Best country to have horses? Just for fun!

I don't have experience of keeping a horse in this country (and I know the day to day is very different) but I'd like to nominate Bardbados, ridden there a few times, always at the same stable. Horses all had fans in the stable, short hack (or longer) hack to beach (windy and rough so no one uses to sunbathe or swim, v quiet), yard had an arena, jumps and lessons and apparently show jumping and dressage on the island. Horses just turned out (not fenced) and whistled in for dinner, lush grass growing, which groom said they would cut with a sythe (sp) if there was ever a need for hay and would dry out quick!
Downsides all tack imported, there was a farrier and vet but not sure how good they are. No Chiro, dentist, saddle fit, flies a problem.Horses at the stable all looked in fab condition and same year after year. I'd like to live there so probably quiet biased!
 
Evie91 said:
I don't have experience of keeping a horse in this country (and I know the day to day is very different) but I'd like to nominate Bardbados, ridden there a few times, always at the same stable. Horses all had fans in the stable, short hack (or longer) hack to beach (windy and rough so no one uses to sunbathe or swim, v quiet), yard had an arena, jumps and lessons and apparently show jumping and dressage on the island. Horses just turned out (not fenced) and whistled in for dinner, lush grass growing, which groom said they would cut with a sythe (sp) if there was ever a need for hay and would dry out quick!
Downsides all tack imported, there was a farrier and vet but not sure how good they are. No Chiro, dentist, saddle fit, flies a problem.Horses at the stable all looked in fab condition and same year after year. I'd like to live there so probably quiet biased!
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That sounds like heaven
 
To answer the question about English spoken there are lots of British about 30 mins away.
A few 10 minutes away, and only 3 others in my village.
Everybody it seems is bilingual, as their parents or grannies came from elsewhere to work here.Some of them speak English to a greater or lesser extent. Obviously much more where the grits congregate.
 
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MotherOfChickens said:
only in the US-Pennsylvania. 100C, 95% humidity in the summer-horse flies the size of bats and the charmingly named sweat bees. I was hosing horses down so much I got what looked like trench foot. Once I acclimatised (which meant everything I ate going straight through me for two months) it was bearable. Then feet of snow in the winter-which was more fun.
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We were in Massachusetts. Very similar. No riding outside at all during the winter, as even when it wasn't snowing (which it often did - and lots), the ground was literally frozen solid until well into April.

And then the heat, humidity and mosquitoes in the summer.

And very very expensive (hunter/jumper).
 
I have only ever lived in South West Wales and riding out is fantastic and the fact that my horses can be turned out 24/7 all year round is definitely a bonus but the rain really does drive me mad. Last winter was horrendous wish we had dryer winters and slightly warmer summers to make Wales perfect.
 
Ireland of course!

Home of the horse, lush green grass and plenty of it. Good competitions and at high level, close enough to England to compete at more internationals.
Generally a horse friendly country. Yes there is rain, but you get on with things and it doesn't really affect much. Good horses, good riders, good pubs, what more could you ask :D
 
Sarah W said:
I'm near Tomar - about 150km north of Lisbon - and you can ride pretty much anywhere as long as you don't go over crops (although as the main industry is vines and olives it's not an issue). No fences but not that many places to canter which is the downside. Lots of endurance riding in some areas, others concentrate on dressage, working equitation and bull fighting (boo :( )
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Riding everywhere as in a bit like scotland? I'm a bit scared of this though, don't want any shouty farmers chasing after me Lol! OH has a place in Alentejo so thinking of moving out there eventually. Just hacking is my main thing, but as OH and family not horsey difficult to find this stuff out
 
Cortez said:
People do ride out in Portugal, but hacking and organised bridleways, etc. is very much a UK "thing"
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It's the impression I get. People seem very into dressage though. I went to a horse festival there and a lot of the events got cancelled, including the cross country due to lack of competitors. There were loads of people riding though.
 
From my experience living and working in different places, so far I'd say the UK generally. We have the best access to vets, physios, saddlers, trainers, competitions and varied hacking. I love the change in seasons and how if you get bored of one lot of weather you know it'll soon change. What I like least is how vastly overpopulated we have become with roads becoming insanely dangerous and bridleways being fractured by new roads and building developments, plus land prices making it harder to afford quality space to keep horses.

Next I'd say New Zealand (my favourite country but the odd drawback). Where I worked in South Island we had access to the Queens land so could ride into the mountains and valleys for days, horses lived in a big herd on lots of land, gorgeous changes of seasons....but you had to be your own vet/farrier/saddle fitter so were a bit isolated in that regard. Your horse breaks a leg on a ride and you've got to find a friend to shoot it. In the north island I groomed for racehorses, eventers and SJs all living out 24/7 year round in big hilly fields, plenty of competitions and farriers/vets etc but no bridlepaths to speak of, we would ride around the fields on our own cattle farm but that was about it.

Canada I worked with sj/show hunters. Lovely in summer, baltically cold in winter. Horses kept yarded individually rather than turned out in fields and all work was done in the arena, I think I hacked out once. Bears!

Southern California, hot hot hot even in winter with no real change of seasons but I liked it having just left canada in the dead of winter. Lots of rattlesnakes and black widow spiders which I liked less.

Namibia - didn't love the spiders and snakes but great riding!

I think I'd stick to the UK in general!
 
If we're dreaming.... I would choose 'Engalia' - a totally wonderful place that combines the UK and all it's benefits with the weather in Australia, without the bugs! :D
 
This is a really interesting thread! I've never lived in any other countries, nor visited for long enough to form an opinion about keeping horses there, although I have visited a few yards in France.

It's made me realise how good we have it in the UK really.
 
Scotland if you've got your own indoor I think. Can ride anywhere you want. Loads of competitions and things on. I am really lucky and have 5 competition / clinic venues less than half an hour away and a wholly indoor one about an hour away.

No such thing as bad weather only inappropriate clothing!
 
SaddleUpSin said:
Yikes that's terrifying!

What about Canada/America?
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Depends where you go, N.A is an awfully big continent.

Canada - West Coast, Vancouver is the mildest place , spectacular scenery but it rains all the time and gets progressively colder and snowier as you go East, there's a warm pocket in Ontario around Toronto, I am in the East, and it is mild here compared to other places, -25C forecast tonight, but we only have about 8" of snow, mind, it's been here since the end of November, but still, this IS mild. I had a friend in Yellowknife who said -35C was a normal winter day!

The US, couldn't say, I love the look of Colorado and Montana, but again, cold and snowy.
 
No-one even consider Bermuda unless you are seriously rich. I have friends who have a 3 year (extendable) contract there, so far they haven't shipped the horse there, board (livery) is $3000 a month. A bale of shavings (regular size) $50 regular square bale of hay $36, the whole place is stupidly expensive, everything is imported. So, beautiful island, gorgeous riding I am told, but ..... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
 
Enfys said:
Central America. I am off to Belize on a fact/house finding mission next month :D Trouble is it rains there. I hate the blasted rain.
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Flies, flies, flies, maggots, ticks, snakes, weird skin excresenses and lots of things that will eat you and/or horse. Lovely country though!
 
I lived in Germany as a kid and the local yard had amazing facilities - but the horses never hacked out. They humoured the British riding club by letting us go hacking about once a month, which turned into 2 hours of completely out of control over-excited warmbloods (the kids ponies were just mini versions and twice as hot!).

Although I loved Australia one of my favourite places is still Cannock Chase in Staffs. Minimal road work, loads of places for a really good blast and you can ride for hours. I miss it!
 
Abi90 said:
I used to live in Macclesfield and it rained all the time. Now live on the Northumberland coast and it goes weeks without raining! It's colder, considerably, but drier.
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I live there now and it doesn't :D

Bright and clear outside right now.
 
tankgirl1 said:
I'm in the Peak District, not far from Buxton - pretty much year round rain, fog and mud! On the rare fine day though hacking out is amazing and makes me appreciate the natural beauty on my doorstep :) I am very lucky really, born and raised in a Peak National Park - strangely it's the stuff of dreams for some (waterproof?) people!
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I'm on the other side of the hill from you and I don't recognise this description, thankfully. Plenty of lovely weather on this side of the Cat and Fiddle.

Best things about living at this height:

- spectacular weather whenever there is a fog down on the plain
- good riding weather when it's stinking hot down on the plain.


Best country? Britain.

Best county? Cheshire.
 
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