[Seoull]

Hey! My name is Lynsay.
I'm originally from Scotland but have recently moved to the US. I grew up learning english and would like to continue to stay riding english but as I'm currently living in Alabama all I can seem to find for horses is western.
I was wondering if anyone could give me an insight on where to begin to even start looking for horses and also the horse scene in the US. I don't have a big budget for buying a horse so it seems warmbloods are out of the question but breeds I'm used to are Irish sports horse and fresian cross.
Any advice or help on where even to start would be muchly appreciated.

 

[QtrBel]

Don't know where you're at in Alabama (general region wise) but there's plenty of English horses here. Welcome to the state and country!

 

[egrogan]

Welcome! I’m not from that part of the US, but I’m tagging @SwissMiss and @QtrBel, who are sort of adjacent

I would think you might look into Thoroughbreds, given your proximity to Florida and Louisiana racing programs. Some of the off track retraining programs, like CANTER USA and New Vocations have regional divisions that might be good resources for less expensive TBs who can do flat work and often jump around.

This time of year, the higher end sport horse world is descending into Florida. Check out what’s going on in Wellington and Ocala. The World Equestrian Center is becoming a bit of a Mecca, even just to visit: Homepage - World Equestrian Center

Good luck as you get settled in!

 

[Seoull]

Don't know where you're at in Alabama (general region wise) but there's plenty of English horses here. Welcome to the state and country!

Thanks for replying! I'm currently in the Gulf Shores area, today I went to baldwin countys monthly horse show to get an idea of the scene but as my husband was working today I didn't get to see the majority of that show. But thank you for welcoming me! 🙂 I've got a lot to learn haha 😅

 

[Seoull]

Welcome! I’m not from that part of the US, but I’m tagging @SwissMiss and @QtrBel, who are sort of adjacent

I would think you might look into Thoroughbreds, given your proximity to Florida and Louisiana racing programs. Some of the off track retraining programs, like CANTER USA and New Vocations have regional divisions that might be good resources for less expensive TBs who can do flat work and often jump around.

This time of year, the higher end sport horse world is descending into Florida. Check out what’s going on in Wellington and Ocala. The World Equestrian Center is becoming a bit of a Mecca, even just to visit: Homepage - World Equestrian Center

Good luck as you get settled in!

Thank you for replying! The advice is definitely appreciated! I've seen a lot of TB's but I don't think the breed is for me personally, I've been trying to look into standardbreds as I prefer a bit more of a solid horse and TB's are a bit too fine for my liking, but I will definitely check out what you've suggested! 😊 I really do appreciate all the help, as I've only been here a year I have a lot to learn about the horses here.

 

[QtrBel]

Thanks for replying! I'm currently in the Gulf Shores area, today I went to baldwin countys monthly horse show to get an idea of the scene but as my husband was working today I didn't get to see the majority of that show. But thank you for welcoming me! 🙂 I've got a lot to learn haha 😅

Same neck of the woods then.

 

[Acadianartist]

Love the photo! I don't know anything about what horses are in Alabama, since I am in Eastern Canada, but welcome to the forum! I'm sure some of our southern US members will have some thoughts for you.

Not a fan of TBs myself - I have a stocky Appaloosa and he is more my speed. The Standardbreds around here are also tall and lanky, so unless the ones in the US are quite different, I don't really see them as a stockier breed.

You may need to broaden your search beyond Alabama. I don't think it's that difficult to transport horses across state lines, though again, it would depend on where you are in Alabama (not that I'm suggesting you reveal that - privacy is important).

What do you want to do with your horse? That's probably the best place to start.

 

[QtrBel]

Welcome! I’m not from that part of the US, but I’m tagging @SwissMiss and @QtrBel, who are sort of adjacent

I would think you might look into Thoroughbreds, given your proximity to Florida and Louisiana racing programs. Some of the off track retraining programs, like CANTER USA and New Vocations have regional divisions that might be good resources for less expensive TBs who can do flat work and often jump around.

This time of year, the higher end sport horse world is descending into Florida. Check out what’s going on in Wellington and Ocala. The World Equestrian Center is becoming a bit of a Mecca, even just to visit: Homepage - World Equestrian Center

Good luck as you get settled in!

This is pretty much spot on.

 

[Horse & Dog Mom]

@ egrogan: Right about WEC, but also around the area there's a lot of eventing on top of many other horse related events including HITS which I think officially starts in a week or so.

Lynsay, I'm definitely not an eventer but you can take a gander at some of the upcoming shows at this website:

Event Entries

evententries.com

If you wander around the site, especially this link (Event Entries), you can checkout the really wide range of classes and even look at the types of horses being riden. A ton of sport horses as well as OTTB are used. Not all of the horses cost a fortune, so maybe check a show near you to talk to the people there.

Welcome!

 

[Seoull]

Love the photo! I don't know anything about what horses are in Alabama, since I am in Eastern Canada, but welcome to the forum! I'm sure some of our southern US members will have some thoughts for you.

Not a fan of TBs myself - I have a stocky Appaloosa and he is more my speed. The Standardbreds around here are also tall and lanky, so unless the ones in the US are quite different, I don't really see them as a stockier breed.

You may need to broaden your search beyond Alabama. I don't think it's that difficult to transport horses across state lines, though again, it would depend on where you are in Alabama (not that I'm suggesting you reveal that - privacy is important).

What do you want to do with your horse? That's probably the best place to start.

Aww thank you! It was a horse I leased back home called Merlin, He was a highland cross Connemara, so for my buying a horse I'm definitely not looking to get another pony type horse, I want to reach the next level in my riding career
As for standardbreds my friend back home said they are a solid breed and but she hasn't had the best of luck with TB's. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have a good experience with one! But I guess to answer your question what I'd like to do with my horse would be to do hacking(trail riding, I think?) and I would like to start getting back into jumping like I did when I was younger but I wasn't from a family who had a lot of money so I had to stop learning for a while, after that I was just riding at a trekking club but the riding teacher there didn't exactly 'teach' us, she would just take us down to the local beach and let us canter the beach haha
Sorry that was a bit of a long answer! haha

 

[Seoull]

@ egrogan: Right about WEC, but also around the area there's a lot of eventing on top of many other horse related events including HITS which I think officially starts in a week or so.

Lynsay, I'm definitely not an eventer but you can take a gander at some of the upcoming shows at this website:

Event Entries

evententries.com

If you wander around the site, especially this link (Event Entries), you can checkout the really wide range of classes and even look at the types of horses being riden. A ton of sport horses as well as OTTB are used. Not all of the horses cost a fortune, so maybe check a show near you to talk to the people there.

Welcome!

thank you! I'm not an eventer either haha but I do like watching some shows so thank you so much for the advice! I will definitely take a look and see what horses are being ridden and I'll try and pluck up the courage to talk to people at the local show about horses here, darn anxiety haha I get along much better with animals as which and I'm sure some of you will understand 😅

 

[knightrider]

Alabama is where McCurdy Plantation Horses originated. I have a half McCurdy. They are super neat and fun. You might enjoy riding a gaited horse. Check out McCurdy horses!

McCurdy Horses . – The McCurdy Plantation Horse Registry and Association

About the McCurdy Plantation Horse | Rare Breed | Gaited Breed | DiscoverTheHorse - YouTube

McCurdy Plantation Horse - YouTube

McCurdy Plantation Horse — DiscoverTheHorse

Oak Hill Farm McCurdys, Horses

 

[horselovinguy]

Welcome to the Forum!!

I did not read but a few of the responses...
So don't not consider a Thoroughbred for a riding partner or a Thoroughbred cross called a Appendix.
A lot of people talk down of the animals but they are far hardier than many know, want to please, work hard in their chosen discipline they excel in and not all are problem-plagued animals.
Thoroughbreds come in many sizes and bone-build and you would be hard-pressed to not think some are warmblood animals...so the diverse variety are out there.
Because the Thoroughbred has fallen out of favor today with the fad being warmblood animals they may also fall into a affordable range.
As with any animal it is animal specific their health, their soundness, their abilities and their love to please their rider.
Enjoy the search for a horse if you wish, a new riding facility...but you are in a state that is rich with animals and boarding choices to meet the needs of most any rider.
Enjoy your search for what it is you want.
Again, welcome to our family of horse enthusiasts and lovers from around the world and most any discipline that horses are involved with.
🐴...

 

[walkinthewalk]

Hello and welcome🤠🤠

Heres the link to New Horse which offers links to various horse oriented subjects on every state in the U.S. 🤠

NewHorse.com

Updated daily, NewHorse.com is a comprehensive industry-specific business directory designed to help you find the best equestrian professional to match your needs. Browse detailed profiles that include a bio, specialties, photos, and contact info!

www.newhorse.com

There‘s links to riding instructors, show jumper, dressage for example.

Click on one of the subjects, the. Click on your state and see if anything pops up within your driving distance. Also, if you are close to another state, click on that state as well

I hope you can find what you’re looking for

 

[Seoull]

Alabama is where McCurdy Plantation Horses originated. I have a half McCurdy. They are super neat and fun. You might enjoy riding a gaited horse. Check out McCurdy horses!

McCurdy Horses . – The McCurdy Plantation Horse Registry and Association

About the McCurdy Plantation Horse | Rare Breed | Gaited Breed | DiscoverTheHorse - YouTube

McCurdy Plantation Horse - YouTube

McCurdy Plantation Horse — DiscoverTheHorse

Oak Hill Farm McCurdys, Horses

Oh wow, I've never heard of this horse, thank you for sharing it with me!

 

[Seoull]

Welcome to the Forum!!

I did not read but a few of the responses...
So don't not consider a Thoroughbred for a riding partner or a Thoroughbred cross called a Appendix.
A lot of people talk down of the animals but they are far hardier than many know, want to please, work hard in their chosen discipline they excel in and not all are problem-plagued animals.
Thoroughbreds come in many sizes and bone-build and you would be hard-pressed to not think some are warmblood animals...so the diverse variety are out there.
Because the Thoroughbred has fallen out of favor today with the fad being warmblood animals they may also fall into a affordable range.
As with any animal it is animal specific their health, their soundness, their abilities and their love to please their rider.
Enjoy the search for a horse if you wish, a new riding facility...but you are in a state that is rich with animals and boarding choices to meet the needs of most any rider.
Enjoy your search for what it is you want.
Again, welcome to our family of horse enthusiasts and lovers from around the world and most any discipline that horses are involved with.
🐴...

You definitely make a fair point! Thank you for sharing your opinion, I do need to be a bit more open minded over here as the breeds back home are different from the the ones here, but ofcourse we have TB's back home but like I said earlier I'm more used to Irish Sports horses but that is a Irish draft crossed with a TB, so I need to be more open minded. Theres a lot to learn about the more popular breeds here in the US 😅

 

[Seoull]

Hello and welcome🤠🤠

Heres the link to New Horse which offers links to various horse oriented subjects on every state in the U.S. 🤠

NewHorse.com

Updated daily, NewHorse.com is a comprehensive industry-specific business directory designed to help you find the best equestrian professional to match your needs. Browse detailed profiles that include a bio, specialties, photos, and contact info!

www.newhorse.com

There‘s links to riding instructors, show jumper, dressage for example.

Click on one of the subjects, the. Click on your state and see if anything pops up within your driving distance. Also, if you are close to another state, click on that state as well

I hope you can find what you’re looking for

Oh, that's super helpful, thank you! I feel like I need all the help I can get because since moving to the US, I feel like a bambi on ice with all of this and where to start haha

 

[walkinthewalk]

@Seoull a breed you might consider is the Dutch Warmblood, a,though I truly don’t know how popular they are in your area.

When I lost my 27 yr old Tennessee Walker a year ago, I went looking for a companion horse for my 28 yr old Tennessee Walker.

A coming 27 yr old Dutch Warmblood sort of fell into my lap. I understand he did dressage early in his life but most of his career was as a winning hunter/jumper. His manners are impeccable, he is an exceptionally honest horse who wants to do the right thing.

He is not rideable due to injuries. The lady who sort of got him out of a risky situation needed to find him a retirement home as she could not afford to pay board on him and her own heart horse who is also retired. The Fates intervened and Duncan came to live with me.

I am a life long trail rider and have ridden Tennessee Walkers since the 1980’s. I had to do some research on the Dutch Warmbloods and learned that Duncan is who he is due to the strict breeding programs that began in the Netherlands.

If you drop down my sig, Duncan is the seal bay on the left. He is a stunning horse, even at 27 and with leg injuries. His sweet personality is equally as stunning.

He isn’t as bulked up as he was during his show career but he is in great health, except for the injuries.

I mention this breed as he may be a breed to consider. this fella wound his way around my heart in short order. It’s a shame his career had to end because he is a horse that wants to work😇😇

 

[Seoull]

@Seoull a breed you might consider is the Dutch Warmblood, a,though I truly don’t know how popular they are in your area.

When I lost my 27 yr old Tennessee Walker a year ago, I went looking for a companion horse for my 28 yr old Tennessee Walker.

A coming 27 yr old Dutch Warmblood sort of fell into my lap. I understand he did dressage early in his life but most of his career was as a winning hunter/jumper. His manners are impeccable, he is an exceptionally honest horse who wants to do the right thing.

He is not rideable due to injuries. The lady who sort of got him out of a risky situation needed to find him a retirement home as she could not afford to pay board on him and her own heart horse who is also retired. The Fates intervened and Duncan came to live with me.

I am a life long trail rider and have ridden Tennessee Walkers since the 1980’s. I had to do some research on the Dutch Warmbloods and learned that Duncan is who he is due to the strict breeding programs that began in the Netherlands.

If you drop down my sig, Duncan is the seal bay on the left. He is a stunning horse, even at 27 and with leg injuries. His sweet personality is equally as stunning.

He isn’t as bulked up as he was during his show career but he is in great health, except for the injuries.

I mention this breed as he may be a breed to consider. this fella wound his way around my heart in short order. It’s a shame his career had to end because he is a horse that wants to work😇😇

I'm glad you and Duncan found each other! 🙂 we have dutch warmbloods back home in Scotland too but they're very expensive and the ones I have seen for sale here are also expensive and sadly I don't have that kind of money to drop on a horse otherwise I would definitely be considering them, I'm just finding it hard to find a happy medium if you know what I mean haha

 

[ShirtHotTeez]

I'm with @horselovinguy, don't be too ready to rule out a thoroughbred. They are not all hotheads.

Some bloodlines are more solid than others, though obviously still a bit finer than your irish sports horse. But they are versatile and can be trained to most disciplines.

They have big hearts (figuratively speaking), athletic, competitive. They will try anything with encouragement, they need you be leader. If you fall apart, they are likely to as well. If you are not decisive they can get stroppy. But (obviously) I am a fan and have every faith in them.