is dangerous to them. Most of the above stores will sell decent blankets, etc.

I moved from Arizona to Sandpoint so though it's not from California it was from a warm, desert climate.

Do many people go shoeless? What do they charge for front shoes and trim?

Also, what is the price for alfalfa and Bermuda per bale?

Thank you for any input.

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by Teufelshund20

Do many people go shoeless? What do they charge for front shoes and trim?

Also, what is the price for alfalfa and Bermuda per bale?

Thank you for any input.

I leave all of my horses barefoot if possible. If they are in training or showing they are shod and if one has a problem that needs corrective shoeing of course. Tim Nichols charges about 40 dollars for a trim, can't remember what he charges for full shoes. I never do just front shoes so you'd have to call and ask.

There is no Bermuda up here...what we have is lovely mixed grass hay and Timothy, some of the best in the country I think, and I've lived all over it. We only bought alfalfa for our sheep,and that was 4th cutting and too rich for horses. Had to go far afield for it.
People here don't really feed horses alfalfa like they do in say, Arizona unless they have a specific need for it. The grass hay is just really good and the horses can eat more reducing boredom, helping them keep,warm, etc.
Grass/alfalfa is easy to find too. I'd call up Charlie at Carter Country and ask his prices.

[mistyriver]

If you're looking for a place to board when you first get there, I'd recommend Gypo Meadows Ranch. Good people and a good facility and pastures. I boarded a young horse I was starting there over a winter so I could use the indoor arena. Not a fancy show type of boarding stable but a solid one. they know horses.

GypoMeadows.com - (208) 265-2593 - Horse Boarding, Indoor Training - Sandpoint, Idaho | Just another WordPress site

[Teufelshund20]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

If you're looking for a place to board when you first get there, I'd recommend Gypo Meadows Ranch. Good people and a good facility and pastures. I boarded a young horse I was starting there over a winter so I could use the indoor arena. Not a fancy show type of boarding stable but a solid one. they know horses.

GypoMeadows.com - (208) 265-2593 - Horse Boarding, Indoor Training - Sandpoint, Idaho | Just another WordPress site

Thank you, I will have to board them for 2-3 months while i search for a house once i get there.

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by Teufelshund20

Thank you, I will have to board them for 2-3 months while i search for a house once i get there.

Not supposed to put business names on here so pm'd you with some phone numbers, websites, etc. just a heads up, if you plan on coming in the fall/winter, it's harder to get boarding there. They fill up with locals who board there in winter to keep riding

[Teufelshund20]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

Not supposed to put business names on here so pm'd you with some phone numbers, websites, etc. just a heads up, if you plan on coming in the fall/winter, it's harder to get boarding there. They fill up with locals who board there in winter to keep riding

What kind of set up do you have for water during the winter to prevent the water from freezing?

[mistyriver]

Originally Posted by Teufelshund20

What kind of set up do you have for water during the winter to prevent the water from freezing?

Well the years we were off grid it was pretty rudimentary and what we did was what a rancher friend in Alberta advised me to do: float a basketball on the stock tank. The breeze and weight of the basketball keeps the water open a good bit longer than you'd expect it to but there still was some chopping whe the temps really plunged below zero.

What normal people do and I was happy to do after we connected to the grid, was use electric stock tank heaters or bucket heaters ...they even have heated buckets but ethy are a bit pricier and not really necessary.

We did get heated hoses a few years ago and they are very nice. One thing you must always remember to do after watering the horses is to disconnect the hose from the frost free hydrant. Or it will freeze. And you can hopefully get it thawed with a hair dryer or heat gun, and not be waterless till the next thaw.

[Thesagewolf]

Originally Posted by Sagle Sam

Take a 2 week vacation to here in mid-January and imagine living in that every year from 2-4 months and you will get a good idea of whether or not you want to live here. Also, add the fact that the other months, if/when you are out in public, you will be around highly conservative, responsible, gun-toting white people that will impress upon you to assimilate or leave. If you do not know what assimilate means, then please Google it. If that suits you, like it does me, then you will be very happy here.

Exactly!

[Thesagewolf]

Originally Posted by mistyriver

And how long have you lived here?

I've lived here since the 1990s, before the attempted californication began, and I agree 110% with Sagle Sam. I chose the PNW BECAUSE of its stability of identity, and the fact that it isn't a circus of conflicting ideas. Assimilating is essential. Just try and defy assimilating to the snow, wildlife, culture... Any sane person would impress upon you to return to where you left if for instance, you refused to use snow tires, wanted all the deer killed or expressed views to remove everyone's firearms. Even, and especially, a true friend, would recommend you leave.

[Silver Dollar]

Hi Sage of Sagle,

("I personally like living somewhere this politically conservative overall. And I was burned out on California's political mess, taxes, people, cultural wars, traffic, smog, etc.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE having 4 actual seasons. Something I never had in SoCal. We have a long gray winter, a usually wet spring, a short but photojournal-worthy summer, and a really gorgeous fall. And most years I REALLY love winter. I can put on warm clothes, but you can only get so naked in a hot summer. I love snow, and I can deal with ice and such. Just doesn't really bother me. In fact, during the dead of winter when we're in our "meat locker" months, my allergies almost go away completely and I feel a lot better. So winter here is a health benefit to me.

The gun culture here really appeals to me. As a retired cop, I shoot a lot (on my own acreage/range), and I like that so many others here share that interest.

I like the heavy Scottish/Irish influence here. In SoCal out of 13 million people they could scrounge up 6-7 pipe bands. We can do that among just a handful of small towns up here. Being of nordic and scottish descent, I have enjoyed exposing my kids to that cultural influence more.")

My husband and I are thinking along the same lines as you. We are real close to that decision of moving to North Idaho. Thank you for the information. If there is anything else we need to know, as of 1-2019, please let us know by these threads; they are very helpful. A lot has changed in this State (not mentioned), and many other states, according to Zillow, City-Data, etc., that needs to be addressed, as far as safety, and taking care of one's property, family, etc., from crime related activities.

We stand behind the blue.

Silver Dollar