Equestrian communities in the SoWal or Freeport area

[Scooter]

Thanks FLSunChaser! I tried to find a web site but nothing came up. If you have any more info on this development in Bruce please let me know. I have a quarter horse and keep him about fifteen minutes from my home in North Atlanta. The equestrian center is 400 acres and it's gorgeous, so I'm pretty spoiled. It gets really hot here in the summer also, but I just don't ride if it's too hot, too cold, or too windy. My horse's name is Scooter.

 

[Scooter]

Mermaid - Are you allowed to ride horses on the trails in Grayton Beach State Park?

 

[Smiling JOe]

Mermaid - Are you allowed to ride horses on the trails in Grayton Beach State Park?

That would be a no. However, the State has cut in a road and parking on Hw 283 in SoWal for future staging area for horses. There are no trails cut yet, and this project was started about 2 years ago. They put up a sign and cut in the parking and road, but then it quickly stopped. This is the State Forrestry people who have this project, not the County.

The horse farms are quickly fading from site. I know of a few horse people in NoWal who ride, but those co-ops like you are searching for, are rare. There are a few developments of which I know in NoWal and Holmes County, which are in the pre-development stage. They are horse friendly, with lots small as two acres and up to 10 acres, but they do not have a common barn and stables.

I do have some acerage in the Freeport area which would be great for such a co-op, but currently, it is wooded property.

I also have some 4 acre lots available in Freeport where you could probably have a couple of horses.

 

[beachmouse]

OK- I have been dying to ask this- does anyone on the board ride? If so, where do you ride? And where do people board their horses? Or is it just too hot here in the summer to enjoy it?

Costs for cleared land make it pretty rare to see horses much south of I-10. But Kelly Plantation in Destin has an equestrian center, and I can think of one stable in Valparaiso and another one in between Rocky Bayou CC and the airstrip in Niceville. There's also a place on FL 20 kind of in the Portland/west Freeport area where you can see a jumping course set up from the highway. (can't recall the name)

I wonder if there are trails in Eglin Reservation suitable for horses? If so, you're talking some pretty serious large chunks of recreational land coming into play.

 

[Mermaid]

Mermaid - Are you allowed to ride horses on the trails in Grayton Beach State Park?

So it would appear from this site (and I'd always thought horses were allowed in for riding), though SmilingJOe's post would indicate otherwise. It would be worth calling the state park to check just to be double sure.


http://www.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDetails.do?subTabIndex=0&agency=fl&parkCode=gray

 

[Smiling JOe]

There is much difference between the State Parks and the State Forests. GBSP doesn't encompass much land, and to my knowledge, they don't even have hiking trails. The State Forests in this area does have hiking/biking trails, though I am uncertain if horse riding is permitted.

 

[00seer00]

Head a little east down hwy 20 to Washington County, I have a couple you can look at and know of a new one comming. 10 miles from the new airport location. Only about 45 min from SoWal beaches.