Honey, I would love to move, but what about the horses? Do you think they will feel comfortable in North Carolina?

While there are all kinds of horse boarding advertisements out on the wonderful worldwide web, none of it really gave me that personal, objective feeling that I want when considering long-term arrangements for my equestrian friends.  If you're considering relocation to the Raleigh area, or moving cross town, come along with me on my tour of some of the local facilities. 

Homes for Horses - Highlights of Horse Boarders in the Apex/Chatham County area of the Raleigh Triangle 

It was a beautiful day and I had a few hours so I called a friend and we drove out to see just what our Chatham County horse boarders had to offer first-hand.

What I saw raised my eyebrows, made me laugh, and gave me a good snapshot of what's really out there.

We took a drive in the outskirts of Apex, because we've heard Chatham County is popular with horse owners, many of whom are enjoying the country life near Pittsboro, NC. 

The first place was beautiful! Buckhorn Farms is sprawled out on what looks to be hundreds of acres, but is probably smaller than that. We pulled the car onto a gravel parking area off Richardson Road (not too far from the intersection of Hwys 64 and 751) and I hopped out to see if I could rustle up the owner of the ranch. Without knowing too much about horses myself, I was anxious to learn the business and ask a few questions about pricing and services.

After 5 minutes of poking around, a group of friendly ranch-hands trickled into the huge indoor stable. They had just come back from haying the guests and were obviously looking for the owner as well.

After rapping on the upper level of the in-stable office, the tallest ranch-hand gave us a twinkly smile and headed out to go clean his boots. the owner popped her head out on a 2nd floor catwalk and said "Who's that smoking?" If anyone's smoking a cigarette in the barn, I'm gonna shoot ‘em."  The ranch-hands smiled and the culprit outside the barn door put out his cigarette. They joked around for a second before she noticed us. It's good to know that no horses at Buckhorn Farms in Apex will be feeling the effects of second-hand carcinogens.

"I usually don't threaten to shoot people." She smiled. "How can I help you folks?" I asked a few questions and although she had to leave to deliver a couple of horses, she was very cordial and promised to answer all of them properly if I could return another time.

We showed ourselves around a bit more and snapped photos of some beautiful animals who looked quite pampered.  Everything was clean and neat, Feeding bins were full and the property was beautiful.

It a pleasant start to our trip and a tough show to follow, especially for the next place.  We talked to someone over the phone at Farrington Woods Farm, but weren't able to find anyone to show us around once we got there. 

Rates are $500 per month, and the small glimpse we got didn't feel as polished.  I would probably only give it a second look if the other horse boarders were full.

Which ironically is what we ran into with the next boarder we visited.

Morgan Manor Farm is actually a charming farmhouse with fenced donkeys and horses, paved turnabout 1-lane driveways and a huge smoker out back adding a fantastic country scent to the fresh air.  

A knowledgeable young lady answered the door and we chatted for a moment about her boarding services. At $250 per horse/month and only 4 spots opened for boarders, it was no wonder she was full.

They keep 4 of their own horses alongside the guests and bring them in for the winter pack-snows. I learned that different kinds of snows impact the horses differently. The snow that packs, collects quickly in their hoofs making it hard for them to walk and the boarders bring them into the stables. The $250 also pays for food, and for such a good deal, it's amazing people aren't trying to scare off their current boarders to open up a spot. But then I noticed the muscle car in the garage with county sheriff paint and cop-lights ready to go. Those are probably the 8 safest horses in the county.

I asked about more small-time boarders, but the manager didn't know of any offhand and recommended me to a large ranch off hwy 79.  Maybe I'll save that for another trip...when I actually have a horse to board.

Here is full contact information for a variety of horse boarders in the west Raleigh/Chatham County area, convenient for folks living near Jordan Lake, Pittsboro, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Apex, and Raleigh.  With such beautiful country for horses (and their owners) to live, there are more options than I can list here!

Morgan Manor Farm 2092 Marthas Chapel Rd Apex, NC 919-362-6964 http://morganmanorfarm.com/ $250/month, feed only, snow packed hooves Full at this point, 8 horse limit

Farrington Woods Farm 3171 Farrington Rd Apex 919-362-9771 http://farringtonwoodsfarm.com/ $500/month, feed only

Buckhorn Farms 2301 Richardson Rd Apex 919-387-0097 Very pretty sight, many fenced areas, 30+ horses currently

Inverness Farms 1000 Hatley Rd Pittsboro, NC 919-929-9565 http://www.invernessfarms.com/

This map of the area pinpoints the horse boarding farms that we highlighted today. 

Whether you're looking at relocating to Raleigh to start your career, to find a friendly place to raise a family, or retiring in a terrific climate, Raleigh and the Research Park Triangle has something to offer you. Great schools, Forbes rated #1 in 2007 for Businesses and Careers, lots of lakes and golf courses, top-rated cultural centers, universities, and hospitals - and all only two hours to the ocean and three hours to the mountains - it's no wonder that Raleigh is a "Best Place to Live"!

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