Ideal country to live in to have a horsey rural life?

PurBee

PurBee

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If you choose without restriction, which country would you prefer to have horses, and why?

I have 1 more move in me, and dont have the capital for 350k+ for an equestrian place in warmer south uk, so am looking further afield. Somewhere warm, not stupidly so like south spain...with 24/7/365 grazing capability. Not west france and other wet places, west portugal.
Im really aiming at releasing capital and buying outright on the next move to be rent/mortgage free, dont mind a place that needs some work, but needs to be move-in-able rather than derelict! I’d have 150k. Pushing it abit i know! Would prefer minimum 6 acres.

South france, north spain, italy - i can learn those languages easier than bulgarian/polish.
Bears in north spain and italy mountain regions are abit iffy maybe with horses?! (I know nothing about bears!)

Where would you pick and why? Have any tips/experiences to share if youve done this already?

TIA :)
 
The riding I enjoyed most of all with miles of off road forest, warm summers and English winters was when I lived in Rothenbach on the Dutch/German border back in the 80’s. Closest German towns Dusseldorf/Aachen and Roermond in Holland.

No bears but the occasional wild boar and rabid squirrels. The Dutch Vets all speak English and are very friendly, great rail, bus and airlines back home and more importantly when I went back 6 years ago to visit friends I came home with DP ?
 
Don't know about the horse keeping aspects but we went to Slovenia for a holiday and I loved it! Beautiful countryside - varied dependent on which country it was bordering. Mountainous/alpine on the Austrian border, sunny & warm on the Italian border etc. No litter/flytipping (biggie for me!!). Lovely quiet roads, friendly people who spoke very good English etc etc. I absolutely could live there.
 
Some parts of the USA if you can stand the politics. Also, if you don't mind the cold and snow I've heard Canada can be wonderful. I've thought about New Zealand or Canada if the USA gets much crazier.
 
My cousin lives near Turin in Northern Italy . It can get crazy hot in the summer, very snowy in the winter. Very limited grass, and dusty - she has very limited turnout. Vets are rudimentary and feed very old school. She only had access to black oats and lucerne hay. Feed as we know it is imported and very expensive. She has no hacking where she keeps her horses - just huge outdoor schools and a smaller indoor.
 
TPO said:
Australia!
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I think most of Australia would fit into the “crazy hot” category for the OP, if Spain is too hot.

I’ve kept horses in New Zealand, Spain, Denmark and South Africa.

In NZ we were just north of Auckland. It was spectacularly beautiful and the riding was great but it was much wetter than I had thought it would be.
For example, the average rainfall in Auckland is 1284 mm, and in Oxfordshire is 631 mm. Auckland was warmer though.

I was in a very rural, remote part of southern Spain and whilst I loved it, you’d need to be very prepared to do everything yourself, and vets weren’t readily available. Summer was hard as it was crippling hot and dusty but the horses survived. It was quite an eye opener.

Denmark was absolutely great during the summer but winters were exceptionally cold. I was at two yards on different ends of the spectrum in terms of management. The first had limited turn out (4 hours a day), horses were exercised twice a day, and kept to a very high level. I would have wanted them out more. The second they were out 24/7 with access to a barn in the worst of winter. I probably would have had them in at night over winter but again, they all survived.

South Africa has African Horse Sickness at epidemic levels. I worried about my horses when we were in Johannesburg and the Eastern Cape. Cape Town was better as parts don’t have horse sickness but still not completely absent of worry. Due to the poverty and unemployment, it’s easy for better off people to have staff- the poor population will work for very low wages. Most yards, even private yards at home will have a groom. I found it a little uncomfortable personally, as the wages are as low as R2200 a month - which is £117 a month!- far below the accepted living wage. The weather is fantastic and not generally ‘Australia hot’ although it is over 30 regularly in summer. Summer is dry so we spent more on hay in summer than winter. If you can deal with the crime, it is not a bad place to keep horses.

ETA - now keeping horses in Oxfordshire. This is probably the easiest place I have ever kept horses from a stress, worry, access to the kind of management I prefer perspective. Mine are out 24/7 year round and happy. The grass is probably a bit too green, it could be a bit less muddy, and it would be nice if it was a degree or two warmer. Vet care is very accessible, welfare standards are generally good, horses aren’t frozen or cooked alive and other than having too much grass, I haven’t had any big management issues like three months of snow or three months of dust without grass.
 
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Wales. I grew up there and aim to go back one day. Yes, it rains a fair bit and the grass grows too green, but it had the best bridleway network I've known. Far better than up here. And just for that one reason I'd go back in a shot. Fairly soon the roads are going to become off limits for riders. Things aren't like they used to be.
 
GSD Woman said:
Some parts of the USA if you can stand the politics. Also, if you don't mind the cold and snow I've heard Canada can be wonderful. I've thought about New Zealand or Canada if the USA gets much crazier.
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Its definitely easy to find inexpensive land in the US, and horse care overall isn't too dissimilar in most places. The trick is finding the right area that you fit in and hope it's also an area that is on the inexpensive list. I love digging through landandfarm.com for cheap land in the states. However healthcare/politics - yup - there are definitely reasons I'm not still there.

I rather enjoyed Germany and would definitely go back - horse and all. That said I quite like the UK and am likely to stick around as overall I think horse wise it is my favorite so far. That and I too only have maybe one more move left in me! Though now I'm going to follow this thread for ideas!
 
Nudibranch said:
Wales. I grew up there and aim to go back one day. Yes, it rains a fair bit and the grass grows too green, but it had the best bridleway network I've known. Far better than up here. And just for that one reason I'd go back in a shot. Fairly soon the roads are going to become off limits for riders. Things aren't like they used to be.
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You obviously didn't grow up in my part of Wales. We have very few bridleways here, just outside Cardiff and there's definitely not a network - I don't know know of any that meet up with any others!
 
Australia!

Bare with me, we aren't always on fire! It's a huge country, you can choose virtually anywhere along the coast to live.

Depending on your preference, we have cool temperate Tasmania (West coast if you like rain, east coast if you like less rain). Victoria brings a bit of spice to your life with its four seasons in one day (it still rains there too - bonus!). South Australia is normally mild, but beware of the summer heatwaves that tend to pool there before hitting the east coast. ACT if you don't like the coast and enjoy 15 minute traffic jams and visiting politicians. New South Wales ranges from mild temperate to mild humid with some heatwaves thrown in (though do move to central NSW if you really like heat but lots and lots of space). Queensland usually does humidity well, but beware the dry and warm interior - further North is tropical with nice beaches. the Northern Territory has the space you need, but you'll be sweating 24/7 until the monsoon arrives for a few months. Spectacular though, lots of cattle to ride after (and camels!)! Western Australia has some of all the above, it also still rains there too ;) You'll find camels, donkeys AND sharks there!

In all seriousness, our horsey culture is 90% out 24/7, we do have the room for it and if you don't mind not living immediately near a big capital the land is quite affordable. Good luck finding somewhere!
 
Spain. I will be moving there in the next 18 months, although probably horseless (initially, anyway....). Having said that it may not suit someone used to doing things the "English" way, everything about the horse culture is different - feed, hay, turnout, riding and training. I have Spanish horses, ridden in the Spanish way already, so it isn't an issue for me personally. I have English friends living there who are horrified at everything, but that is just them (and I suspect they would be the same anywhere outside of the UK. I expect them to be returning very soon :-) )
 
Worked in Western Australia with horses back in 2002. Loved it, but we struggled to get feed / hay to us (it was one of the drought times) and when a horse got injured there was no vet within 7 hours. I also rode in Kosciuszko / Snowy Mountains (it was on fire then too - I have some interesting photos) and that was more the kind of area I'd like to keep horses if I headed back. Loved the riding in NZ but it was very, very wet!

I've ridden in both Wyoming and Montana and there is no shortage of space or riding country. Winters are a little chilly though!!

In the UK I loved keeping horses around Cannock Chase, but I don't think that fits the OP's criteria of being warm :D
 
Great to hear of all your experiences! Makes me want to travel the world on horseback!

Im very willing to embrace a new culture, love the mediterranean ones! Siesta oooo la la!

I couldnt stand crazy hot summers and freezing winters...for horse care and other farming crop activities i do.
I really want warmish summers and mild winters - for increasing crop months as i do organic veg/fruit farmiing too.

Its interesting how many people like what they grew up with, which for me, was the cambs uk countryside. Ive worked outside all my life and dont mind the uk winter temps....or ireland. The level of rainfall in west ireland is too much though for me. We’re in mud all year round. Crops fail more often than i ever had in the uk...potato blight etc.
Ive resorted to trialling a crop of wasabi as that likes very wet cloudy conditions!

I know i said i only have 1 more move in me, you may laugh as ive just entered my 4th decade.....but moving a farm’s worth of stuff and animals is a humongous move compared to moving a house...so i know i need to make a wise decision for this move. i cant just ‘try a place’ when i have animal responsibilities of hauling them about and barns worth of farming equipment.

Also what limits me are the immigration laws for animals - quarantine and the like. Dogs and cats and horses.

Tuscany italy weather-wise is ok i think. Not too hot in the summer, not too cold in the winter. Ive already found a organic mixed meadow grass, bales on a pallet italian supplier!
There are a lot of feed issues with spain and italy for horses - many resorting to straw - which i dont like for many reasons...mono-diet i dont agree with, the bulk indigestibility etc.

Before moving to ireland i was looking at bulgaria - sofia - valley of the rose - temps there are nice but again, the language barrier is huge. I need local supplies and vets etc so its not a lifestyle of i have everything always and wont need to communicate much giving me ample time to learn bulgarian. I need to be understood off the plane. I find that daunting...perhaps im worrying too much about the language barrier?

As stated by folk here, southern spain is way too hot and dusty. Yet i have found folk with horses in northern spain regions, who have nice rainfall, green grass turnout!. Theres only limited areas. Quite hard to find a good chunk of land though of 5+ acres.
I worry that the language could be a barrier though with vets in spain/south france. I have my eye on a translator portable device! But do wonder if ill feel a bit too ‘foreign’ in a rural area where the locals all speak a language im not fluent in. It takes a while to become fluent for me, so its an everyday limiting factor to enjoying life potentially.

Cortez - where in spain are you moving? Congratulations! Im sure your horses will love ‘going home’ ?

Africa fascinates me, and australia. But bringing animals in laws might limit me.
My horses hate travelling and the plane ride to Aus might kill them! My friend did that from Aus to uk - she said how she was with her horses in the hold and how difficult it was. Im not a good flyer myself! Id expect ulcers on the other side.
USA is a beautiful country - but....yeah, politics, guns, crime...and the american media literally in every place you visit - theres a screen with fox news. Lol!
 
The other idea thats floating around is buying a chunk of agricultural land in the uk - south, devon, maybe cornwall, somerset, south midlands and getting planning permission for an agricultural residence as i shall be wanting to continue organic farming crops.
I know building a conventional house from scratch is a huuuge expense, however, im wondering about going for a ‘pre-fab log home’ thats built relatively quickly. A 3 bed is around 60k.
Having looked at agricultural planning laws and architects articles online it seems the planning process for an agricultural business residence is do-able as the uk want to protect the agri land for agri use.
Land without planning permission is far cheaper than agri land with planning permission.

Having been away from the uk for over a decade, has the climate down south changed much - is it colder/wetter?
 
English is far more widely spoken than you'd think these days. I'm not saying that's a good thing but it might help you short term!

I lived in a small town in France for a year while I was at uni in the late 90s. Nobody spoke English, which was fine as I was there specifically to improve my French. I went back there a couple of years ago and was amazed to hear people speaking English on the street. Having been to several big European cities recently, I was aware that young people (in particular) of different nationalities would speak English together but I was amazed to see this happening in a small French town relatively soon after my very different experience there. I assume they were students (the university is the only organisation of note in the town) of differing nationalities which is a bit sad as they will have gone there to learn French only to end up speaking English. I had a few British friends I'd speak English to when I was there but we mixed with lots of other nationalities through French.
 
PurBee, if you decide on the USA try central VA and western MD. I live in central VA and you can generally avoid politics if you like. In the rural areas gun violence tends not to be a big deal. Unfortunately, the health care situation sucks.
 
For those who asked, North Wales has some excellent hacking, even close to the border, but you do need to stay rural. I wouldn't expect hacking near cities anywhere in the world to be particularly good!
 
The UK. We’re lucky to have public bridleways, our temperate climate is pretty good and we have a wealth of events to go to and professionals in every sphere. From the stories I’ve read here of struggles with horses in Spain and France especially I wouldn’t want to keep my horses there. Seems to be lack of decent vets, poor farriery and weird livery arrangements. I guess we hear mainly the worst though.

My sister lives in VA which is extremely horsey and has a very active horse scene including hunting. But it is unbearably hot and humid in the summer and pretty cold in winter. It’s also extremely expensive but horse care is pretty similar to the UK. I’m sure other parts of the states are cheaper and have a more moderate climate though.
 
South west France isn't particularly wetter than the south of England, and the summers are considerably more pleasant.

There are not so many formally declared bridleways, but where I ride at the border with Dordogne and Haute Vienne there are quiet roads and plenty of off-road paths.

Up here in Seine et Oise, there are loads of yards and services (farriers, vets, feed distributors), but being closer to Paris the prices for land and I imagine services too are higher. And although the rainfall is about the same as in the south of England, the soil is very fast-draining sand. Grass would get trampled away to nothing in a small paddock, but would not turn into a mud bath.

If I was looking for somewhere further south and east, primarily for cheaper land, I would look at Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, but also Romania. If you're not comfortable with learning a Slavic language, but can get by in French, Spanish or Italian, then Romanian is not insurmountable (the grammar is much more like Latin, with all the cases, but the vocabulary is easy, despite the many loan words from Slavic neighbours).
 
My dream is to live in Lanzarote with the ginger one. I go several times a year and always spot the lovely rural small holdings.
No grass for laminitis, nice weather all round (the mare doesn't do rain), and plenty of secluded off road hacking.
Also the bane of my every summer NO wasps!
 
If you are planning to move within Europe you need to do it quickly, ideally during the implementation period for Brexit, and get registered for healthcare in whichever country you choose. If you do not have state healthcare the cost of a good private policy is about 300 to 350 pounds per month in your 40s. Of course there are cheaper ones, but you probably need one that covers you in the event of a serious illness, as you would not have rights to pop back to use the NHS as a non-resident, and after Brexit there will be no automatic right to enter the public (mostly contributions based) systems of other countries. If you decide to rely on private insurance it is OK, but you have to plan that if you had a serious issue then the premium for the following year would probably become unaffordable, and in this case you might be forced into moving back to the UK unless you have some serious savings.

In terms of places Hungary is very nice and not too expensive. Downside is hot in summer and really difficult language.

I think in your position I might be tempted to look at Romania, but not around Bucharest, somewhere in Transylvania. Language is easy if you already have a reasonable grasp of French or another Latin language.

Parts of Germany are absolutely beautiful, but I am not sure about prices for real estate.

Parts of the US are affordable, but I think you would have problems to get residency and healthcare is absurdly costly.

I would also say that keep in mind that planning and executing a move will be much easier if you pick somewhere within easy reach.

Good luck!
 
I would look to eastern Europe personally, but as you rightly point out the languages are very difficult and good standard veterinary care (particularly horses) is practically non-existent in some areas. I've ridden in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovenia and Montenegro and they all offer some spectacular riding country in their own way. I am toying with the idea of one day moving to BiH but there is a lot to consider and I think it's easy to overlook how important access to good vets and farriers is.
 
Something a lot of people in USA do is retire to Mexico. It is much cheaper. I have no idea of horse keeping down there though except along the coasts where riding is fairly common.
 
If you don't mind the rain Galicia in northern Spain is very green, the grass grows madly, and you can pick up land quite cheaply. The riding culture is a combination of typical Spanish and a bit more British. Where I worked the hacking was incredible long sandy forestry tracks and empty beaches. There are wild boar and the occasional wolf though I don't think they tend to go for horses. I found the people very friendly and it was a lovely community orientated, relaxed pace of life. I imagine it would be great for organic farming, I do have pictures of local farmers cutting hay with a scythe and oxen pulling the cart ... this was 10 years ago.
 
HollyWoozle said:
I would look to eastern Europe personally, but as you rightly point out the languages are very difficult and good standard veterinary care (particularly horses) is practically non-existent in some areas. I've ridden in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovenia and Montenegro and they all offer some spectacular riding country in their own way. I am toying with the idea of one day moving to BiH but there is a lot to consider and I think it's easy to overlook how important access to good vets and farriers is.
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I agree. With this budget you could probably get something nice outside of the immediate vicinity of capital cities in CEE.

I can say that in Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Czech there are good farriers and vet available. I have no experience of the other countries.

But I would advise that you try to quickly narrow your search down and start looking, because with only 11 months implementation period for Brexit you probably need to move quickly.

Maybe once you have located the country that you want to live in you can rent a house and find a local livery yard so you can strat getting your residency sorted.

One tip about horses if you do put them to livery. I have found that there is no concept of 'full livery' or 'part livery'. Every place is different. The mistake I made was believing that what some places term as 'full care' and with no need for the owner to even be present if they do not want to was actually the case. For example mine are supposed to have 'full care', but unless I arrange water to the paddock they will have no water from the time they are turned out at 7am until they are fetched in (currently 3.30-ish). So sure my horses are mucked out, taken to paddock, fetched in etc, but it is certainly not enough for me to not be there on a daily basis. The problem that you will have is that good places often have a waiting list (ours does, imperfect as it is). So it is a fine line between wanting to know exactly what will be done and not appearing to be difficult.

But in general you can make things work. In most of CEE English is widely spoken. I have lived in various countries in this region since 1996, and I have been happy.

Let us know what you decide!
 
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