A Move to TN with our dogs and horses is our dream, North or South of Knox? (Knoxville: transplants, coupons)

[CountryGal1289]

Good Morning all!
Thank you to everyone for your help! A friend of ours suggested we check out middle TN for more horsey area's, what do you think? I absolutely love the east side though, hills and mountains are gorgeous. Too mountainous for horses though? Even though my husband and I grew up in flat north Ohio, both my parents are from southwest PA, mountain area and I spent every summer though so I've always loved it and wanted to live somewhere like that.
We're not sure yet about our budget, we are seasoning our kids to run our business here for us, but my husband and I would go nuts without having a job, so we would have income there too. I'll just say that we are not out to impress anyone or keep up with the Jones' type of people and anyone who's lived in Florida knows that's pretty much the type of people who live here. Great for our business but not who we are. A mobile home on a few acres, nothing fancy, would suit us fine. We want to simplify our life and enjoy our animals and nature, and I would also love to go to the grocery store in my dirty barn clothes and not get the dirty looks I get here.
$475 is actually very cheap for board here, our barn is not the nicest with falling down cow fencing, electric fence doesn't work, and that just includes food, stall and pasture. We do all the bathing and care. Most nice barns start at 525 and go up to 900 a month. But our dream is to live with our horses so our first choice is to find a place and we don't mind having to drive thirty or forty miles to a job just so we can live our horsey dream in the country. Thanks everyone, you've been so helpful. I'm getting out my atlas and checking out where all the area's are you all have suggested.

[mbmouse]

There are horsey people and stables and such in almost all areas of TN (East, Middle, West). No, east is not too mountainous for horses. The Tri-Cities is about as far east you can get and not be in NC and the majority of that area is foot hills and valleys. Some of the most beautiful views of the mountains though. If you like trail riding, there isn't a nicer place to ride in my opinion.

[CountryGal1289]

Love trails!!!! That's why we keep our horses at the crappy barn we're at, because of the beautiful state park we have right by it. Miles and miles of woods and creeks that the horses love to cross. No mountains or hills though.

[mbmouse]

Here is a link to places you can trailer your horses to within an hour/hour and a half ride from the Tri-Cities to trail ride in the national parks of the region:
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/horsetrails.pdf

Here is a VERY nice park in Bluff City right by Holston Lake that has stables and trails.
index

Here is a link to some great info about places to trail ride by the Watauga river/lake areas: East Tennessee Horseback Riding

[oldmanbob]

Hey countrygal1289, as most have stated, your boarding will be much less here, and several of my friends, trailer to many places, for rides, and anywhere in our area, will put you within an easy 1 hour drive to our great many state parks, including the Smokies. Our area is certainly not too hilly, or to mountainess. My daughter , lives west, and she and a neigbor, board horses, and one of her neighbors, was past pres, of the 1/4 assoc, and they ride all the time. Even with some rolling pastures, great places to ride. I again say Seymour, as its beautiful, and some 30 minutes away from Sevierville, so some great prices, and you can probably even find homes, for same price as a double wide. Good luck and just load the horses, and come for a long weekend visit. What type of horses do you have?

[knoxgarden]

There are state parks that offer horse trails.
TN State Parks: Find A Park: Horseback Riding
Middle Tennessee is considered more "horsey" because it's the center for the Tennessee Walking Horse and there are major saddlebred shows there, particularly around Shelbyville.
But if you prefer trail riding over showing, you'll do fine in East Tennessee.

[piedmont]

OP:

Much of TN, as noted, is horsey. I think TN is in the top 10 for state horse populations. Middle TN does have more usable land, but it is still very possible to have a horse property in the east. Nashville has a larger economy and probably a larger number of folks seeking suburban/home improvement services (if that is your business).

The trail riding in the east is exceptional. From Big South Fork, to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park plus lots of National Forest and State Park trails. Trails are frequently rugged, hilly and have great scenery. It is quite different from the sandy soils I enjoyed in NC, but here you can ride past waterfalls and such.

If you are into competing, I'd suggest doing some research on your discipline. It varies tremendously, and for many disciplines (dressage, jumping, hunters for ex.), it will be a much smaller scene than in FL.

[CountryGal1289]

Hi all!
I truly enjoyed all of your words of wisdom, thanks!! I think we would fit in fine in East TN, my husband and I are totally western trail riders. Not interested in shows, although I've been taking English riding lessons once a week just to broaden my horizons and better my riding skills and balance. It's very different though and I'm a true western girl. We have two gorgeous Registered Paint Quarter horses. Mine is a tri-colored Bay Tobiano Mare and my husband has a Black & White Overo Paint with blue eyes. They are our babies (now that our kids are grown!) and we can't stand to see them in this high heat and humidity, covered in sweat and flies, looking miserable. Their pasture is mostly sand, I hate it and I want them to have a better life along with us. We would love to join a trail riding club or something like that to make new horsey friends there. They wouldn't know what to think having real pastures and exciting trails. Plus I worry every year when hurricane season arrives, we are two miles from the gulf and our horses are three miles away. If one hit here, we'd all be wiped out. Hurricane Charlie hit just thirty minutes from here, that was too close for me. We want to get out now, before our luck runs out!!

[kar]

Originally Posted by CountryGal1289

Hi all!
I truly enjoyed all of your words of wisdom, thanks!! I think we would fit in fine in East TN, my husband and I are totally western trail riders. Not interested in shows, although I've been taking English riding lessons once a week just to broaden my horizons and better my riding skills and balance. It's very different though and I'm a true western girl. We have two gorgeous Registered Paint Quarter horses. Mine is a tri-colored Bay Tobiano Mare and my husband has a Black & White Overo Paint with blue eyes. They are our babies (now that our kids are grown!) and we can't stand to see them in this high heat and humidity, covered in sweat and flies, looking miserable. Their pasture is mostly sand, I hate it and I want them to have a better life along with us. We would love to join a trail riding club or something like that to make new horsey friends there. They wouldn't know what to think having real pastures and exciting trails. Plus I worry every year when hurricane season arrives, we are two miles from the gulf and our horses are three miles away. If one hit here, we'd all be wiped out. Hurricane Charlie hit just thirty minutes from here, that was too close for me. We want to get out now, before our luck runs out!!

Hi CountryGal,
Where in SW Florida are you? We moved from Fort Myers over four years ago to the Nashville area with my wife's horse. He was in a stable in Lehigh Acres before we moved him up here with us. Tennessee is diffidently horse country for sure. If you need any info on stables in our area just ask.

[CountryGal1289]

Hey Kar,
Sarasota county, or as I call it, snob county. Oh, then you know how much it costs to have a horse down here! Although my husband was checking on stables south of us, Pt. Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Ft. Myers, and I'd have to say boarding fees aren't as high in those area's as here. Thanks so much for any info you could give me on stables in your area. How much is Hay and grain there? It's so expensive here, Coastal is eight dollars a square Ba. T & A is 15.00. A bag of sweet grain is 15.00 for 12 percent protein, and that's one of the most inexpensive brands. Any help you could give would be wonderful. Thanks again!