Considering a move to Ireland - advice needed

[Cobbytype]

I'm just a happy hacker and the wrong side of 50, but not entirely past it yet I lost my last horse at the half-way mark - I'd expected we'd both retire from riding together in 10 years or so, therefore I'm presently horseless. There seems little point looking over here at the moment if we're going to move, as I've seen that horses are a fair bit cheaper in Ireland. I'll most probably have another cob (+ a cheap companion) and there looks to be some beauties in ROI. My last horse was bought from an Irish breeder (living mostly over here) and he was just brilliant. We also had a Rhett Butler horse some years ago - he was a beauty, but rather aloof with a bad work ethic

I miss riding so much and think there's one more horse in me before I'm past it

 

[Sarah W]

Bit off the wall but have you thought of central Portugal (not the Algarve!)? Wonderful properties, far cheaper than Ireland (I lived in Dublin for 12 years before I moved here), lots of trails, quiet roads, sun, beaches and of course, Lusitanos

 

[tristar]

hi op and sarah w, Portugal looks interesting, what`s the farriery and veterinary service like over there? and which areas are best for horses and riding please?

 

[Cobbytype]

Hi Sarah W - alas I've got to earn a living and although I can relocate within reason, I have to have access to a relatively inexpensive and timely postal system (75% of my market is in UK). We both love Italy, but it's not feasible:-( Oh well, the pasta would make me too fat anyway

 

[Sarah W]

I looked at Italy too - madly expensive! Portugal's postal system is on a par with Ireland/the rest of Europe.

Tristar; all our horses are barefoot and we have an excellent trimmer; there are farriers as well. Vets are OK, all speak English. I love the central area; I'm near Tomar which is only 30 minutes away from Golega - the horse capital of Portugal. Check out Pure Portugal for equestrian properties to give you an idea of what's available.

 

[Pennythetank]

the horsey scene is pretty big here - just because it mightn't be as busy as England doesn't mean the horsey scene is quiet!

I didn't mean to cause any offence or anything, I know these sports are pretty big here, but if you are coming from England, which has multiple 3+4*s etc, it is a smaller scene. 😊 I know we are a small country which is the reason for this, but coming from England it could be a culture shock if op was used to competitions run everywhere, every week (over exaggerating I know).

 

[tristar]

thank you sarah w, it sounds and looks good, and I love the horses !

 

[Baois Glas]

I moved to Ireland just over a year ago, I'm in Monaghan It is lovely around here, I'm about 1 and 1/2 hours from both Dublin and Belfast, so quick for my family to visit me.
I have a large 'beauty area' bog and loads of forest with footpaths all over the place right behind my house, so lots of places to ride, I can also get up to 'horse friendly' forests in the North, not all forests in the North are horse friendly so you might want to check out the nearest one to any houses you are looking at.
There's a fair few riding clubs/groups around here, and I can get to local Trec events, and there is a local endurance group that does rides near by.
I have a much better place here than I could have got in the UK, lots of acres for my horses and it's just lovely. The scenery here reminds me of 'home' and is a lot less barren than other areas further West I looked at.
There's a couple of really nice houses for sale just on the other side of the forest to me, in NI, if you are interested I'll find them out for you. Fab local hacking and if you need someone to hack with I'm just on the other side of the forest! lol

 

[nato]

Hi OP, I'm based in Dublin and can only say from experience that if you can afford to live a bit further out from the city, do it - you'll get a lot more bang for buck and better facilities. My profession requires me to be based in Dublin city centre (which pays for the horse!) but livery is expensive, hard to find DIY, and not a snowballs chance of getting grass livery. Houses with land around the East of Ireland are also harder to come by, and very expensive if you do find one. However the plus side is that there is always something to do every weekend - a show, clinic or event on somewhere - within less than an hour's drive, and the roads are great.

Considering I am living in Dublin city centre, and drive 20 minutes to get to the yard where I keep my horse, I've never had a problem with access to hacking. In Summer I am hacking 2-3x per week (it's where I do most of my schooling) and in Winter I hack at least once a week. Usually you can hack on roads (you just need to be a bit dominant and ride in the centre of the road so cars slow down and don't drive too close!), and there's plenty of forestry from Coillte (governing body of our forests) that are either accessible for free, or you can buy an annual permit. Lots of beaches along the coast that you can ride on too (some restrict the times you can ride so be sure to check in advance).

The West of Ireland is very horsey (Mayo, Sligo, Galway etc) and some beautiful scenery around that way - plenty hacking on quiet roads and commonage to be done! However it is extremely cold and windy there in bad weather so make sure you're prepared! You'll rarely get bad frost, ice or snow though, being right on the sea, which is good. More value for money to be had too. Weather can be milder on the East Coast but depending where you are it will be more expensive and also more likely to be affected by frost etc.

Riding Club (Association of Irish Riding Clubs or AIRC) is very active here - would recommend joining one when you make the move as it's a great way to get to know people, and there's something for everyone. As far as competing goes, this is where I would do much of my competing, and it's a cost effective way to get involved in competing and make new friends If you visit airc.ie you can see the clubs in your region and who to contact.

Hope that helps - feel free to message me with any other questions, hope your move goes well!